How to Overcome Writer’s Block?

It is inevitable. What are you gonna do about it?

Writer’s block is when a writer is unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Virtually every author experienced writer’s block in their writing careers, whether it is writing papers in college, composing blog posts, creative writing, or technical writing at work.

Let’s face it when you are motivated to do some work but unable to produce anything, it sucks.

Here is the battle — should I drop writing for the day and procrastinate even more, or should I find ways to conquer the so-called writer’s block?

Here are eight ways to overcome writer’s block. You are welcome.

1. Dump All Your Thoughts onto Paper

Unable to write anything? Do I brain dump! Brain dump is a technique that helps you to remove the “overthinking” thoughts from your mind to a piece of paper.

The purpose of brain dumping is two folds. First, this exercise helps you to declutter your mind so your brain feels clear and organized. Second, it gets you going with writing. It does not matter if you are writing what you intend to finish. It matters that you have started the action of writing.

Part of the writer’s block is the fear of putting ideas out there for everyone to see and critique. Brain dump writing provides a safe space for you to be comfortable with your thoughts and ideas. It also allows you to drop your obsessions with perfectionism in the dumpster. No first draft is close to perfect, you might as well start writing (or dumping your ideas).

2. Subtitle Your Paper before Writing

Sometimes the challenge is in putting ideas into words.

Our thoughts always make a lot of sense when they are in our own heads. This is because we have the background knowledge and contexts for these thoughts. But once we put our thoughts out through words, the text we write may not make sense to others.

Don’t worry. Let’s organize our thoughts on the paper. I always love to create subtitles before I write anything else. It helps my ideas flow better coherently and logically so they are easy for others to follow. Once you got the skeleton structure down, it is easier to fill out words like adding flesh to the skeleton.

This step also keeps me in check from rambling too much in my writing. It assists me to stick to the main ideas and be concise and clear with my words.

3. Read an Article/Story/Paper in the Same Genre

Good reading inspires good writing. This does not mean writers copy what they read. Instead, reading simply shapes our minds to the flow of writing.

When we run into writer’s block, especially after taking a break from writing, we get lost in where to start. Getting back to the flow of thoughts and shaping our thoughts to text are the important first steps in getting back into writing.

When reading any text, story, or article, our minds follow the thoughts of the authors. The words and logic used in the text can help us to get our own thoughts organized and expressed in words. Reading in the same genre reminds us of the expectations and conventions of the genres.

4. Talk it Out

Oral language bridges our thoughts to text.

Sometimes when we hit a brick in something, it helps to trace back to where we first begin. In elementary schools where writing was initially acquired, teachers always asked students to first orally tell the story before picking up a pen. This trick is tremendously helpful, regardless if you are a student writer or a professional author.

Regardless of the genres, writing is storytelling, to get your point crossed, to connect to readers’ emotions, to present facts logically, or to persuade and convince people. Writing is a social action in which both the writer and the audience are engaged in a conversation. It is crucial for writers to understand how the audience may react to the text.

When you hit writer’s block, consider picking up the phone and sharing your writing ideas with a friend. Talk it out. It not only helps you to organize your key ideas and verbalize them in words but also provides you with feedback that may help you improve your story or paper.

5. Change Your Environment

The environment is essential for any creative work. Often, we co-create stories with our thoughts and the environment. Whether it is academic writing or narrative stories, every piece of text has a tune to it.

Our emotions and mood at the time of writing may reflect in the tones of our writing. If you feel stuck in the same work environment, that stuckness and boredom may surface in between the lines of text.

Change your environment. Bring your laptop with you and take a road trip. Stop by a coffee shop, a library, a park, or even your own patio. The change of environment may bring new inspirations to your writing.

6. The Best Type of Music for Writing

Music creates a mood and a “vibe” for any creative work. It helps us to tune out any surrounding chaos and channel our thoughts to text.

What type of music is best for writing? It depends on the content you write and, of course, your personal preference when it comes to music.

Generally speaking, non-lyrical music with fast beats works well. Lyrics may interfere with our words. Sometimes, I hear a word in the song and accidentally type it in my paper. But when it comes to the rhythm of the music, faster beats are usually better than slower music, because it keeps our mind sharp and stimulated instead of calm and relaxed.

7. Sweat It out

If you have tried all of the tips above and still feel unmotivated to write. Put on your sweats and go outdoors to sweat it out. Working out pumps up your endorphins. Exercise is the best medicine to treat stress and a lack of motivation.

During my Ph.D. years, I was required to write three academic papers within a week. Each paper was the length of 15 pages and required an extensive literature review of the most updated research and theories.

I had a hard time sitting still and writing for seven days straight. So every four hours, I would go for a run or do some kind of workout. It worked like magic and I passed my Ph.D. qualifying exam.

Sweat it out. Bring some new oxygen into your brain. Then, come back to writing.

8. Sleep (or Nap)

If you have tried everything listed above, but still feel too tired to pick your brain up to write, just take some rest.

Allow yourself to relax and sleep. Our language functions suffer when not having enough sleep.

There is a difference between procrastination and intentional rest. Procrastination is when you had the energy but lack the motivation to do something. Intentional rest is needed when you are motivated but don’t have enough energy to follow through.

You are daring to rest. Take a nap.

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