For the ones, who carry out reading & writing on a regular basis might have come across the term ‘Writer’s Block’ and wondered about it, so today in this write-up we are going to cover up the factors, which can help the writers to deal with it. However, what is even more important is to understand the concept of the Writer’s Block first before jumping towards the methods of dealing with it.
What is Writer’s Block? Writer’s block is a phenomenon experienced by writers that is best described as an overwhelming feeling of being stuck in the writing process without the ability to move forward and write anything new. While overcoming writer’s block is usually a different process depending on the individual, there are ample tools to help writers along the way!
Well, overcoming writer’s block is a delicate process that is often highly subjective and depends on each individual. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, it is about conquering self-doubt and knowing that hard work will pay off. So, if you too ever find yourself staring at a blank page for ‘really long’ periods of time, trying to write but being unable to find the right words, then good news is that you are not alone. This is writer’s block, and all writers struggle with it, from journalists to novelists. More importantly, this is not the end either and the best thing is that there are several ways to overcome this phenomenon of Writer’s Block as well.
Now, let us focus upon the 8 primary steps, which the writers should take in order to overcome their writer’s block –
1st Step: Take a Break) Do something else for a while, and return a few days (or week, or months) later to view your work with a fresh eye.
2nd Step: Jump Ahead) Write smaller pieces of the article, story, or writing project without knowing where they fit. The important thing is to keep going. A lot of problems are resolved in the doing. Avoid areas of high difficulty. Just write, as you can always rewrite the first draft, so make use of that freedom and get stuff down. Then come back to it.
3rd Step: Pretend you have never read your work before) Start at the beginning of the work and read it through. This can make it obvious where you have gone off track.
4th Step: Do Something else) Get away from your desk. Do the laundry. Go for a walk. Real-life events and observations are key to keeping your idea box full and can serve as the inspiration for your best writing.
5th Step: Create a Deadline for yourself) Time pressure can create focus and can force you to make decisions that you may be avoiding.
6th Step: Make your process more visual) Unsure of how to continue a section or chapter? Turn to diagrams, Post-it notes or just plain pen and paper. Sometimes, visualizing the problem can help.
7th Step: Do something thoroughly mundane) Monotonous tasks like showering, cleaning, and so on make your brain go on autopilot, leaving the creative side free to daydream about all kinds of things, including how to solve the issue that is causing your writer’s block.
8th Step: Freewrite) This is good advice for any kind of writer. Write without pausing to worry about sentence structure, grammar, spelling, or whether what you are saying makes sense or not. Just write without second-guessing anything. While most of it will be unusable, it is a good way to push through the block.
So now, since we have covered up all the 8 primary steps that have been proven helpful in dealing with the Writer’s Block in most of the cases, we hope that these methods will prove to be fruitful for you as well.
Written By NEEL PREET – Author of the Books, Voice From The East (2016); Journey With Time Place And Circumstances (2018) & Indian Defence Files (2021).
