You’ve come so far in your writer’s journey. You’ve taken on the challenge of writing a book, carved out time in your schedule to make your dream a reality, and begun giving your thoughts life. Now, you hear a faint knocking on the page where you’ve left off, and sure enough, an unwanted visitor has made an appearance.
Overcoming writer’s block is one of the biggest annoyances in the business, so we’re bringing you five strategies to get you to put pen to paper again.
1. Slow Down in Silence
As a writer, it’s understandable when your book has taken over your mind’s eye, making it hard to fill your head with other thoughts–and even harder when writer’s block prevents you from doing so. The first step to working past this block should always start where it is occurring–in the mind. However, working to put more thoughts on top of the writer’s block would be like piling up more cars in a traffic jam, causing even more vexation than before.
The best way to fix the issue is to clear out the current thoughts so that the right thoughts can begin to flow. This can be accomplished by simply slowing down and being silent. Let your creativity loose by taking off the reigns of your mind and finding where your thoughts can go when unrestrained by outside–and inside–distractions.
2. Go on a Walk
As writers, it’s often difficult to get out of our heads, but that’s usually quite a successful remedy for overcoming writer’s block. And we all know that sitting at our desks, staring at our computer screens, will only bring frustration.
There’s no better way to get out of your head than to get your head outside, so shut that laptop, put down the pen, and go take a walk! Movement is key to letting your mind wander down whichever path your subconscious may fancy, and it simultaneously helps to calm your nervous system so you can clearly embrace the journey your thoughts will take when away from your work.
Being outside and listening to the sounds of nature will bring added benefit to the calming effects a walk will have on your mind. You may even be surprised at how some observations will guide your thoughts to where your story should go next!
3. Work in a New Environment
While most cases of writer’s block begin in the mind, some can be merely caused by an external factor, especially your work environment. If you’re writing at your desk, in a home office, or at your kitchen table, you may have become too familiar with your workspace–and that means your creativity has as well.
There are only so many possibilities and plot points that can be inspired from the interior of your home, so try shaking up your environment by going out into the world to work. Find a cozy coffee shop, a bustling cafe, or a tranquil park. You may stumble upon your much-needed inspiration where you least expect it.
4. Revisit Your Past Work
Sometimes the best way to start writing again is to remember the simple fact that you can. Reading over your past work is an excellent strategy to return you to the posture of writing. Refresh yourself on the skills that made you the writer you are today by soaking up your signature style that proved your capability to take on this new project. Not only does this method remind you of your technique and how you’ve implemented it in the past, but it’s also a valuable form of self encouragement.
There’s no greater testament to your prowess as a writer than your writing itself, so make a cup of tea, sink into your favorite chair, and become your own number-one fan as you peruse through your previous pages.
5. Write… Anything!
Although writer’s block can rear its head for several well known reasons, one of the least acknowledged is the rut in which we can often find ourselves stuck when we are too hyper-focused on the content of our current body of work.
For example, if you’re trapped at a plot point and don’t know where the story should turn next, it’s all too easy to have questions about your next sentence taking up all the space in your thoughts, making your mind not unlike a broken record. Focusing too heavily on a specific scene in your story can prevent you from implementing your subconscious in your writing. To avoid this, just start writing…anything! Jot down observations from your day or a conversation you had with a friend. You’ll soon find that this may trigger your character’s next move, or even help you tie up your book’s loose ends.
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