The Dreadful Writer’s Block

 

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Overcoming Writer’s Block

Introduction

It does not matter if you have been writing for a few weeks, several years, or many decades. We all face writer’s block at some time in our lives. It has stopped the flow of creativity and our road to being a great author, while others have learned to overcome and move on to be some of the greatest writers.

Something unique happened when I joined my first Writer’s Club with Tech Trep Academy. I had an excellent opportunity to meet with two unique and talented students who inspired me. One of those students mentioned they were in a rut of writer’s block. They were the inspiration for me to take the time to write this article so that our young learners will know how to handle this hurdle when it comes.

 Some writers may say it is all in your head and not natural. You love to write, and the first thing you do in the morning before school is to jot down a quick story for at least an hour. Then, one day, you wake up to write and draw a blank. You do not know what to write. You go through your day and still cannot think of what you want to write. You draw a blank. Weeks go by, and you still have nothing. Now, look at that first sentence. Is writer’s block for real? I believe it is. For a writer, it is our job to learn and overcome this huge obstacle. Work through it and find a way for your creative juices to flow. For example, my inspiration for this article came from a student in the Writer’s Club.

I want to share with you my own experience of writer’s block. I wrote my first stage play in 1995 because my teacher said a book I was reading would make a great play. I love English and writing stories. After High School, I could not think of anything to write.

Time went by, and I joined the U.S. Army. I still could not write. Where was that creativity that I knew so long ago? I was stationed in Germany, and I would look out my window down onto a lonely, empty baseball field. I would imagine parents watching the game as the children sang and danced around the nearby trees. A young boy sat at the base of one of the trees playing music on his guitar. As impressive as this sounds for a scene in a play or chapter in a book, I still drew a blank.

My true inspiration came from my wife, who told me I could do it. She believed in me. I was so afraid of what others would think of me. She told me, “You never know if you do not try.” In 2016, I started writing and offering my services as a Ghostwriter. A Ghostwriter writes books for others but does not get credit for the work.

From 1998 when I graduated High School to 2016, I was stuck with an awful obstacle called Writer’s Block when I started to write again. My family also inspired me to write and know what to write.

 Sometimes finding what helps you with your writer’s block can be challenging. What may work for your friend or other writers may not work for you. How you overcome Writer’s Block is unique, just like your unique writing style. These ideas help other writers overcome writer’s block and find what works for them. Throughout these few pages, you will be given tools and a guide to unlocking your true potential.

Use this guide to help you overcome your writer’s block and jumpstart those creative juices again. Each section will come with directions and pages that will form a journal. Use these to help you start writing again and for future articles and stories ideas.

 

Create a Daily Routine

Practice makes perfect. Creating a daily routine allows you to pick a time for writing designated for writing. It does not matter what you are writing. You could be working on your next extensive article or freewriting to get your thought down on paper. Perhaps you are working on your next book novel. The point is, you have a set time of day where you write. It does not need to be in the morning when you first wake up. Maybe it is at lunchtime or right before bed. The key is to find a time when you are the most creative and schedule it. In the world today, we get swamped, and if it is not on our schedule, you may not have time to write that day.

Creating a time each day to write will allow you to continue keeping those doors of creativity open. It is like a teacher having an office hour. You know you can see them during that time, and they will be available. Consider this as your office hour to write and be creative.

For example, I work all day at a 9 to 5 job. I get home, and all I want to do is rest. I do not feel like writing, so you put it off. It is the same thing the next day. This cycle continues to repeat day in and day out. Looking at this scenario, what is the progress of your writing? If you do not write daily and exercise your skills, you will never progress and become a better writer.

In the same scenario, I have a calendar and schedule time on my calendar to write each day for 1 hour. It does not need to be in your book or article. It can be about your day or thoughts at that moment. Doing this will improve your writing and the flow of ideas.

Scheduling time can be as simple as saying, “I will write for 1 hour every day at 8 PM before I go to bed,” or if your schedule changes daily, you may want to have a calendar for each day.

 

Do Not Strive to Be Perfect

There is an old saying, “No One is Perfect!” It is the same for writing. A writer can spend hours, weeks, months, or years trying to find all the imperfections. There will always be something you do not like or think needs to be different. When I write a book for a client, I go through a relatively straightforward but essential process. Yet, there is always something that could be changed to improve it.

Once a book goes completely through my process, I feel it is good enough, even imperfect. Your audience does not want to see a perfect book; instead, your audience wants to see what you wrote.

