How do I overcome writer's block?

Question

Stop trying to overcome it and turn to an empty page. Everything starts on paper.

Answer 1

There are so many ways to go about this and I encourage you to try as many as you can until you find what works best for you. Writer's block starts and ends inside of your head. It's most important to start there and think about what the deeper issue is.

Here are some of the common issues I see:

Getting tired or burnt out writing the same thing over and over for which the solution would be to write in a completely different style for a while.

Do you feel like nothing you write is "good"? Define what "good" is for you. Who do you think is "good"? As a learning exercise, replicate people you like and see exactly what it is that they are doing. This will give you plenty of insight that you can apply to your own writing. Sometimes it's great to just learn and take a break from creating your own art. This will give you new tools and a fresh perspective when you come back to it.

Where are you setting your expectations each time you sit down to write? Creating without expectations is ideal but often not realistic. But one way to manage your expectations is to clearly define the goals of the session before you begin. It's easy to go into a session without any goals and have it feel like a waste of time if you didn't create something "great". For most of us, our art is like a slowly formed sculpture where you go at it for days and weeks until the first breakthrough comes at which point you have new inspiration to keep going.

Do you have someone you can collaborate with or send your work to for feedback? You'll often find that the things you are overthinking are not as important as you think they are. And getting a fresh set of eyes (or ears) on your work can give you useful perspective.

Lastly, remember that writer's block is a phenomenon that every artist experiences no matter what level they are at. It's not just you. Listening to interviews and content from other writers on this subject can you give you a sense of comfort and also give you additional ideas to help overcome your own writer's block.

And don't be afraid to step away from your work for a while. I know I always feel a heavy sense of guilt the first couple of days but when I go back to my work after some time passes, I'm always glad I stepped away. Taking a break isn't the hard part, managing the discomfort is.

Good luck and remember that creating art is not a straight line, your journey will be filled with highs and lows.

Answer 2

This is a wonderful question and a very common experience, so you are not alone. There are various ways to go about combatting writer's block. I often recommend students first determine if there is a specific cause. If a break is needed to feel rejuvenated, sometimes a simple 5-10 minute outside break can promote a creative-thinking reset. If perfectionism is making it hard to get started, I typically recommend writing anything to start, then modifying/editing after. Often times the hardest part is getting started, and then the creativity can start to flow. Some find it helpful to write an outline or come up with a thesis to start with, then shape the paper around that main argument or idea. Lastly, it is important to give oneself compassion for having writer's block, as it can happen to anyone. Hope this was helpful.

Answer 3

There are some great answers already, but I'll add this, try to find some ways to force creativity. As people said, sometimes we humans just aren't creative. Unfortunately for a jazz saxophonist like myself, bandleaders don't care if you aren't feeling creative, I'm expected to play creative material even if I'm not feeling it. To battle this, I try to be in tune and in control of my emotions, but I also have some theoretical ways to force creativity. The one that is most useful is to take one very simple musical concept (a melody, rhythm, lyric, scale, etc...), which I will force myself to be dedicated to. Much like focusing on your breath during a meditation, focusing on one simple concept can ground our creativity.

Ideally, you'll come up with your own methods to be creative, developing a unique approach as an artist.

Answer 4

Let's dive in! TAKE A BREAK FROM WRITING!!! Go outside or go do something else. Creativity will not strike if you try to force it! Writers block occurs when you attempt to force your brain to be creative and original. Creativity and originality are VERY VERY DIFFICULT to force. Inspiration is key!!! Go on a walk and listen to some songs you like, go on a drive and blast music, go work out, go write down how you feel (this is a great way, and my personal favorite to start writing lyrics out of no where!), go spend time with friends. But your music will still be there. There's this running dialogue that, if you don't make it, someone will before you. That's a destructive mindset and only rushes your creative process. Detach from your concerns about results and just love the process of making music. Music is not meant to be forced or stressed over. Music is freedom so be free while making it!!!

Answer 5

If you are a writer of ANY level:

"Talk it out before you write it out."

Generally, students who have an engaged listener, are able to verbalize their ideas and then commit them to paper more easily.

Answer 6

To overcome writer's block is to accept that you have a writer's block. Allow yourself the time and space to rejuvenate. A good way to get out of this funk is do the stuff you enjoy. If it's writing, then give yourself a completely random topic and write until you can't write no more. Do not focus on whether the writing is good or not. Just write everything and anything that comes to mind. Go outside and listen to music. Watch your favorite movies. Doing the stuff you enjoy will give you the motivation as well as inspiration to write again. These moments are the things that influence our writing.

Answer 7

Try challenging yourself with a new experience to awaken your senses and stimulate creativity. A hike on a nature path you've never been on? An art class in a medium you haven't worked with? A film with subtitles in a language you're not familiar with. Taking a break from the "work" of creating to feed our creative minds with new and different experiences often brings inspiration in unexpected ways.

Answer 8

As an aspiring creative writer, I'm unfortunately familiar with this :)

Writer's block is bound to plague you at some point in your life, and know that it's normal. You're not alone! The first step is to be kind to yourself, and allow yourself to forget about writing for a bit. Much of writing is thinking about writing, after all. Here are a few things you can do to inspire yourself again:

1. Find a new "spot". A cafe you haven't visited yet, a park nearby, etc. Sit and people-watch for awhile, take notice of your surroundings in detail.
2. Keep a journal. Writing about your daily life will keep you in the practice of putting words on paper, and it's casual enough that you don't have to worry about someone else reading it.
3. Instead of looking at a blank page, create mood boards instead. If you're thinking of creating a character, find images/colors/phrases/songs that remind you of them, and put them all together in a collage! Sometimes having a visual representation of what you're trying to write works well.
4. Write what YOU want to write, what you'd want to read. Many people struggle to write because they're picturing someone watching them over their shoulder as they type. Forget about that, and write what makes you happy. Only you will see what you're writing until you choose to share it.

Please feel free to contact me if you need more help :) You've got this!

Answer 9

A great way to overcome writer's block is to recognize what are at its root: your ego and the negative voice in your head that your ego uses to convince you that you are destined to fail, to be mocked, to come up short. It's just a trick your ego is using to protect itself (and you) from an imagined negative outcome. Generally the best way to overcome fear is to face it. So look at that empty page and start filling it with words. You'll start to feel better, and any mistakes you make will seem so much easier to fix and so much less of a big deal than what you were imagining when you were stuck.