It’s the death to any English major and writers alike: writer’s block. Any writer from time to time can face it no matter what they are writing for, whether it be a publication or a creative writing essay or even a tweet. As frustrating as it can be, figuring out how to reverse the writer’s block is an important part of shaping your writing identity. So, for all of my fellow writers out there, as someone who deals with writer’s block, here are some tips that help me.
1. Take a step back
Getting writer’s block is frustrating and can even send you into a tizzy sometimes when a deadline is involved. It could feel like the end of the world but always remember that you can turn anything into a topic. Even getting writer’s block can turn into a positive thing because it can give you a new article topic (hence this article). Instead of focusing on all the negative aspects to writer’s block, take a deep breath and calm down. There are topics around us at all time and while writer’s block can fog up our writing glasses, we as the writers have the capability to take back control.
2. Figure out what inspires you
One of the best cures for my writer’s block I have found is just looking/listening to whatever inspires you. For me, I find it helpful to have a large variety of playlist to listen to. For example, if I need to focus I will listen to a slower song that has a constant beat and I know all the lyrics to. But if I am dealing with writer’s block, I will find a playlist where I don’t know the majority of songs and I will focus on the lyrics. If I like the song’s topic, I may do further research on it and see if that will lead me to a topic. Another great technique to find inspiration is to look at different websites that cover the same topics you do or are in your specific field. For me, I like to look at my fellow colliegete writers here at Her Campus. For example, many of the writers here were doing pieces titled “Things you’ll only understand if you are from [insert your hometown here]” articles and after seeing the success of those pieces, I decided to write one for my hometown. As someone who wants to be a journalist, I typically gravitate towards news related websites. But any type of website that creates that sense of wonder works!
3. Check out your own writing
Writer’s block is tough and it sometimes makes me question my ability as a writer. If all my peers can think of something to write about, why can’t I? While having writer’s block may not showcase the pinnacle of your writing ability, sometimes looking at your own writing can be really helpful. It can remind you what topics you like to cover, what topics had a good audience response and which ones you would like a chance to tweak. By reflecting on past pieces, you can find topics that obviously interest you and use that to inspire your next piece.
So, having writer’s block isn’t the worst thing to happen to a writer. By overcoming it, you demonstrate your immense writing talent. Happy writing everyone!