I along with many other people face the challenge of writer’s block. I run into it almost every time I need to complete a writing assignment, but there are many ways to overcome this obstacle.
Whether you’re writing for class, your own enjoyment, or even an article for Her Campus, here are five ways that help me tremendously to get inspired and overcome writer’s block.
1) Use a Writing Prompt
Instead of coming up with a topic to write about, use a prompt to generate a topic for you. Writing prompts can force you to think and help lead as a pathway towards the inspiration that you may be looking for. Pick a prompt and set a timer for about ten minutes. Ignore any and all mistakes you make; this is about getting words down onto a page, not perfection. If the timer goes off and you still don’t feel inspired, try again with a different prompt. Repeat this process until you’ve found the inspiration you’ve been searching for the whole time.
2) Listen to Music
When unsure of what to write or where to start, I always listen to music. Music evokes emotions whether it be positive or negative. The lyrics and melody can also help to think of a specific moment in your life. To help reduce the stress and get motivated to write, instrumental music like classical and jazz helps with focus and quieting the mind’s “inner critic” and millions of racing thoughts. Since there are no lyrics, the music forces you to focus on the task at hand instead of thinking about what story is being told.
3) Make a Timeline of your Life Events
I learned this from my English teacher my junior year while brainstorming ideas for my college essay and it helped a lot. Take a piece of paper and make a timeline of every event in your life that you can recall from the moment you were born. These could be events such as birthdays, family gatherings, meeting new friends, vacations, getting a new pet, the first day of school, or the loss of a loved one. Once you’ve compiled your timeline, pick an event and make a list of everything you remember. When the list is long enough, and you feel that it’s worth writing about, begin to tell the story. Just like the writing prompts, ignore any and all mistakes until you go back to finalize and edit your story.
4) Read
Inspiration can be found in a variety of published works such as books, articles, and poetry. Pick one of your favorites, or one that interests you, and read it. Staring at a blank page wondering what to write about can cause stress, but reading helps to reduce it, shifting your focus from creating a story to consuming one. Reading about these ideas that others come up with can also help to spark your own. Something as simple as a word or powerful phrase can flip the switch in your brain, giving you an idea on where to begin.
5) Just Write
Think of the first thing that pops into your head and write it down. It can be simple things like what you ate for breakfast or what your weekend plans are. Continue to write down everything that comes to mind without stopping. This means that if you can’t think of anything simply write: “I can’t think of anything” or “I don’t know what to write.” You’ll eventually find a topic to write about and a starting point for your writing.
Remember, writer’s block is about getting words down onto paper so nothing will be perfect the first time around. Block all thoughts of perfectionism out of your mind and focus on the task at hand. It may take a while, but one of these five solutions could be just what you need to get started. You don’t wait for the creative flow, the creative flow comes to you!