Expert Advice on Overcoming Writer’s Block
Like every writer I occasionally experience writer’s block. Recently, I struggled with a particularly nasty case of the ‘block that lasted seven and a half years. During that time I found it hard to muster enough creative juices to write even the simplest of greeting cards (a side gig I do for the $$). Here’s an example of my greeting card work from that period.
FRONT: No image
MESSAGE: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
INSIDE: A picture of a dog
MESSAGE: “Look at this dog.”
Pretty bad. Luckily that time in my life has passed. These days I’m brimming with ideas. If I had it to do over I might have had the inside of the card say “You’re seven…IN DOG YEARS!” or “This dog took a shit on your cake!” As an artist you have to go through rough patches. As the old saying goes “You must seek shelter from the storm before you see the sun.” My point is my time struggling with writer’s block allowed me to develop a pretty good set of tools for overcoming it.
So here are five ways to overcome your writer’s block!
1.) JUST KEEP WRITING!
A big mistake a lot of amateurs make is to stop writing when they’re uninspired. They go out with a friend or spend time with their children. This is a waste of time and will only make your writer’s block worse. If you find yourself uninspired you have got to stay nailed to your keyboard, staring at your screen. JUST KEEP WRITING! I think it’s good to pick a particular phrase you find enjoyable and just keep typing that phrase over and over and over and over until ideas come. My phrase is “Never again.” It’s a phrase that holds special meaning for me. You might have a different phrase like “Now is the time of reckoning” or “Soon my golden soul will blind them all.” Whatever works for you. Just don’t leave your desk.
2.) LEAVE YOUR DESK!
A writer writes about experiences. Sometimes you have to leave the cozy oak-paneled confines of your study and get out and DO SOMETHING so that you’ll become inspired. Here’s an idea, next time you’re having trouble coming up with an idea, get up, put your coat on, drive to the airport, fly to Nepal, arrange transport to Everest, purchase a permit to make an ascent of the eastern slope, fall in with a rag-tag band of mountaineers that have more gumption than experience, be the only one to survive the horrible tragedy that befalls them all and then come home. Wow, I bet you have something to write about now, huh?
While you’re out living it’s fine to keep paper and a pencil on your person to jot down ideas, but be sure to jot down the idea as soon as you have it or you’ll forget it! Write the full idea down in your notebook IN DETAIL even if someone is shouting at you “Throw me the rope! Throw me the line, for the love of God! I can’t hold on much longer!”
3.) WATCH THE MOVIE MEDICINE MAN STARRING SEAN CONNERY
I know when I’m having trouble writing something I’ll often do is pop in my VHS copy of Medicine Man starring Sean Connery and Lorraine Bracco. It’s an explosive action adventure set in the Amazon jungle.
4.) WRITE WITH A DIFFERENT COLOR PEN
Another thing you can do is if you write with a pen or a pencil you can change to a different color ink. That might make your writer’s block go away. If you write with a computer, go to FORMAT, then FONT, and then FONT COLOR and choose a different color from the palette. Be careful because I’ve been told the really bright turquoise can trigger seizures.
5.) THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS WRITER’S BLOCK
My final tip is that you should take a second to remind yourself that writer’s block isn’t actually real. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas it’s because you’re not as talented or smart as other writers. Or you’re just lazy. Take a second to just repeat “I’m lazy. I’m lazy. I’m lazy.” aloud to yourself in a darkened room at 3 am. You’ll find your mind starts going to surprising places and soon the creative juices are flowing again. Either that, or they’re dead forever. Either way, water seeks its own level and you’ve found yours.
I hope you’ve found these tips helpful. I leave you with these words from the immortal Thomas Hardy:
“Dialect words are those terrible marks of the beast to the truly genteel.”
What did he mean by that? Think on it. Think on it.
