Writing

7 Ways To Break Your Post-Holiday Writing Funk

Advice crowd-sourced directly from the Twitter-verse #WritingCommunity

I’m in a funk. I haven’t written anything in almost a week. I know it’s only been a few days since Christmas and I should probably give myself a break, but I’m so new to this writing journey that missing even one day of writing makes me feel guilty.

So, in my guilt, shame, and general vulnerability, I reached out to Twitter for help breaking the funk.

And boy, did they respond! I’m still reading all the wonderful responses from the Twitter #WritingCommunity, an incredibly supportive group of writers I highly recommend following if you aren’t already. And in the interests of sharing and caring, I compiled a list of seven of the best tips I received. If you’re experiencing the same post-holiday funk I am, maybe these can help you too!

1. Do Something Physical

This is a hard one for me, I admit. Not because I’m lazy (I am), but because being a stay-at-home mom with two kids hardly affords me any time to do something physical. Other than chasing the kids around for hours, of course.

But in order to get into the writing mindset, alone time is always best, at least for me. Twitter-ers (Tweeters? Twitterites? Twits?) recommend taking a stroll out in nature if you can. Get out of the house, breathe fresh air, gaze upon the verdant foliage! Or frozen foliage, depending on the season.

If that’s not possible because of weather or cranky children, at least try a change of scenery. Giving your eyes something different to look at may just shock your brain out of that writer’s block.

2. Write From A Prompt

Sometimes you may be in the mood to write, but it’s the subject that eludes you. That’s when Tweeters (I’m going with Tweeters) advise you to try writing prompts to help stimulate your creative spirit. A simple Google of ‘writing prompts’ can get you started with literally hundreds of different ideas.

Or maybe you’re bursting with ideas and don’t know where to start. Write down your thoughts in simple sentences or questions, and you can create your own prompts to share with others!

Another idea several Tweeters shared is to try writing in prose to shake things up. Forcing your brain to think outside traditional sentence structure is probably a good way to stoke the creative fire; but since poetry has never been my strong suit, I figure I’ll save this suggestion for when my writing block gets really blocky.

3. Ditch the Tech, Get Back to Pen and Paper

I’ve always loved writing. I don’t just mean writing in the sense of creation, I mean the physical act of putting pen to paper. The feel of the pen against the page, the slight sound of scratching, the heady smell of the paper, it all speaks to me on a deep, spiritual level.

But the problem I always faced with writing the traditional, non-digital way was that my brain thought a lot faster than my hand could write. I would find myself getting frustrated at how sluggish my writing felt, and how I couldn’t seem to slow my thoughts down long enough for my hand to keep up. So eventually, I switched to the keyboard.

But when stuck in a rut, changing things up can provide a jolt of metaphorical caffeine to a tired, languid mind. Just as doing a physical activity helps stimulate your body, changing your writing method can stimulate your mind. Twitter advised me to break out the old journals and give that quill and ink another try, even if just for a moment.

And yes, I really do have a quill and an inkpot!

4. Start Small — Like a Tweet!

If you’re feeling blocked, start small. Don’t force yourself to sit and write a whole article or chapter. I started small myself when I sent my tweet asking for help getting out of my funk. Several people pointed out that just writing that single tweet was the first step in the right direction, something I ironically did not even realize.

Continuing in that mindset, I outlined this very article by deciding which tips I wanted to share, and then I took a break. Just completing the outline made me feel better and less funky, and now I feel myself slowly getting back into the swing of things.

So start small! Tweet, outline, write a prompt, or even write a single sentence! You never know which will help un-funk your brain.

5. Write Around Your Schedule

This advice goes quite well with the previous tip to smart small.

As a stay-at-home mom with a 1-year old and a very rambunctious 6-year old, finding time during the day to sit and write is nearly impossible. Unfortunately, that is often when I find myself having the best ideas I just have to write down.

So instead of mourning the fact that writing peacefully for an hour or two is out of my reach, I can instead jot my thoughts down as they come, in between changing diapers and making sandwiches. Even if I don’t get quantity during these moments, I can at least get some quality I can flesh out at a better time. This could also be when resorting to a pen and paper comes in handy, as a small notebook is much more portable than a computer.

Juggling multiple jobs or activities is difficult and time-consuming, as I realize all too well. But don’t let yourself use your hectic schedule as an excuse not to do what you want. Finding a few minutes, or even seconds, here or there to get your thoughts onto paper can make you feel better about missing out on those long, peaceful writing sessions.

6. Use Music To Feel the Flow

“Music is the universal language of mankind.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Music will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ve been a musician since I was 11 years old when I started playing the flute in sixth grade band. And even though I don’t play much anymore, I will always consider music my second language.

So it was no surprise that I found this advice from my fellow Tweeters especially meaningful. I took it to heart, and as I wrote this I put on some of my favorite inspirational tracks: anything from John Williams and Hans Zimmer, the Lord of the Rings and Gladiator soundtracks, as well as the occasional Fleetwood Mac song for a little change-up.

Whatever your tastes, music can transport you to another place, another time, another memory. There is no doubt that you can rediscover your creative spark to break out of any funk while you are within the ethereal grasp of music’s sweet embrace.

7. Give Yourself a Break!

This tip may be the most important of all.

As I mentioned previously, I’m only about a month into this whole writing business. The goals I set for myself, especially the one about writing every day, are so new that to miss even one day makes me feel guilty, like I’m setting myself up for failure. Never mind the holidays, I should be able to write something every day. After all, it’s only been 30-ish days, how hard can it be to put a couple thoughts down on paper? Am I already giving up on myself like I have so many times in the past?

No. As many Tweeters said, it’s ok to give yourself a break. It is the Christmas season, after all. A time when you are meant to take a break, relax with family, and reminisce about old memories while planning for a new future. So what if you miss a day or two? In the grand scheme of things, you are still on the right track.

Give yourself a break; a break from writing, and a break from guilt.

All seven of these helpful tips are very important for me, and for others, to remember for the future. It is inevitable that every writer will at some point hit another period of writer’s block or a dreary post-holiday funk. It’s ok to accept these periods for what they are and work your way through them. I believe if you follow these tips when you’re feeling the most down on yourself, you may very well come out the other side a better and stronger writer.

My heartfelt thanks again to the Twitter #WritingCommunity for inspiring me with these and more helpful tips to break myself out of the holiday doldrums. If you want to see more advice, follow me on Twitter @esyates42 to see the entire thread!

*Also, if you know the correct term for “Twitter-ers” or “Tweeters,” please educate me in the comments!*

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