The way I get over my writing blocks is simple but effective. I devised a four-step plan that is concise and straightforward. I like skipping over avoiding the problem and get to solving it instead. I don't want to allow my creative blocks to last long if I can help it. Perhaps, this is the right time to remind that creative blocks stem from various reasons including but not limited to burnout, prolonged mental resistance, lack of direction in the WIP, and emotional and physical issues. In this guide, I'm going to discuss those four steps I mentioned and hopefully, that will get you back on track soon enough. Please note that this might not help solve creative block stemming from physical or emotional ailments.
Now, the way I handle creative blocks is based on action. It's all about externalizing and dealing with nuisances that prevent me from writing. I call them pen blocks. I also create a visual representation of my writer's block and as I make that representation smaller and smaller, I try to direct my mind into viewing the writer's block to be lesser in magnitude. The brain works well using such coping techniques and with practice, it gets conditioned to react to them positively more and more. This is a huge reason why this simple plan helps me so much, so try to maintain that mindset as well! With that said, let's get to it!
Step 1: Create the Visual Representation
The visual representation contains the things that prevent you from writing. I like to go plain and simple and simply create a list. Think about what is preventing you from starting and write down every single pen block. Even things that sound like superficial excuses should go on that list. Here is an example of one such list of mine. It contains some of my most common reasons not to write.
- It's too quiet but I don't feel like listening to music
- I feel distracted and my mind is all over the place, I cannot focus on the story
- I have other things I have to do but I don't want to do any of it
- I'm hungry
- It's getting late anyway
- I don't feel inspired right now
- I want to go out instead
- I'd rather watch a story in a series instead of writing one quietly on paper
- My writing is crap anyway
- I have no direction, I don't know my plot, I don't have usable characters, what am I supposed to write?
- I'm influenced by weather and right now, it makes me unproductive
- I feel angry and frustrated and sad when I try to write because I'm not good at it
My writer's blocks often my feeling disappointed in myself, looking down on myself, and that makes me feel anything but creative. If external factors don't get me down, I get myself down. I see that as an issue and I don't like that happening to me.
So, what does your list look like? You can write it in the comments, commiserate with fellow creatives. You can also just write it privately, but do put your pen blocks down, express them into words. Remember, nothing is too insignificant to be on that list!
Step 2: Devise a Battle Plan
Now that you have your list in front of you, identify the easiest and quickest item and start from there. In this step, we start working through that list for as long as we need to. For some items on the list, the solution is quick and easy, but for others it might take a few days even to tick it off the list. That is perfectly fine! We will work on it the best we can. I will follow through with my example list and show you how I go about ticking off the items on it. I usually write down my pen blocks on one page and on the other I write down my solutions.
- It's too quiet but I don't feel like listening to music
Put on ambient sounds or open a window to let in any noise from outside or both! Now try writing.
- I feel distracted and my mind is all over the place, I cannot focus on the story
What distracts you exactly? Talk or write about it, externalize it and see what you can do to deal with it. Also, meditate, get up and move your body, breathe, and try to centralize yourself.
- I have other things I have to do but I don't want to do any of it
School? Work? Other important things? Don't put them off. Do at least half an hour of work, try getting into the flow. Those things matter. But make sure you try to write tomorrow! Promise it to yourself!
- I'm hungry
Well, make something quick to eat, duh. Then come back and try to write!
- It's getting late anyway
Sleep is important. Rest now but show up tomorrow and try to write. Promise it to yourself!
- I don't feel inspired right now
You cannot rely on inspiration alone. You know that's a cop-out. You love writing, so inspired or not, put down a few words. Habit will get you farther anyway, so practice the habit of writing.
- I want to go out instead
If you feel under-stimulated, then make plans to go out, or do it now. It's ok. But afterward, sit down to write when you can.
- I'd rather watch a story in a series instead of writing one quietly on paper
Compromise. Set a Pomodoro session for at least 15 minutes and write as much as you can. Quality doesn't matter. As a reward for respecting the session and writing, you can watch one episode if you still want to.
- My writing is crap anyway
If your current dislike of your writing skills prevents you from writing more, then when are you ever going to write again? Is that going to make you stop writing for good? No. Now put your effort where it matters and write. There is no improvement without effort! Work towards improving by allowing yourself to write crap. Editing exists for a reason, after all.
- I'm influenced by weather and right now, it makes me unproductive
There is nothing that can change the weather for you to feel better, but you can condition yourself to be more productive. Let in as much light as possible, get u, move your body and get your blood flowing. Put on music that makes it feel like your favorite type of weather. Focus on that and start writing.
So, this is it! These are the things I write as directions to myself, a pep talk if you will. Now, it's the time to start following the directions I've set for myself one by one. Each one diminishes the representation of my writer's block and the issues go away with it.
Step 3: Execute the Plan
Here's the thing, if that list contains your reasons for not writing and they embody you writer's block, and you tick them off one by one... doesn't that mean you're diminishing your writer's block little by little? I focus on that train of thought because it helps me almost every time. I ask you to try and do the same because it could help you as well! So, follow the directions you've already set for yourself. After every item, you check off on that list, sit down and try to write. Bare he thought that the physical manifestation of your writer's block (the list of pen blocks) is that bit smaller. That conditions your mind, helping it find balance again which should make writing come easier to you again.
Step 4: Prevention
According to research, the brain takes 20 seconds on average to kill your drive. Those twenty seconds are your mental resistance and it that time you come up with reasoning not to do something. Laziness also shows up in those 20 seconds. If you put yourself to work before those 20 seconds are up your chances of working for a prolonged period of time and getting it done grow exponentially. Beating it is the best prevention tool I've found.
What exactly is mental resistance? It is something we experience several times a day every day. We usually say "I don't feel like it" but once we start doing it, we experience a sort of release. That is the mental resistance fading. Mental resistance is avoidance. It lies in the front part of the brain right behind your forehead. "I don't feel like it" is exactly why you should make your boy move through the motions and get to doing it! That is the most promising way of reducing occurrences of mental resistance.
The most important step to whacking it is to realize when it's happening. When you don't want to do something, including working on your WIP, take a minute to pay attention to your feelings and to your body. How does it feel? For me, it makes me look down, frown, lock my jaw, and hunch down. I curl up in my seat and block out thoughts. I feel and look sad. Other times, I go on YouTube or my phone and direct my attention to anything but the task at hand. I even start doing what I was avoiding before just so I won't have to do the thing I'm currently avoiding! Notice your default behaviors and learn what helps you fight through mental resistance. When you do fight through it, notice how you start feeling all of a sudden. There's relief, a bit of joyfulness and excitement, your focus levels go way up and that feels good. remember those feelings next time you're having mental resistance.
Additionally, there are certain habits that universally make a human's mind and body thrive. Those include physical exercise, a healthier diet, human interaction, lowering the stress levels, getting enough sleep, and expressing one's emotions in a healthy way. Becoming a healthier person both physically and mentally is always a good thing. The power of a healthier lifestyle should never be underrated!
~~~
This is all I gt for you today! I hope you will try out these tips and that hey will do wonders for you and your creative output! Do you have friends that might like this? Please, share this post with them so they don't miss out. I'd love to hear your thoughts, so don't forget to comment below! Let's chat!
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment