Almost every writer’s worst pet peeve is writer’s block. The overwhelming want to write takes over your mind. You need to write, and you know there’s got to be something, but the only thing happening is the stare of desperation at the laptop screen or the notebook paper. The typing of a few words followed by a deep sigh knowing, “nope, that’s not it”, knowing there’s millions of things to write about, but the words are out of reach. The mind that spends days and nights wandering falls short at finding what exactly should be said. Suddenly a brain usually filled with thoughts remains empty. Nothing seems right, nothing seems important enough, and, nothing is coming out the way you know it could. Everything is falling short, nothing is living up the expectations you have set for yourself beforehand, nothing. I have nothing. But how? How can I overcome the overpowering of writer’s block?
Writer’s block is a pain in the ass to say the least, but I always figure it out even when my mind is completely empty. My very first go to when I have writer’s block is to find an inspiration. Sometimes, this can be found within a certain emotion I am feeling at the time (usually love). It’s easy to sit down and write about how much I love my girlfriend, my family, or my friends. They are the most important people in my life. I could especially write about my girlfriend for days, but the truth is, that’s where the writers block really kicks my ass. Sometimes, there just isn’t enough words in the world to describe your love for another person, and attempting to try can simply make a person go mad. I have written numerous articles about my love for my girlfriend and my girlfriend in general, as well as numerous letters, notes, and texts to her in order to remind her just how much I love her. So, sometimes words just aren’t good enough and I take the energy I would normally put into words, into actions to prove to her I love her, but on the days where the words can be found, my true inspiration falls within the people I love the most.
Other times when I get tired of writing about the same thing over and over again, I look up inspirations. I usually do this by finding a good quote or remembering a quote I read in a book previously. I take that quote and I study it, I read it twice sometimes three times, then I analyze it, and then I interpret it. I find a way to relate to the said quote and I write. I write about how I relate to the quote, what the quote means to me, what it initially made me think about, and etc.
However, sometimes quotes don’t cut it for a numerous amount of reasons. I either can’t find a good quote or I just don’t connect to any enough to write about. This is when I begin to listen to music, because sometimes you can’t find the inspiration the inspiration has to find you. This usually always works for me. Somewhere in a random playlist on shuffle, a song will have the perfect lyrics that will speak to me and I can write my heart out about those lyrics.
Writer’s block can be a pain but it’s not a brick wall. It’s simply just a lack of inspiration.. Or in some cases, a lack of words. Whenever you are hit with the tragedy of writer’s block, do not stop. Do not give up on your writing, instead, find your inspiration. Find something that speaks to you and allows you to write without having to search for the words. Read a book, listen to music, take a walk, make a list of things you appreciate, but do not view writer’s block as a complete brick wall in your success. Like anything you face in life, this too can be overcome.