If you have been having trouble finishing a book, a poem, a song, or short-story, then you are not alone. I repeat, you are not alone. The subject of writer’s block isn’t new at all. For centuries, it has been something that writer’s had to deal with in varying forms. With that in mind, there is no blue-print or no set standard for reaching a resolution that you’d be satisfied with. So, what I want to do here is throw out a one or two options that should help you get on track to writing again.
The first thing that I like to go to whenever, I feel a little blockage coming along is free write. I know how that comes off, if you are experiencing writer’s block, how can writing help? Well, I look at it more of an exercise, where you allow your brain to just go. You set a time limit between 60-300 seconds or more and write without stopping or editing. Sometimes, inside of all of that word vomit, is some inspiration. Other times, it’s just about sitting at the table and getting something done, even if it’s not “the one.”
The second offering I have is centered around life experiences. Sometimes, we need to go out into the real world and interact with people and content. Often times when we lack inspiration, it‘s because we need to get outside, call grandpa, have late night convos with your best friend, etc. Start to engage in things that help you feel more alive. Jump into the things that make you happy. Go to events (once Covid-19 is contained) and socialize in the community. Get an idea of what is out there and who is out there doing it. When we start to let the full spectrum of human emotions exist, we can look a our writing or the way that we write differently.
Writer’s block is something that everyone is going to deal with differently, which is why both of my pieces of advice are centered around free-flow. Just write, just live, and eventually the writing will come to you. Obviously, if you are in a time crunch, then the impact of my two suggestions may be limited. But in any case, you should at least attempt one of the two, to see if you get a spark. If you’ve put in 2-4 hours of consistent work and you feel some blockage, take a break, grab a sneak, take a little bit of time away, and then re-approach.