Writers block...
*sigh* We all hate it, but it's part of writing. It's an exit in the road to published authorship. You just need to learn to overcome it. The ways people overcome it are all
very different. Some people sit down and
write write write about different topics. Other people put down the writing and do different things. Here are some of my suggestions to how you can overcome writers block.
If You Want To Continue Writing
1. Ipod Challenge- The way this works is that you set your iTunes library (or maybe a playlist on YouTube) and set it on shuffle. You use the song that comes up to write a short (a couple paragraphs, maybe even one) story with your characters, characters invented at the moment, or characters from another published work. The story must be written in three or less plays of the song. It's a great way to get your brain back on track because the topic and emotion is given to you, you just have to write it in your own words.
2. The Story Starter- The Story Starter gives you wacky sentences. You use the sentences to write something based off the sentence.
The cunning plumber canceled the check in an attic to pay the debt. That's the sentence I got right now. It might seem weird, but writing about something totally out there will humor you and help get the creative juices flowing.
Link-
http://thestorystarter.com/
3. Freewriting- Freewriting is when you sit down for a set amount of time and write about
anything. You're writing, and however horrible the ending result is you did one important thing: you cleared your mind of all the useless junk it's been storing. Now you have space for the important novel related stuff. Like Sherlock Holmes said-
Your brain is an attic. Don't store useless information in it. Keep only what will help you later in life. Will knowing how many tiles are on your bedroom floor really help you write your book? Not really.
4. Moving- Pick up all your writing materials and go. Move someplace else. Especially if you're writing indoors. Going outside really helps. If you go outside to a more rural area you have the birds and plants to inspire you. If you went outside to an urban area you have the different people passing by to inspire you.
If You Want To Stop Writing
1. Walk- Just take a walk outside. Don't talk to anyone, don't do anything important, don't run errands, just walk and think. Think about anything you want. Doesn't even have to be what you're writing. When you get back you should feel less pressure to finish on you (unless you're on a deadline, of course) and you'll be ready to write. If you still can't manage to write about your main project open another window in Words and write about what you thought about in your walk. Write about what you saw. Describe the people who walked by you. Describe how the sunlight, shade, snow, rain, etc. felt on your skin. Write anything about the walk.
2. Talk- Don't talk to just anyone. Talk to yourself through your mirror or a stuffed animal. Rant to your mirror!twin (points if you get the reference) or stuffed companion about anything you want. Rant about gas prices. Rant about how you keep stubbing your toe. Rant about how Alex Summers is supposed to be a teenager in the 1980's, not the 1960's. Just talk to it. You'll get whatever was blocking your mind out after a while and will be prepared to go back to writing.
3. Music- Music is another art that portrays emotions in unbelievable ways. The right beat with the right notes and the right lyrics can make you cry, it can make you laugh, listening to music is an amazing experience we take for granted. Nowadays we have it at the click of a button. So, make use of it. Listen to music. Don't make short stories like in the iPod challenge, but just listen to it.
Choose songs that have more or less the same mood as what you were writing before the dreaded block hit. Look for a spot where no one will disturb you. Combine this with the walk if you can. Walk through the park and sit down in the grass. If you can't go outside because of weather or transportation issues (maybe you're too young to go out on your one) put a sign on your bed and explain to your parents what you're doing.
Once you've taken the necessary precautions so that you won't be disturbed sit in your spot. Close your eyes and just listen. Feel what the artist was feeling when they wrote that song. Feel what your characters were feeling when you left of. An advantage of doing this inside is that you can darken the room a considerable amount. Lie in the dark. It really enhances the experience. When you go back to writing afterwards you'll be feeling the emotions you were trying to portray in your characters.
NOTE- It is important that you clear your mind before doing this. If not it won't work properly.
It's okay to space out in between this as long as spacing out doesn't mean thinking about your most recent problems or anything like that.
4. Shower- Say aye if you're creative in the shower or bath. AYE! Most people are. While baths are good places to think when you're relaxed, right now you're worrying about the writer's block. Showers are most fast paced. You'll need that. You want your brain to be thinking fast. Thinking fast means processing things fast which leads to ideas fast. You'll feel calmer and more creative afterward.
I hope this helped you in some way. Leave a comment telling me other ways you handle writer's block. It'll most likely go into Writer's Block #2.
Thanks for Reading,
-Chris P.
