Overcoming Writers Block

Many people, including myself, face writers block. Meaning, a moment where you can't come up with anything to write.

When it happens to me, my mind seems to go completely blank and I can't seem to form any kind of thought in my head. It's maddening!

What can you do to overcome writers block?

One of the first things you should do is remove yourself from the situation. Take a moment, step away, and think about something else completely. Begin a new activity.

It may sound crazy, but when I can't think of anything to write, I do laundry. Laundry helps me because it is a quiet activity that I do by myself. There is enough to think about to distract my mind, but not so much that I'm unable to allow new ideas to pop into my head.

Find a quiet place and clear your mind.

Another thing that works for me is simply being quiet, or meditating. By being quiet, I mean allowing your brain to slow down and empty out. This will open up the possibility for fresh ideas to insert themselves into your imagination.

Most of us, especially those who are stressed, have a very difficult time quieting our minds. So this takes practice, but if you slow down your thoughts and systematically think (rather than allowing your brain to go in a million different directions) you may be able to coach yourself right out of writers block.

Have you ever tried to remember something and are unable to think of it on the spot, no matter how hard you try? And then later, when you're not thinking about it at all, whatever you were trying to remember just pops into your head? That's the idea behind these methods.

How do you get past writers block?

The more you sit and stare at a blank page, the harder it is to get past.

So step away, do something else and come back later. Even if your perfect idea doesn't "pop" into your head, sometimes a break or distraction is all you need to regain your focus and get your creative juices flowing.

And don't stress over it... writers block is normal. We all experience it from time to time, so be patient with yourself and remove the pressure to produce. Before you know it, fantastic ideas will be swirling around in your head faster than you can put them on paper.

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How do you get past writers block?

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