Writer’s block is probably the most frustrating part of the writing process. Whether you are an aspiring author/poet, write articles for organizations like Her Campus, or even just a student with a final paper due, writer’s block can seriously derail your progress. If you need something new to get out of your current slump, here are some of the things I like to try when I’ve started to hit a wall:
1. Get some exercise
I particularly like taking a long walk, because I can see a lot of different things along the way that inspire me. If walks aren’t your thing or the weather’s not looking too great, any other form of movement will work. It’ll help to clear your mind and burn off some restless energy.
2. Start writing out morning pages
You can find out more about this on Julia Cameron’s site, but the basic idea is to write out three full pages of anything that comes to mind as soon as you wake up. This will help clear everything out of the back corners of your brain and can spark some new ideas. For me, it also helps me get used to writing something really crappy. For a first draft, you usually just need to get something down to build momentum, even if it’s horrible. I always have trouble letting myself write something bad on the first try, which seriously prevents me from getting any words out at all. Morning pages help with embracing anything that comes out, and learning to live with the imperfections that come with early drafts. It’s better to have a finished draft than be stalled, waiting for the perfect sentence to form in your head.
3. Sleep on it
Sometimes your brain just needs a reset. A good night’s sleep is a great way to improve productivity and can take you out of your writer’s block headspace – especially if you write out some morning pages once you wake up. Inspiration might even come to you in a dream! I keep a pencil on my nightstand in case a breakthrough thought comes to me while my mind is racing in bed. If I’m too tired to turn the lights on and get up, I just scribble it onto the wall behind my pillow and erase it in the morning after I’ve copied it into my notebook.
4. Pull a few tarot cards or look at random images
Tarot cards can be very useful in helping you develop a story and work through road blocks. The great thing about using them for writing purposes is you don’t really need to know what they mean or worry about getting the message “right”. For this reason, looking at artwork or other images could accomplish the same thing, especially ones that depict actions and characters. Sometimes I pull several cards to outline the entire plot or character, or sometimes I look at a single one to figure out what’s missing in a particular scene. Artwork of any kind can make you feel different emotions and pull out ideas sitting in your subconscious.
5. Spend some time rewriting and editing parts that are already finished
If you don’t want to look back on your old work, you can even try to rewrite some of your favorite books. I like to pick something easy and familiar, like Harry Potter, and try to rewrite it in my own style or add my own characters and plot points. This helps to gain some momentum, because it should feel easier, or at least more fun, than your currently bogged down work-in-progress.
6. Choose a random prompt and write something else
Another way to give your head a break from your current project, while still keeping your writing juices flowing, is to start on something totally different. The process of writing something else can even cause a new idea for your original piece to come up. If you get inspired, you can always jump back to your original piece. If not, you’ll at least have written something completely new.
7. If all else fails, take a break
Think about something else for a while. “A while” can mean a few hours, days, or weeks. It’s okay to take a break — sometimes it’s the best thing to do. Working on something else, rather than sitting there getting frustrated, is a great way to manage writer’s block.
Everyone experiences writer’s block at some point. It can be really discouraging, but hopefully some of these strategies help you get back on your feet and through your current work-in-progress!