Writer’s Block

So, you’ve been an author or well on your way to becoming one. Whichever one you are, you have either experienced or heard of the dreaded “Writer’s Block”.

That bog like state. That stupor that seems like you brain is stewing. And all you can think to yourself is ‘But I was just writing yesterday!’ Yes, yes, you were happily scribbling or clicking away just yesterday, but today you mind is blank. You can’t figure what’s the next sentence, or what the next character is gonna say.

This cousin of Murphy’s Law (though probably not as feared) gets a writer at least once in their career. If it hasn’t for you, great, but don’t count you’re lucky stars yet. It can come at any time.

It might be different for you, because everybody’s different for me, but these are some of the scenarios I find myself trapped in. And yes, Writer’s Block and I have a mutual acquaintance.

It’s plagued me in the past (especially in the beginnings of my journey to becoming an author), and still does, but I found out several tricks to get out of it’s grasp. I freely grant them to you, my dear reader, and I hope they will be very helpful to you. However, before I go on, I’ll list some of the possible reasons Writer’s Block attack.

FATIGUE

When I list fatigue, I can either mean physical or mental. Physical fatigue can easily be handled by a good night’s rest after a soothing bath or whatever. Mental fatigue (aka stress) is a different story altogether. Late nights, excessive multi-tasking, math, etc. can make your brain tire pretty badly. Sometimes sleep can help, but over long periods of time, you may find yourself balding and getting wrinkles all over… fast.

For me, fatigue makes my brain bottom out, or in the case of physical fatigue, too tired to do anything but sleep. And if there’s anything Writer’s block loves, it’s a tired mind. Of course, you can chug coffee to ward it away, but be ready for that big “Crash” afterwards. (trust me, it isn’t worth it. I know.) It’s best to avoid fatigue whenever possible.

PLOT LACKLUSTER

Your plot is killer. Pure gold. The stuff of legends. Yep, you’ve got it all down and know what’s going to happen from beginning to end. Some of us (or perhaps it’s just me) want to get to a place of our plot too quickly but can’t because we have to write to that point. It’s frustrating and if that unreachable point is too far away, we get bored. Without that exhilaration to write, Writer’s Block slips in and blanks your mind completely. (This pitfall once caused me to loose a month or writing.)

Or maybe, as another scenario, you get to your point, and experience a sharp fall in excitement. That can happen too.

OUT OF THE BLUE, FOR NO REASON

And then there’s the “for no reason” reason. If you’re strong enough to keep from these pitfalls, Writer’s Block will still seize your precious writing mind. It doesn’t care. It’s a dirty fighter.

A FEW SOLUTIONS

Write… Wuh?… You Heard Me, Write

The first thing I hear people recommend for getting rid of Writer’s Block is to write. And guess what? I’ma tell you tha same thing. Write whatever comes to your mind. Even if it is completely blank. Just start off:

Blank. It’s not exactly white like a white board. It’s more…

Try to describe your blank set of mind. Poke around and write for a full fifteen minutes if you have to. Now whenever you have a blank state of mind, you will think back on your fifteen minute writing marathon and it might spark a few things that will get your thought engine to running. But if this doesn’t work…

Read Over Your Last Chapter

Though I would recommend doing this even when you aren’t floating through the empty abyss of a thoughtless mind, reading over your last chapter or paragraphs should definitely help give you a kick start on ideas. Reinstituting the scene you were playing within your mind allows you to ask yourself, What next? This even helps for plot lackluster.

Take A Chill Pill On Easy Street

Take a load off. Seriously. Take a day or two off if you can manage, but if you can’t, take a snooze. Sometimes, when your mind borders its unconscious state, ideas sprout and bloom abundantly. And then, you know, you’re probably stressed out and need that break anyway.

Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures

I doubt you’ll ever need to do this, but I’ll put it down just in case. Contact an expert in hypnosis, have them hypnotise you and say:

[Your Name] can you hear me… [Your Name] can you hear me… If you can, I have some questions to ask you… I understand you are writing a book… Are you happy with your book?…. That’s good to hear… Now, what do you plan on doing in you next chapter?… Ah, I see… Can you tell me how you plan on doing this…

Make sure you have them record this session so you can listen to it later. Warning! Stay away from the creepy ones. And no I don’t mean the crystal ball, magic, magic on the wall type. I mean the dark mysterious ones. You’ll end up finding your soul trapped within a talisman, or you body switched with some evil hundred year-old person, or worse… possessed by a demon bent on taking over the world…. (I’ve probably watched waaaaay too many horror films and you just need to void this option altogether.)

THE WRAP-UP

So there you have it. Problem. Solutions. Done. Now, I know there’s probably a lot of other solutions out there, but I’m just one person and there’s only so much I can think of. So I’m asking you, my wonderful readers: What do you do to chase away Writer’s Block? Let the community know in the comment section down below.

Oh and remember… Dare to Share.