Many, if not all of us have experienced writer’s block at some point in our individual careers. Some lasting longer than others.
According to Wikipedia, “Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. This creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or the lack of writing skills. The condition ranges from difficulty in coming up with original ideas to being unable to produce a work for years. Writer's block is not solely measured by time passing without writing. It is measured by time passing without productivity in the task at hand”
Sometime in 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, I submerged myself completely into my writings, having little to nothing else doing, it was very exciting and also helped me maintain my sanity to a given extent. I completed my first novella and started another, became more consistent updating my personal blog and even penned down a collection of poems. But as one would have it, I eventually hit the brick wall, facing severe writer’s block.
Writing had been my only escape from all the depression hovering around the world at the time so yes, I was devastated and frustrated, I am more than certain the lot of us here have felt same way.
Contrary to what a lot of us might think, writer’s block doesn’t necessarily mean one is a “bad writer”. It is a phase that almost every writer faces at some point. But while most writers have this experience in common, the underlying causes may differ. (This is a whole ass topic on its own)
Well Here are a few tips that helped me overcome my writers block then and even now.
I). DETERMINE THE CAUSE:
In my case, it wasn’t the pressure to succeed or compete with other writers neither was it as a result of lack of interest in my work. I would say I had probably written for so long that I felt terrified of the simple act and other times I had been feeling exhausted and my brain locked down.
Prior to all those, it had been my constant fear of imperfection. It is only after determining the cause of the problem that one is able to work out a solution. Realizing the cause is the biggest step to overcoming your writers block.
II). TAKE A BREAK:
One of the most logical thing to do but yet so difficult because oh well we’re addicted to writing. Once I realized there was no way out of the abyss I had found myself I decided to take a break and explore other things and trust me it didn’t only help with my writer’s block but I also discovered loads of fun things I could do other than writing.
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III). WRITE SOMETHING ELSE:
It could be another story you’ve been working on, a new story or even an entirely different genre of what you usually write.
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IV). STATE OUT THE PLOT AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER:
This worked for me with my less severe writer’s block. If for example I was working on a book and got to a point where I knew what exactly happens in that chapter but my creative prowess is lagging, instead of dumping the whole project and moving on to another, I just bracket the summary of the chapter’s plot then move on to the next.
Example: “CHAPTER 5(Lia realizes Dan is the president’s son and confronts him leading to a break up)”
You can come back to expand on it later when you are at your best again.
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V). WRITE OUT A PLOT GUIDE FROM START TO END:
This is very similar to tip 4 but in this case, you’re splitting your plot into chapters and expanding on them from where ever you can at the time. You can chose to begin from the middle or even the end, going at your own pace. When done you can then do an overall edit.
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VI). GO ON TO WRITE IT BADLY, EDIT LATER.
For those who are scared and overly conscious of imperfections, it is actually okay to not “sound right” in your first draft. Instead of spending hours trying to figure the right phrases to demonstrate my ideas, I loosened up. Once I perceive a creative slump, I don’t back off or dump the work, I go on to write it how ever I can and even though my skin would crawl while going through it at first, polishing it from that point was much easier. It might take a little time but the work eventually comes out nice and clean, trust me!
THANKS FOR READING.
HOPE YOU FOUND THIS HELPFUL!