Articulating writing through clear, coherent thoughts can be challenging, especially if what I’m writing is recreational rather than required. Far too often, my life becomes hectic and I tend to stress over school, work, bills, maintaining relationships with loved ones and I let my writing slide to the back burner. This semester, I decided to take a poetry class and explore a new medium of expression. After realizing the course would require me to necessitate discipline for my writing, I began exploring ways to increase my productivity and overcome the writing rut that prevented me from forming fluent thoughts. Here are some of the ways I was able to combat writer’s block and expand my creative thought process to improve my writing:
1. Clean Your Room
If you’re anything like me, a messy room is something that seems like an inevitable circumstance that becomes a low priority when life gets crazy. 80 percent of the time, clothes are thrown around my room, coffee mugs seemingly multiply and my rug is covered in more of my hair than my cat’s. I dread having to look at the culmination of mess that piles up on my floors during the week, and I would avoid my room at all costs, choosing to work downstairs in my living room. But, a living room is a community space where I quickly learned that productivity is no match for the shenanigans that ensue when all of my roommates get together. I knew I would never finish any of my work if I couldn’t isolate myself, so I deep-cleaned my room, forced myself to hole up in it and finish my school work, so my personal writing wouldn’t seem like such a chore. Immediately, I noticed that having a quiet, private space made my writing more consistent and precise, and I found myself actually wanting to write more than the word count I had previously allotted myself.
2. Eliminate Distractions
As much as I hate to admit it, I am a product of the capitalistic, millennial society that I was brought up in. I depend on the connection social media gives me to the rest of the world, and as such, I am constantly checking the news on my phone, looking for updates on weather and traffic and seeing what awful situation our loud-mouth president has gotten us into now on Twitter. When I am experiencing trouble forming thoughts while writing, I allow myself a break from concentration and choose to find inspiration in my phone or laptop. But, I fall victim to click bait and find myself tumbling down the BuzzFeed black hole, taking a plethora of personality quizzes to find out what Real Housewife I resemble most. Usually, I commit myself to write for 45 minutes to an hour, trying to write between 500-1,000 words a day. During this time, I would leave my phone in the other room or turn off notifications for the duration of time I spent writing. Not only was I able to write more, I was also relying on myself for creativity, rather than finding influences online or searching for topics to write about. I felt more connected to my writing and myself, and I was able to articulate thoughts from the environment around me.
3. Keep a Journal
Your writing is a reflection of your life, and the passersby you encounter on a daily basis are often indirect influence for your writing inspiration. Keeping a pocket journal and writing down interactions and dialogue you experience throughout your day, can brew new ideas and create a whole new direction for your writing. Utilizing these notes and memories can often culminate brand new ideas that you hadn’t thought of writing before. I typically write down encounters I have at work, as retail is infamous for producing stories about the weirdos of the world, which can make for a dynamically different character you can use for your writing.
4. Change Your Environment
I definitely consider myself a hermit when it comes to writing, as I feel like my best is done holed up in my room. How could my writing reflect the sense of adventure I wanted to invoke if I never left my bed? I began writing at my favorite places around campus, such as the Greek steps, the garden on the roof of the Pollock building and my front porch. Elements of my real-life environment began to encompass my writing, and my thoughts became more in-depth and refined. The settings and plot of my stories were more complex and enveloped the emotion I wanted my writing to portray, and I noticed myself enjoying what I was writing more than I had in the past. Changing my environment was helpful, and I try to write in at least one new place every week to broaden my view of the world, which, in turn, will be communicated through the characters and settings in my writing.
5. Have a Game Plan
Although creative juices may seem to be flowing, sometimes writing just cannot be forced. Don’t just sit down and make yourself write, planning what the story is you want to tell can be difficult, but it is necessary to plan your writing before jumping in. When I have a new idea for a story, poem or other piece of writing, I usually plan the plot, characters, settings, and conflict for a week before actually beginning the process of writing. Finding what planning method works best for you can enhance your writing skills and make it easier to communicate thoughts and express yourself more clearly.