There are just some days when your head just doesn’t cooperate with your hands’/fingers’ desire to write. This could be one of the worst feelings for writers, especially for creative writers. We have a few writing exercises that we want you to try when you experience writer’s block and we have a few tips to keep your creativity flowing no matter what. Get your prompts going!
Writer’s Block
Experienced by many and all writers, writer’s block is an occurrence that happens when, for some reason, a writer cannot seem to write anything that he/she would be happy to put out. This is a slowdown of creativity and for a creative writer, this is a critical state. Getting over this could be challenging and so we’ve come up with a few ways on how you can overcome this creative block as soon as possible.
What are the causes of writer’s block?
- Not knowing where to begin
- Not knowing what to write about
Now, don’t go around saying that writers always have to know what to write about. To tell you the truth, topics randomly pop-up in our minds but that doesn’t equate to us knowing how to write it. Sometimes, writers find themselves hesitating and questioning just how good they’ll be able to translate the topics in their minds.
They could start writing it and then realize he/she isn’t satisfied with it and crumple it up or they could finish a whole blog about a topic they wrote and then think to themselves that it isn’t worth reading and throw it out. Yes, even if it’s finished.
One of the best ways to overcome this challenge is simply to keep doing what you’re doing. Write and write. You’ll find that after a few uneasy paragraphs, you’ll get your groove on and start producing something that you’d actually be happy with.
But of course, not everyone is lucky enough to be blessed by the writing deities with inspiration. This is when writing prompts come in handy.
Try these:
- Write a letter to your friend
Writing letters is both therapeutic and creative. Learning how to express thoughts into words is a challenge. Think of it like this, when you meet them personally, you seem to always have something to say but never get the chance to say all of it. You can start with a random memory to make things go smoother.
- The Alphabet
You might be thinking, “What?” This is actually a really popular writing exercise for authors looking for something entertaining to help them sharpen their vocabulary. This is a great way to engage in a fun and creative challenge. The challenge is to create a 26-sentence story, making each sentence start with a different letter in the alphabet.
- A short story
Sometimes, all you need is a really good story and what better way to know if a story is something you’d read than be the person who writes it? Don’t know where to start? You can try starting with a character and building up his background first and then build your story from the circumstances you’ve made for your protagonist.
If you’ve done the following steps, surely you’d be asking how on earth you’ll be able to keep this up. Well, we’ve come up with ways on how to keep your creativity flowing. Check it out here!
Much like how writers get writer’s block, designers and creatives alike get these random moments where they can’t seem to produce anything creative. It’s quite normal actually. When your brain gets burned out from all the thinking it does, sometimes it can just stop. While it is quite normal, learning how to crack through the block is a necessary skill in the professional world.
There are a million different ways to get back on track, and some of those might include stress eating, biting your nails, or even screaming at a throw pillow. Though there are different ways to cope up with it, we’ve come up with a short list to help you get started.
The number of ideas can lead to great ideas
- Much like our list in the first part of this article, in more ways than one, it is true that quantity does not equate to quality, but it could be helpful. The continuous flow of ideas can result in a eureka moment. Sometimes the most random thoughts can spark the biggest ideas that you can use. No need to wait for the perfect idea to come, just blurt out everything that comes to mind and you might just find useful ones or even the perfect one from the roster!
Look within
- In more relevant terms, look within yourself and fix the problem one step at a time. Instead of looking so far ahead and thinking about how you’re not going to be able to finish your task, you have to take it slow. Find the problem you’re facing and solve them one at a time. Are you feeling stressed because you ate too much? Slept little? You can figure it out at the comfort of your own workstation.
Write them down
- The most basic advice we can give. Always write stuff down. For sure, you’ve experienced a moment where you’ve thought of something and you try so hard to remember and then when you finally have time to tell your idea, it just… slips away. Don’t be that person. Always write down your ideas when they come to mind. You don’t need a pen and paper to keep them noted, all you need is your mobile phone and you’re ready to go.
Habits may need to be stopped
- It’s okay to relax and to rest every once in a while. Sometimes, we burn ourselves out and we think that the only way to get out of it is by working harder. Sometimes, the cure is to take a step back and reassess everything that you’ve done. Take your mind off of things that cause stress and just let loose. These relaxations can vary from taking a beach trip or by simply changing up your routine. Have breakfast for dinner, put jam on your toast instead of butter, etc. Little changes like these shake up your system and allow you to create a bigger space for thoughts because you’ve taken the opportunity to take a different route to work. From there, you’ll start to ask yourself what’s different about what you’re doing and then the creative juices start to flow.
Go for something new
- In line with our previous point, if you find yourself experiencing a creative block, it might be best to go and experience something new. We’re not talking about breaking the routine, we’re talking about a full on new experience. Go see a movie by yourself, go to a museum, etc. These are examples of new ways to broaden your thoughts and to better process information. Traveling is a great way to be re-inspired.
There are so many ways you can prevent a creative block and keep the juices flowing, it’s just a matter of how you’re going to overcome it.
More often than not, creative people experience this quite regularly, but overcoming it will always be something that should be done because after all, who can live without creativity for long? The main takeaway for this blog is to be mindful of your thoughts and to make sure none slip away, and of course to just do something that you won’t normally do when you experience a creative block of some sort so that the new experience triggers new thoughts. Chances are, you’d get right back on track in no time.
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