You’re staring at your computer screen wondering what to write. The blinking cursor seems to mock you as your mind consistently draws a blank. And your boss wants you to turn in your copy in the next few hours. But no matter what you do, you can’t seem to write. The words might naturally come to you other times, but today, you’re unable to get them to flow through you and manifest on your screen. Let’s face it; you’re suffering from a case of writer’s block.
How do you fix it?
Unfortunately, it isn’t an illness you can get medicine to cure. If only it were that easy.
So while there isn’t one answer to how to solve your problem, there are a few things you can try to kick writer’s block to the curb. Keep reading for more information on how to make writer’s block a thing of the past.
1. Turn Off All Distractions
Did you know there’s an app for that?
Of course there is! In fact, there are several of them.
There’s an app for almost everything, and there is an app for turning off your social media and your Internet and help hold you accountable to get you back to work.
You can say you’re turning off distractions, but often it’s not that easy. You can tell yourself you’re turning off YouTube, but you may not be able to resist the urge to watch just one more video. And that one more video turns into three, and then five, and before you know it, two hours have passed without you working on your project.
Eliminating distractions can be a great way to keep writer’s block at bay, and keep your focus on one thing: your task at hand. Once you eliminate distractions, you can begin to focus and focus for real.
2. Brainstorm
Brainstorming is an excellent way to get your ideas onto paper and without judgement.
You may be worried that you’re going to write something stupid, or that you’ll end up writing something unusable. Of course, we all sometimes write things we end up not being able to use, that’s how it goes sometimes. But you can lessen the chances of that happening you brainstorming, and getting out everything you’re thinking.
When you get your ideas on paper, it makes it easier to see which ones are worthwhile, and which ones need to be crossed out. You can even show it to your boss so that they can tell you if you’re going in the right direction. That way, when you begin to write, you actually have an idea of what it is you’ll be writing about.
3. Stop and Leave Your Workstation or Computer for a While
Sometimes, even if you brainstorm, even if you turn off all distractions, you still won’t be able to write or find it within yourself to get the ball rolling. This might be for a variety of reasons, but one big one is that you’ve been trying too hard to make it happen. Forcing it isn’t going to help.
Instead, get up and leave. Get a coffee or another beverage. Workout. Go for a walk with your dog or a friend.
Getting your mind off of your writer’s block is often what will make you feel like your ideas are flowing more freely. Often, an idea will dawn on you so that when you get back to your computer, you’ll be ready to write.
4. Write a Stream of Consciousness Piece
Sit down and start to write. Write anything that comes to mind, even if it is about goats or clouds, and has nothing to do with what it is you’re supposed to be writing.
A stream of consciousness piece might make it so you’ll free yourself up to begin to write on the topic you’re supposed to. Or, you can use this as a way to start writing as a bit of a warm-up.
5. Stop Being So Hard On Yourself
This one is much easier said than done, but sometimes it is hard to write because you’re too worried about what people will think. Sometimes, the worry is real in the shape of an overly critical boss. Other times, however, this is all in your head, and we are our own worst critics.
Stop being so hard on yourself, and start writing with a silent inner critic. We know this isn’t easy at all, but try to write a rough draft without thinking about it how “bad it is.” Most of the time, it’s nowhere near as bad as you think it is.
Editing is also an option, and you should remember that your first draft doesn’t have to be Shakespeare. Even he edited his work and didn’t consider his first draft to be a work of literary genius–and it’s doubtful most scholars would either.
Remember that nothing you write is set in stone. The first draft is just that; a first draft.
Conquering Writer’s Block
Even the most seasoned writers in the world suffer from writer’s block. It’s not always easy to sit down and get something out to the world when you’ve got a million other things going on. But after trying the aforementioned steps, it may make the writing process a little bit easier.
But, if you don’t have time to suffer through writer’s block, or you’ve found you can’t write as well as you’d like, you can always hire someone to do so. At eRealeases, we can write press releases for your company that grab potential client’s attention. We can also distribute it to the media for you.
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