(Newswire.net — May 19, 2021) — There were nearly 2.2 million books written every year, and about 300,000 of those come from the United States alone.
So, if you think that you don’t have the ability to write your novel (or write a press release for your new business), think again. A lot of people just like you are doing it.
However, getting started seems like a monumental task for some people, and one of their biggest hurdles is writer’s block. This is a condition where the writer stumbles when they attempt to write and get the desired words out. It’s basically a catastrophic creative fail.
But there are simple ways to get out of this trap, everything from getting up from your desk and walking around to making sure you are in the correct place every day to get started.
In the following article, we’ll look at 7 proven tips to combat writer’s block and get you producing the work you’ve always wanted.
1. Start a Routine
The first and possible most important piece of advice for writer’s block is getting into a routine that works for you.
For many writers, this is taking up the pen or taping on the keyboard first thing in the morning. According to Twyla Tharp, “creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good habits.” So forcing yourself into the habit of writing is a great way to get your engine going every time.
Many writers choose to write in the mornings. This is because the early hours of the day are quiet and free of distractions.
This allows the writer to focus on the task at hand and work in relative peace before the requirements of your day start to intrude into the creative process.
Other writers like to write at the end of the day. This is a great way for journal keepers and personal essayists to work. They take their impressions of the day’s events and turn them into words on the page while their experiences and emotions are fresh.
2. Freewrite to Fight Writer’s Block
Another writer’s block cure is to turn to free writing. When you do this, you back up the mind’s dump truck and unload it on the page.
Don’t worry about grammar or punctuation during the free write because the point of the exercise is to get the creative juices flowing.
You can go back and edit later. Or you can highlight the pieces you like after you write or use parts as a starting point of your next piece of authorship.
Make sure to decide on a length of time for your free-write, though. As stated in our first tip, you don’t want to use all the time you’ve allotted for writing for your free write.
Start with short periods of time and then increase the amount if you’re finding the technique useful as a writing aid.
3. Take a Hike
One of the best ways to supercharge your creativity and end your writer’s block is to get some exercise.
A recent study found that 20 minutes a day of mildly strenuous exercise improves memory and information processing function. Basically, the two most important parts of the creative process.
By increasing the body’s heart rate, oxygen-rich blood rushes to all parts of the body, but most importantly, to the brain. This also increases the production of hormones and the growth of brain cells.
While working out in a gym or on the living room floor is fine, writers should consider getting some of their exercise outdoors. This will give them the physical activity they need and valuable experience that they can use on the page.
Try to take note of your surroundings on your walks, hikes, or runs. This can be as simple as listening to bird songs or peeking into your neighbors’ backyards to see what’s going on around you.
You’ll never know when you’ll spy a detail that will prove invaluable to your writing or encounter a character who will make an appearance in your work.
4. Stimulate the Artist with Art
Along those same lines of finding inspiration, take the time to experience the art of others. And while listening to other great authors is a great way to become inspired, you may want to experience a visual representation like a photographic exhibition or a gallery tour.
A full 80 percent of the information that we process is visual. Our brains are designed to take what we see and convert it into information, so take advantage of that by stimulating your creative mind with art that makes you think.
If you are a business writer, maybe you need to look at other examples of press releases or other B2B works. A good website to do this is located at: https://www.ereleases.com/press-release-writing/.
5. Start at the End
While much of what you write is presented in a chronological or linear fashion, you may find it useful to start with your ending. This is especially useful if you’re attempting a mystery or a work of suspense.
By having your ending cemented in your mind, you can now take the time to plot your way to it. Also, this technique subverts the anxiety that may have caused your writer’s block to begin with.
6. Change Your Perspective
Even if your finished work won’t be in the first person, a great writing technique is to write in the voice of your different characters. If you remember, Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” was written from the point of view of many of its characters through letters and journal entries.
Try writing in the first person for some of your free writes, and then switch back to the third person for a larger perspective.
7. Give Up
There comes the point with writer’s block where you may have to take a break and come back to it later. But, psychologically speaking, you learn more from failure than you do from success, so don’t beat yourself up about giving up and trying again later.
In the meantime, try to write about something different. For example, take on nonfiction work, research an opinion piece, or write about a recent trip you took.
Even if you’ve given up on your project, your subconscious mind will not have. You’ll find it easy to return to your project after you’ve purged whatever issues and anxieties you have.
Are You Ready to Get Started?
Look, writer’s block is not the end of the world because every writer has experienced it. And guess what? They’ve almost always found a way out of it.
In all the tips above, you’ll see that they all stress a positive mindset. If you suffer from writer’s block, then you should do the same. Stay positive and let the process play out. There’s no point in beating yourself up over something that is a common occurrence in your craft.
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