4 WAYS to Beat THE BLOCK
From J.K. Rowling all the way back to Hemingway, every writer has experienced The Block at some point.
When a writer is unable to write anything, they are experiencing a writer’s block (The Block). That means maybe no posts on the writer’s block, or no new manuscript pages, a an old novel that is stuck or the inability to start a new one.
So here’s 4 effective ways to get beyond writer’s block:
- Drop perfectionism
Be imperfect. Write five crappy pages. Tim Ferriss mentions the 5 or 10 crappy pages as a good technique to overcome perfectionism.
Perfectionism is impossible. Completion is not.
Start writing. Finish a page, a paragraph, and keep writing.
Perfectionism is the source of all incomplete or unpublished projects (along with lack of publisher’s interest, maybe, if you don’t wanna do self-pub).
2. Drop an old project
Old becoming boring. Boring becomes repulsive. Even scary.
Start a new project, a new article, a new thing. Put a temporary or a permanent end to an old one.
As people age, they mature and lose interests they previously had. For writers, that means maybe an old genre or an old book. Stephan King advises young writers to choose those ideas (premises for novels) that stick around in their heads for long.
An exciting new idea is just what you need to get started again. Move beyond the writer’s block.
3. Do Seek Help
Dear Therapist,
I’m not able to write my novel any more.
Therapist: Why do you think that is?
Blocked writer: I don’t know.
Therapist: Maybe something to do with your dad or mom not loving you enough? It’s that cry for love and the fear that you won’t get any if you are not good as a writer.
Blocked writer: You are absolutely write — a right!
That’s how 49% of writers overcame their blocks!
Yup, messing with you. Hee, hee, hee.
That’s not the help I’d suggest. Not everything has to do with what happened to you in your childhood.
Good Friend, I meant professional editorial help. A writing coach maybe?
Many times in extensive projects like novels, you need professional writing help. A good editor is a great resource. Where to find them? From posting an ad on craigslist to using eBay for local offers, there’s many ways to get some editorial help. Upwork.com is also a pretty good platform to find affordable help.
4. Dive into Your Silence
Take a yoga retreat.
Start a daily 5-minute-in-the-morning meditation routine.
Do something that’s relaxing and rejuvenating and helps you reconnect with your inner wisdom.
Yoga and meditation are common ones that help.
If you are religious or believe in God, try to devote more time to some prayers-oriented silence.
Think, feel, relax
(Or read Eat, Pray, Love).
5.Go All Out (bonus tip):
So a non-D based advice (based on the four
Take a break from something old. Go for a short holiday. Go to a concert! Anything!
Maybe you are experiencing burn out? A break might be all you need.
Drop something old. Start something new.
Something non-writing might just be the cure to your writer’s block.
That new burst of energy might unblock those creative pipes and may the flood gates open!
