For anyone who enjoys writing, it is an undeniable fact that one of the greatest challenges is having consistent ideas. Sometimes, it seems as though the words are instinctively flowing out of you–the creativity seamlessly falling onto the page. Other times, however, you’re stuck in a rut, unable to spark any fresh and new ideas.
Whether you enjoy writing narratives, poems, or nonfiction pieces, here are a few ways to help you through writer’s block.
- Simply acknowledge the problem
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While this may seem obvious, sometimes, the hardest part in losing your creativity for a period of time is facing it. Once you notice a decline in your ideas, recognize where they began to falter, and don’t blame yourself for losing that spark. It happens.
- Take a step back
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While it can be hard to take a break from your work, (whether it’s professional or for fun) taking even just a small amount of time away from your computer screen or notebook and distracting your mind away from your task at hand can be extremely beneficial. By simply partaking in calming activities–like going for a walk, watering your plants, cooking a meal, or taking a bath–you can let yourself relax for a moment, and you’ll be much more refreshed the next time you sit down to work.
- Get a journal, make lists
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I’m a huge fan of lists, and they help me tremendously when it comes to thinking of new writing ideas. They’re extremely helpful because they do not have to be fully developed, but they can help you to brainstorm future, more thorough ideas. By jotting down a few words, phrases, and images of potential writing pieces, it can help you to expand on them later on.
- Read
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While I’m the first to admit that I hardly ever read for enjoyment anymore (sadly), reading is incredibly helpful for mending writer’s block because it exposes you to different styles of writing, which can be inspirational for your writing explorations.
- Go through your old work
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Similarly, reading your own writing pieces from the past can be just as helpful. Try to revamp them, whether it be adding more sophisticated language, or changing the premise entirely, this method helps you to focus your writing attention onto something that has already been created.
- Challenge yourself
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Something I recently started doing while experiencing writer’s block was challenging myself to at least write something everyday. The piece didn’t have to be good, and I could always return to it later to improve it, but simply writing down a few sentences helped me to propel my ideas and still feel productive at the end of the day.