Originally published on March 11, 2020
How to overcome writer’s block. Writer’s block is a state of total lack of creative sense. It is like utter emptiness or blackness in a writer’s mind. Graham Greene called writer’s block a “Creative Blockage,” one that prevented him from seeing the development of a story, or even at times, its start. Your well of creativity is completely dry, and your head becomes a bottomless, dark pit of nothingness.
You can’t come up with an idea or even a title. You have all these nameless or faceless people running about in your mind, but you can’t do anything with them.
For me, sometimes I have an idea, but I can’t come up with a start or a middle. And sometimes it is the absence of everything.
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I have been suffering from writer’s block for a while now. It is frustrating, annoying, and paralysing.
It’s as if I forgot how to use my limbs or that I ever had them. If you have ever experienced it before, you would understand.
When I read some of the poems I wrote years back and some of my other works, I wondered if I wrote them. They are so strange that I can’t write anything similar.
So, what are the causes of Writer’s Block?
Any number of things could bring it on; this can be physical, mental, or psychological.
It could arise from anxiety, depression, personal problem, trauma, solitude, judgment or criticism, hopelessness, overanalyzing, stress, or even a person.
Sometimes, when you have written works or years of writing behind you, keeping up with your standard becomes a burden that could bring on a block.
You often kill your ideas before they even begin or while they’re in progress because you decide they’re not good enough. Frustration sets in, and you are blocked.
How Long Does It Last?
It can last from hours to weeks, months, or years. And sometimes it depends on the writer or the actual cause of his creative blockage.
How Can You Overcome Writer’s Block?
- Don’t Stop Writing: The mistake I made was that I stopped writing. At first, I wanted to write more by all means. I wanted to be able to write like I used to. When I couldn’t, I was frustrated. So, I stopped.
Writing is like a muscle that needs to be flexed. When muscles are not used, your body interprets that they are not important. So, your body stops supporting and giving them energy. They shrink. The same happens to a writer who stops writing.
Write anything that comes to your mind, anything you see, your feelings, or maybe what someone beside you is going through. Just write, eventually, a good idea will come up.
2. Get Personal: This is what I did and am still doing. I get personal. I started writing about myself. My creative blockage came as a result of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. So, I have been writing about them all, my story, my scars, my life after the trauma: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
And the in-between too, there are lots of stories, experiences, healing, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, hope, hopelessness, and more. While at it, go out more, see people, socialise, go to parties, do things that you don’t do before. Breathe, walk, feel, be happy.
So many people can learn from those things that made you, you, and the ones that remoulded you. Write about them!
3. Write Reviews: Write reviews of books, novels, and plays. You can do the same for products, ones you have used or love. You can write them in the form of recommendations or even criticism.
4. Write About Your Passion: You can write about something you love or someone. And it could be something you used to love, show why you stopped loving them, and how that makes you feel.
It could be a hobby too, such as traveling, hiking, or painting; these activities could lead to the beginning of a great story.
5. Listen to Motivational Speech: This is meant to be listened to, not read. Do it outdoors if possible with your earpiece. Have a writing pad and a pen with you.
This is because I’m positive you will gain a lot. It will trigger something in your head, and ideas will spill out.
It has happened to the best of all, and they overcame it. You will surely do too. Don’t stop writing.
Have you ever experienced Writer’s Block Before? How did you overcome it? Leave your response in the comment section.
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