Writer’s block is a cruel mistress. Your latest novel may be about to reach a thrilling climax and then all of a sudden… BAM!… all those creative thoughts and ideas suddenly shrivel up and your mind is as blank as the page in front of you. That’s writer’s block and practically all writers suffer from it at some point in their writing career.However, the good news is that it’s not terminal; here are some ways you can send writer’s block back from whence it came and get those mind cogs whirring once again…
Switch Projects
Most writers have at least a couple of projects on the go at once, so switching to another one could help freshen things up if you’re stuck for what to write. If possible, try working on something completely different so that you have a total change of thinking. If you’re not working on something else, then start something up, again something completely different. If nothing immediately comes to mind then free-write. Just write for a short while on whatever you want; just spill your brain out onto the paper. This should help freshen your mind and get the ideas flowing.
Don’t be hard on yourself
Don’t strive for absolute perfection; it simply won’t happen. Filmmaker George Lucas once said: “movies aren’t finished, they’re abandoned”, and whilst you may not want to abandon your writing, it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever be 100% happy with your writing. If you try to make absolutely everything perfect then you’ll likely drive yourself insane. You need to set yourself a limit as to how much you tinker with your work and then do not go back to it. Otherwise, you’ll never finish it!
Have a change of scenery
Most, if not all, writers work from home, which definitely has its advantages, but it can also cause cabin fever to set in. Being stuck looking at a computer in the same environment all day can cause your ideas to stagnate a little. Try going and working elsewhere for a while. Some people choose to have a garden office so it at least feels as if they’re leaving the house for a while. Garden offices and studios can help massively to boost creativity; some have lounge and kitchen areas, whilst some even have sleeping quarters if you just can’t tear yourself away.
Brainstorm/Mindmap
Writing from top to bottom on a page, staring at nothing but words can send your eyes and brain a little crazy after a while. Try mixing things up a little and turn your writing into a visual mindmap. Just throw down any ideas you have on a page, including drawings and doodles, lists, bright colours, or whatever else that springs to mind about what you’re writing. It might look a complete mess but it’ll get your brain thinking in a different way and you may just stumble across an amazing idea in the process.
Exercise
Few things are better to blow the cobwebs away than going for a run or going to the gym. You can burn off any frustration your writing’s causing you and just forget about it for a couple of hours. Or who knows? A killer idea may just come to you as your on the treadmill. Sitting still for too long isn’t great for you anyway, so getting out and about may just be what you need. And after all, ‘healthy body, healthy mind’!
About the author: Jackson Perry is a writer and blogger from Sheffield who hates writer’s block with a passion. He works from his Ecospace garden studio, accompanied by his faithful French Bulldog Eddie.
