Words Unblocked
Breaking Through the Barrier of Writer's Block
I’m going to talk about something that’s painful, persistent, and pervasive for many fiction writers. You find yourself staring at the page for what seems like an eternity, yet the words refuse to flow. Some call this writer’s block; others believe there is no such thing; that it’s mostly in our heads and we just need to get on with it. Either way, for whatever reason, you’re stuck. Creativity, imagination, words. They’ve all abandoned you.
I’m somewhere in the middle. Yes, I have moments where the writing grinds to a halt and I can’t figure out where to go next. Yet I’m almost always able to overcome it, usually within a day or two, by pushing forward relentlessly, writing through the blockages with steely determination until finally the creative juices begin to flow again. I may end up rewriting what hits the pages during this time but I figure that’s a small price to pay for getting my writing mojo back in relatively short order. I always suggest trying this first. To push on even though the writing feels icky . . . until it feels better. You might be pleasantly surprised how quickly things turn around. Sometimes I even come to realize that what I wrote wasn’t as awful as I’d believed.
When pushing my way through the blockage doesn’t work for me–and occasionally it won’t–I’ll try one of the methods listed. below. Before we get into them, it might help you avoid future episodes if you have a better understanding of why this happens in the first place. No one knows for sure but it’s generally thought to be linked to anxiety due to feeling that your writing does not measure up. We all face this from time to time. What’s important is to not let it cripple us, to be proactive about warding it off. Below are tips and exercises that I and other writers have used with great success.
10 Suggestions for Overcoming Writer’s Block
Promise to treat yourself to your favorite food after a day of writing. For me this would be a couple of pieces of chocolate. Or maybe some chips. You’re motivating yourself to get off to a running start. But don’t overdo this or you'll regret it next time you step on a scale.
Write first thing in the morning before breakfast, before you hit social media, before the phone starts ringing, and before everyone else gets up. Even before the sun comes up if you can manage it. The key is to avoid the distractions that intrude on your creative flow.
Take a long, hot shower before a writing session and let your imagination roam. I do some of my best creative thinking in the shower when I let the water glide down my back. There’s something soothing about the sound and touch of pulsating water that frees the imagination.
A student once told me that she takes water-proof paper into the shower to jot down notes. I went searching and found this water-proof notepad and pencil on Amazon: Aqua Notes Water Proof Note Pad. I have yet to try it but maybe I should. I’ve been known to hop out of the shower dripping wet in search of pen and paper to jot down my thoughts.You’ve heard of power naps, right? Try a creative nap. How does that work? Before you drift off to sleep think about the part of your writing where you got stuck. Your mind will get to work while you’re sleeping and solve the problem.
If a nap won’t do the trick, try this at night before drifting off to sleep. Yes, it really can work. I often wake up and the solution pops into my head immediately or it will come to me while I’m tinkering with the coffee maker.Go for a 20-minute walk. Longer is even better. But go alone and avoid interacting with others. If you live where the neighbors will want you to stop and chat, drive yourself to a more secluded spot. While walking do NOT think about your writing. Instead think happy thoughts about the blessings in your life.
It’s so easy to obsess about negative things, especially when we’re in our usual surroundings. Sometimes all we need is a change of scenery to get our creative juices flowing again. When you get back to your writing you should feel refreshed and clear-headed.Read nonfiction books about writing. These can be inspirational books for writers or other creative types or books on writing techniques. Some of them have exercises to inspire and motivate you creatively. I talked about six of my favorites in an earlier post on Creativity for Fiction Writers titled “Ink and Insight.”
Try mind-mapping. In the center of a blank page jot down a few words describing the scene or character or whatever you’re stuck with and draw a circle around it. Then let your thoughts wander, adding whatever comes to mind, with branches (lines) and more circles. This allows your imagination to flow freely without the confines of thinking in sentences or paragraphs or trying to follow your outline.
Many websites and books focus on mind-mapping. Software and apps are also available if you prefer to work electronically. One of my favorite tools for mind mapping is Scapple (by the makers of Scrivener).Try free-writing. Set a timer for 20 minutes and just write about something–a person, place or thing. Don’t stop to correct your grammar or spelling. Don’t edit yourself while writing. It won’t look polished when you’re done. It might not even make sense. But that’s fine. You’re pushing yourself through the creativity block.
Learn or do something new, something you’ve never done before. This is a long-term solution to get out of a deep creativity block and stay out. Learning something new rewires the brain and helps us to see things differently. I have always engaged in other creative pursuits–jewelry making is a favorite–and I honestly believe this helps me with creativity when writing.
Some ideas: painting or sketching, crafting, dancing, cooking, yoga or meditation.If nothing from above works, my final suggestion is to get away, to take a long break from writing or even thinking about writing. But don’t just stop writing and keep going about life the same old way. Shake things up. Go visit family or friends out of town for a few days. Do a weekend getaway alone or with someone you enjoy traveling with. Stay alone in a hotel room across town for a weekend. Stay for a full week if you can manage. While there, pamper yourself with room service, spa treatments and long, hot baths.
Many of these activities may seem difficult to manage for one reason or another, especially the last two. But you know the saying: “You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.” You may need to really stir the pot to get the creative juices flowing again.
In the end, it comes down to how much you really want to write.