Being unmotivated to do homework is one thing, mainly because it’s homework… it tends to be boring. But something way worse than that is writer’s block. What is “writer’s block”? Writer’s block is the lack of motivation or drive to create any writing piece even if you have available ideas. It’s no fun, you can take my word for it. Writing during my free time is fun. It’s liberating, soothing, and it helps me get my thoughts out. It helps me relieve stress and overall get to know what’s going on inside my head. In the case of writer’s block, every time it hits, I can almost never get my pen to the paper (or in recent cases, my fingers to my keyboard). Why? I don’t even know. Sometimes it’s just my physical exhaustion that causes the lack of motivation, and other times it’s just the concept in my head works out but actually writing it out would seem so tedious. Writer’s block is very discouraging. It gets even more intense in the case of homework and deadlines. Deadlines increases the feeling of lack of motivation because the writing begins to feel forced. For some reason, the thoughts just never seem to flow onto the paper or the computer screen! Over the course of years of experiencing writer’s block, I have found ways in which I can combat writer’s block. Many of the tips I’m about to provide are from the internet that I’ve utilized and has worked for me.
Among the many possible things you can do to stop writer’s block is to jot down simple, short ideas along the way of course of your thought process for an idea. For example, if you want to write a story in which a princess was saved by a prince from a villain, you would write down in a journal, or in a note-taking app words in relation to the story like “rescued princess”, “villain”, or “prince”. That way, when you get back to the piece you are writing, you’ll be able to piece together your idea.
Another way to get out of really bad writer’s block is to set reminders, this is especially crucial for deadlines! By setting reminders, you will always be noted that you have something to complete. This tip would also require you to write a little bit down as each reminder comes along, until you get to the deadline, that way by that time your literary piece will be complete.
Lastly, look for inspiration from the people around you. Your friends can be your greatest assets. Utilize their experiences (with permission, of course), or input into your work. Having the voice of another person in your work not only makes what you write more interesting, but it also removes you from the rut of a writer’s block in your head. Having writer’s block is such an ugly feeling. I wish it on no one, especially those that use it as a form of expression and income. Although it sounds bad, it doesn’t last forever, so when it’s through pick up your pen and get to work!