Ok, we all get it ... that annoying, mind-numbing feeling when you stare at the page or screen and nothing wants to fall out of your brain. If you're lucky, it doesn't last long. If you're not so lucky, it can go on for what seems like forever. I am someone who has the concentration span of a gnat when it comes to writing in a single discipline. I like to flit between blogs, poems, short stories and plays. This can been a good way of getting around writer's block but it's not the only way. Here are my top 10 tips and tricks for (hopefully) snapping out of it so you can get back to doing what you do best.
1. Change topic
I have a really bad habit of having 3 or 4 blogs and/or stories on the go at once, but a little distraction can give you the break your brain needs to get back into the original topic. If you get stuck on one thing and can't move forward with it, put it away for a day, a week, however long it takes and write about something else.
2. Exercise your body
Exercise can revitalise you. It gets the blood flowing and, for some, the creative juices flowing. While you exrecise, you can let your mind wander. It might go off on some random tangent that is perfectly relevant to the topic you've been stuck on that means you can now move forward with it. And if it doesn't work, at least you've gotten in some exercise.
3. Read
If you write about a particular subject, then reading works by other authors on the same topic might inspire you to write your next piece. You might not agree with what you read, you might not think it's very good, but remember that everything you read can be fodder for your next piece, either positively or negatively influencing your thought processes. If you're writing poetry or fiction, read things in the same vein as what you want to write to spark the imagination.
4. Play word association games
Whether you play alone or with someone else, just being spontaneous and random can trigger all sorts of topics and ideas and associations that you never imagined were there. Just open up your dictionary to any page and read the first word, that's your starting point. From there it's whatever comes into your mind without thinking about it. I find it best to close my eyes when doing this so there are no outside influences.
5. Be entertained
Watch TV, rent a movie, go to the theatre, listen to some music ... anything that triggers and emotion is good. Scare yourself silly on a rollercoaster, laugh 'til you cry at a comedy club or sing your heart out at karaoke. What you do isn't as important as actually doing it. Sometimes, sitting in front of the idiot box and emptying your mind for a couple of hours is just what you need in order to take a fresh look at what you were working on.
6. Explain your work to someone who has no idea
This can make you think about your topic differently. It can make you get to the essentials of what you're writing about. The person you explain it to might ask you questions which help you to get at what it is that has you stumped.
7. Play Devil's Advocate
If you're writing an opinion piece or arguing for a specific point of view, try looking at it from the other side. Pick holes in your own argument. It will make you make your own argument stronger by weeding out those weak points.
8. Write your piece in a different style
Can't get your poem to work? Try writing it as a short story instead. Can't get your description to flow? Turn it into a review. There's no rule that says you're only allowed to use one style, either. Mix it up. Sometimes it's the kick start our brains need.
9. Go to sleep
If you're tired, your brain isn't functioning at optimum efficiency. Get some sleep, even if it's a power nap. There's only so many cups of coffee you can drink before the side effects become negative. If you can allow your brain to reset itself, you might just find that the vibes are all working in your favour and work can begin again.
And finally ...
10. Relax
If you're writing for pleasure, then that is what it should be: pleasurable. Ask yourself, "does it really matter if it doesn't get done today?" Take a deep breath, don't stress about the final product. If you don't like it, don't publish it, start again, change tack. In the end, you're writing for yourself and you can be your harshest critic, so give yourself a break and chillax.
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