Writer’s block is the worst. Whether you’re working on a personal writing project or just trying to get a written assignment done, feeling uninspired is a real deterrent. I’ve got some step-by-step strategies to combat this awful rival to productivity. They’ve been tested and are 100% guaranteed to work.*
*Note: the sample size was one (Just me!).
So get out your notebooks and feast your eyes on this hopefully helpful advice:
1. Read a lot and get inspired
Sometimes you need to get out of your head for a bit. Take a walk. Pet a dog. Eat a snack. There is one activity that you can do that’s not writing, but will make you feel like you kind of made progress on your writing: that’s reading. Reading is a great way to get your mind off your project and slip into someone else’s. Read something completely different than what you intend on writing, and give the organizational/planning side of your brain a rest. Or, read something similar and witness what you aspire to achieve!
2. Write literally everything other than what you are supposed to write
We all have a lot on our minds. So it’s pretty distracting when you have a lot of work to do, plus a writing task to accomplish. Sometimes it’s best to get all those other responsibilities out of the way, so you can really buckle down on your writing afterward. This requires careful planning. You’re not procrastinating if you decide to prioritize your writing (just after you do your other priorities too).
3. Jot down random ideas that pop into your head
Another trick for writing what you want is to just start writing (like it’s that easy). Once you flex your creativity/writing muscle, you’ll be more likely to keep going. It’s always hard to start working on a blank Word document – what’s better is writing a bunch of random brainstormed ideas that come to your head. Then you can improve on those partially fleshed out thoughts.
4. Don’t stop writing
Now, once you’ve started writing, don’t let yourself stop! Even if it’s bad. Even if you’re going to delete it and edit it all out later. Just keep going. It’s much easier to deal with fixing up a page of text than it is to start one. You’re already halfway there!
5. Revise, reduce, recycle!
The writing process is a cycle. And, no, I’m not just saying that so I could use the above pun. Editing and revising your work is an essential part of making it all work. So, once you have all your thoughts and hopes and dreams written down onto the page, it’s time to start tearing it to shreds! Just kidding… but you should definitely read over your work and fix any minor errors like typos, as well as larger content-based or organizational issues that need resolving. Maybe show your work to a peer and get some feedback from someone other than the person (you) who has spent the last indeterminable amount of hours working on this (and putting it off and then working on it some more).
I hope these suggestions helped you get back into the writing groove!
Happy writing!