Looking to overcome writer’s block? Most days, you sit down to write, and the words come easily. You’ve had them bottled up all day, or you jump up in the morning ready to go after dreaming about your book all night. Those are great days, and you should make the most of them. Some writers hit a so-called writer’s block that makes writing feel impossible. Here are some tips for getting through those blocks.
1. Go Fly a Kite
Any outdoor activity will do. Get outside, take a walk, take a quick jog, lift some weights, or just take a short stroll around your garden. A simple change of environment can do wonders for your tired, worn-out brain.
The exercise will clear out the mental cobwebs and help you feel calmer. It also pumps serotonin, the feel-good chemical, into your brain. Going outdoors and breathing fresh air are good for you as a thinker and creative person. Get away from your desk, reconnect with nature, and beat your writer’s block.
2. Change Your Setting
You might just be sick of sitting at that same desk, in front of that same desktop or pad of paper, every day. If your mind and body crave change, give it to them. Luckily, writing is a portable activity. You can do it anywhere. Here are some options.
- Café with internet connection: Head to your favorite coffee shop, where you can sit and write for a couple of hours for the price of a mug of brew and a pastry. Coffee shops have become popular meeting and working places for all types of professionals. You’ll get a change of scenery and the chance to see different people to help with writer’s block.
- Library: Your local library offers free wifi, desks, and quiet, shared spaces. Some have beautiful settings and large windows. You can use a library computer for free—but usually with a time limit. You can also bring your own laptop or your pad and pens. You’ll find a calm, serene getaway, and you may even find some books to take home to help with writer’s block.
- Local coworking space: Most cities have shared workspaces you can rent by the day, week, or month. Some require a monthly membership. These coworking office spaces offer private offices, dedicated desk spaces, and community day spaces, for daily or hourly fees. They offer a change of environment and the chance to interact with other people working on their passion projects, which can help with writer’s block.
3. Plow Through It
Sometimes, you just have to keep at it. There’s an old saying that no journalist on a deadline ever experienced writer’s block. When you must write, you have to write. In this case, you might want to take a tip from those old-time journalists and set a deadline for yourself. If you already have a deadline imposed by an editor or publisher, you have a built-in reason to keep going. Otherwise, set your own to help with writer’s block. Make it two hours, four hours, or six hours from your starting point.
Give yourself a break at the end of your self-imposed deadline, and make sure you spend your break doing something enjoyable. Choose an end time that feels reasonable, and force yourself to put one word after the other. You may not like what you write, but you’ll get it done. Doing so will show that writer’s block that it isn’t going to stop you.
4. Play Tricks on Yourself to Help with Writer’s Block
Professional writers commonly use tricks to fool themselves into writing past a sudden, immovable block of self-doubt and procrastination. These can creep up on even the most confident writers, but they don’t need to derail you. Here are two you can try, even if you’re not dealing with writer’s block but are dealing with self-doubt.
Free writing: Like free drawing, free writing is a way to unlock your creativity. Best of all, it only takes a few minutes, and it really works. It involves writing by hand. To do it, set a timer for five minutes, and grab a pen and paper. Although it’s called free writing, there are some rules that make it work:
- It must be handwritten.
- You must write for the full five minutes.
- You can’t stop to edit or correct anything, even obvious mistakes.
- It doesn’t have to be anything related to your book.
Write badly: Many authors rely on this trick to get through a touch patch of self-defeating behavior. To use it, simply give yourself permission to write badly. Drop all your judgments, and stop listening to your own doubts and criticisms.
You can’t write if you constantly have a voice inside your head telling you that your writing is terrible. Ignore the voice, or accept it and say, “Yes, I’m going to write it, I’m going to write it badly, and I don’t care.” Your lack of self-judgment will help you blast through the toughest writer’s block.
5. Change Your Writing Routine to Help with Writer’s Block
What is your writing routine? Maybe it could use a change. If you don’t have one, that could be the problem right there. Waiting to write when the time is right, or when inspiration strikes you, may make for a long wait between pages. Here are some tips to setting up a good writing routine.
- Know what time you’re going to start—and what time you’re going to end. Try to start and end at roughly the same times every day. Make it a habit. This will be hard at first, like building any good habit is. It will become part of your daily routine. After a few weeks, you’ll find you want that routine.
- Set a daily word goal. This is one of the most important ways to make progress on a book and beat back writer’s block. Before you start for the day, write down the number of words you are going to finish. If you are working toward a specific daily limit, and you write that goal down, you are more likely to stick with your writing.
- Make your goals reasonable. Don’t feel like you have to complete a monumental task every day. How many words should you shoot for? A daily goal of 1,000 words a day, writing six days a week, will help you finish your book quickly, but it takes time and commitment. A goal of 500 words is manageable for almost everyone, and you’ll feel good about meeting your goals every day.
- Use a pre-writing prompt. Choose something that helps you set the mood for your day of writing. It could be 10 minutes of meditation, a 15-minute walk, or a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Whatever you choose, make it part of your routine. It will set you up mentally for success when you make it part of your day’s work.
6. Get Motivated
Athletes, high-producing salespeople, and professional performers rely on motivators who help them face down their self-defeating habits and achieve success. They routinely share inspiring quotes from the great motivators with each other. They also listen to motivational speakers. As a writer, you can benefit from listening to the same great speakers.
Maybe you need some simple, old-fashioned motivation. Here are some quotes to get you started.
“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” – Napoleon Hill
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.” — Mark Twain
When You’re Ready to Print
If you successfully beat your blocks, you’ll end up with a book that’s ready to be printed and published. That’s where Dazzle Printing comes in. If you’re ready to see your book in print, count on us for speedy printing and the personalized service that you and your book deserve.