My process is to start with a table of contents which will act as my guide for the book. I then begin to write each chapter one by one. In a way, it is free to write chapters down to get my thought on paper. If I have research, I add the references as I write, so I do not forget and refer back to them if needed. Once the book is done, I reread it about 3- or 4-times, making corrections and anything I feel would make it better. I then have someone else read it to make sure it sounds ok. I make additional changes and wait about a week without looking at it. Then I do one final review before I feel it is ready. I put it through Grammarly Pro to catch any grammar and other errors on the fourth time reading it. It will also check for plagiarism. This process is how I get past the imperfections.

Keep in mind Grammarly Pro does have a monthly subscription. The free version of Grammarly will still add to finding those imperfections, and if you do not mind the extra work, you can use a site called Hemingway Editor. Hemingway is a free editor and will catch all the issues the paid version of Grammarly will find. However, you have to copy and paste documents and reformat as you go, which adds extra work. Yet, it is perfect if you are on a budget, unlike Grammarly, where you can add the Microsoft Word plugin and run it straight from your word document. As an alternative, you could try ProWritingAid, which has a free version and the paid version is also cheaper than Grammarly Pro, yet it does the same thing. Plus, there are more options available, and unlike Grammarly, it has a LifeTime membership open. Try them all and find the one which works the best for you and your style.

For this task, think about topics that most interest you. List the activities at the top of your paper and start writing your thoughts down. Do not worry about mistakes. Once finished, one of the editors mentioned what imperfections you could find and fix.

 

Do Activities Outside of Writing

When writing every day, you may start to feel you have written about everything. You may get discouraged. It would be best if you took time for yourself. Leave your writing for a day and do something fun that is not writing. Clear your mind. You may be surprised at what will happen.

I love to write, as many of you do as well. There still comes a time when you need a break. It is like going to school or working 365 days a year and never getting time off. You will get burned out.

When you get burned out from writing, you hit a wall that blocks your creativity. Taking a break is like throwing a grappling hook to the top of the wall and climbing over it.

The next task, take a piece of blank lined paper. At the top, write down an activity you enjoy. On the following line, start writing about that activity. Try to report at least one page, more if you can.

 

Do Something Creative

I know I told you to step away from the non-writing activities. However, this is similar to that thought. Do out and do something creative. It does not have to be writing. Try singing or acting. Maybe go to a play. Allow for your creative juices to flow and be inspired.

 

Freewriting for Fun

I know what you are thinking, “I have writer’s block; how do you expect me to write?” It is easy to write about your day in a journal, write about your family, your thoughts no matter how crazy they are, etc. The key is to write.

Some of the best books start with someone’s freewriting. Freewriting is simple and idea. You have this incredible story locked away inside you. Put it on paper even if it does not make sense.

What sets a great author apart from other authors is they enjoy it. It is not about fame, money, or just seeing their name on a book. It is about doing what they love. Granted, this is one of the keys to overcoming writer’s block.

 

Relax and Enjoy the Ride

Do not try to force yourself to write. When you write because you must, it does not seem as right. Going back to the writing club, a teacher said they liked another story or article. The response, I will never forget, “I wrote it last night.” The teacher loved it so much because of the paper; the student had a passion for writing and wrote for fun. They were relaxed and enjoying what they loved to do. That is huge and shows that this student will have a fantastic writing career.

 

Create a Story Road Map

When you take a vacation, do you get in the car and start driving without knowing where you are heading? If you do, I want your life of freedom. However, most of us do not. We plan it out. You need to know where you will be staying, what you will eat, how much it will cost, etc. There is a lot of planning. It helps keep you on track for what you plan to do for a fun and successful vacation.

Just like taking a trip, your story needs the same road map. I mentioned earlier how I start with a table of contents. Although, this is the beginning of my road map. I also use a program called Xmind. This program on my computer allows me to map out or do a mind mapping of my book or article.

 The key is to have a plan. A story road map will help you stay focused on the story and your direction. However, it is not something that cannot be changed. It may change as the story progresses. Invite the change and transform your road map as you go.

 

Be Inspired

There is so much in this world that most of us have never experienced. Take a moment and look at your life. What inspires you? Although, this could be anything from your family, a flower in your garden, or a teacher. Take that inspiration and write about it. List all the reasons this one thing above anything else inspires you. Put this next to your writing space as a reminder. For me, it is my family, students, and the world around me.

We each have this fantastic ability to write and tell a story, and this is your story to tell. These are only ideas to help get you past this hurdle and on to sharing amazing stories. Find what enables you to be inspired to write. Hold onto that and never let it go. Think about why you write. Remember, it is not about the story or your words; it is about you and the passion you show when you create your masterpiece.

 Writing is like a fingerprint. While each fingerprint is unique to the individual, so is each writer’s writing style. Have fun with it, have a passion for writing, and write because you love it.