8 Tips To Overcome Writer’s Block

Writer’s block is an inevitable hurdle faced by writers across the globe. It can be vexing and disheartening to be unable to write your heart out when the writer’s block sets in.

There can be many reasons behind writer's block. Self-criticism, lack of recognition, or lost motivation are some of them. Overcoming the block often takes determination and self-evaluation. If you have been wondering on how to get a control on it and get back to writing, here are eight tips that will help.

1. Identify the root

To overcome writer’s block, it's imperative that you understand what's causing it. Try to find the reason behind the hindrance. Dig deep and ask yourself the right questions. Are you feeling insecure about your writing abilities? Have you lost interest in your current project? Are you feeling tired and worn out?

As you know, each of these problems has its own unique solution. For example, if you are not confident about your writing skills, you should seek reassurance through different mediums. For starters, you can start by practicing more. You can go back to basics and take up daily writing challenges. This will reinforce your belief in abilities.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, you may need to take a break from writing for a few days. Identify the root of your writing block and start there.

2. Take a break

Monotony kills productivity. Take some time off from your writing project and indulge in a few non-writing events. This depends on your interests and hobbies.

If you like to unwind by watching your favorite movies, by all means, go for it. Attend a play, go out to dinner with friends, or go out hiking. This will disrupt your daily routine and will help overcome writer’s block. You can even meditate or do yoga to clear your head and get some mental clarity.

3. Sleep on it

Sometimes, all you need to overcome writer’s block is getting a good night’s sleep. Writer Brian Water says that he ponders over something he’s stuck on, right before he goes to sleep. He views it as passing on the problem to someone in another dimension and trusts that a solution will be returned by the time he wakes up. And, it always does! The science behind it is simple. Sleep recharges your body and mind, giving you the energy boost you need to tackle your writing. Even a long nap can leave you refreshed and brimming with epic new ideas. Overcoming writer’s block is sometimes as simple as that.

4. Read a book

Reading is a remedy to the illness known as writer’s block. With reading, you get to shift focus from your own writing to someone else’s. Exploring their creative work opens up new avenues of plot development.

It's suggested that when you read, you try different genres. The concept of monotony goes for reading as well. When you dabble with different genres, you open your reception to different journeys. This in turn fuels creativity and can help you come up with more great ideas.

5. Be experimental

There are plenty of outlets to express your creativity, apart from writing. You can consider painting, playing a musical instrument or cooking. The point is to try anything at all that helps you tap into your creativity.

You can overcome writer’s block this way even if you don’t have any such hobbies. Just think of an activity that you’re interested in and have always wanted to try. Get started on this and just have fun with it. Working on recreational projects like this can help you get in sync with your creative side from a different perspective. This is also very effective in overcoming writer’s block.

6. Take a walk

Another simple, but effective way to overcome writer’s block is taking a long leisurely stroll. Researchers at Stanford University have reported that walking can increase your creative thinking significantly. In fact, you can take a walk right on your own terrace. A few minutes of warm sunshine and fresh air can do wonders to overcome writer’ s block and get your creative juices flowing.

7. Just write

Freewriting is very effective in overcoming writer’s block. Settle down in a comfortable corner and start writing anything that comes to your mind. The point of freewriting is to be spontaneous. This exercise liberates the words that you may have unknowingly trapped in your mind.

You can vent about your day or expand your ideas on a story you’ve been thinking about. There are no set rules for this process. You can time yourself or choose not to. We recommend the One Minute Writing Challenge, in which you let your words flow for a minute or so.

8. Write imperfectly

You may be getting frustrated trying to use the perfect words and grammar in every sentence you write. This can be counter-productive. Keep in mind that a first draft does not have to be brilliant. It seldom is, for millions of writers out there.

You can start by diving into the middle of your piece and not the beginning. Starting at the very beginning can be daunting and would stand in the way of overcoming writer’s block.

Writer’s block is an infuriating obstacle. It can prevent you from writing for days, weeks, or even months. But, the key to overcoming writer’s block is to do your best to push past it and not let it paralyze you. Instead of letting it take over your writing, tackle it proactively with these steps. If you wait for inspiration to strike to write something, you might have to keep waiting for a long time.

One of the best ways to overcome writer’s block is surprisingly through writing itself. A fun way to start writing is by taking part in writing challenges. GoSocial gives you the opportunity to work on interesting prompts and challenges. You can earn points and get inspired by the work of other writers.

Sometimes, diverting your attention from a temporary block to something else can restart the creative process. You can use this time to research or edit. When you return to the original project, the block is gone.

Remember that for any of these steps to take effect, you have to be kind and patient to yourself. As challenging as it can be to overcome writer’s block, you will get over the slump. Stay away from added frustration and work towards resuming writing as normally as ever.