I get writer’s block very often and it’s one of the most frustrating things. I would consider myself a rather creative person, but that may not always be a good thing. My problem is that I have a hard time focusing on specific ideas because so many are running through my head simultaneously at any given time. So here are a few tips that I’ve learned to help me focus my scatter brain and to combat writer’s block.
Just Start Writing!
A great practice that I’ve recently started is just to write down everything that pops into my head. Everything you write could have absolutely no correlation to one another, but putting it down onto paper can help you sort those ideas later on.
Write a Random Jumble of Words
This could mean just listing words on a piece of paper, or putting words all over the page in no order at all. By doing this, it serves as a word bank for you to use for your writing later on. You could even take the words and try to get them to make sense together. Another tip for this is to flip through a dictionary and pick the first words you see (or use a word generator because… come on it’s 2018). This will also help improve your vocabulary, which is always a good thing.
Listening to Music
One thing I learned from my high school English teacher is to get ideas from songs. The idea here is to listen to a song and then develop a story from that song. It can be about the song itself, or it can be about how the song made you feel or the feelings you get from the lyrics. Doing this can really help you listen closely to the lyrics and give you a deeper understanding for the song. It will also give you great ideas for your writing.
Look Up Writing Prompts Online
There are many ways for you to find writing prompts online with just a quick Google search. Book stores actually carry writing prompt books as well, so that’s always an option too! Doing writing prompts can help expand your mind and help you open up to different styles of writing. If you’re uncomfortable with a certain prompt, GOOD! Do more of those and develop your writing skills. This can really help you figure out your writing style.
Writer’s block is absolutely awful, so doing anything you can to fight that is so useful. Learning how to “just start writing” can save you a lot of frustration in the long run. Get creative and have some fun with it! Writing shouldn’t feel like a task, it should be something you enjoy.