6 Tips To Overcome Writer’s Block
Posted on April 5, 2008
Filed Under Writing |
Do you have problems with writer’s block and what exactly is this condition?
Geesh! I’ve got nothing to write and it just won’t come. Nothiiiiiing!
Is this your problem? “Not mine”, you say, but come on… we all have had the same experience of not being able to think of what to say or write. It’s that dreaded experience of having….
WRITER’S BLOCK!!!!
Hmmmm! I just stare with a blank stare at that white space and wish I could put something down. The more I think about it the stronger the writer’s block becomes.
Writer’s block can make anyone just want to go mad. You really want to write, but you just can’t get it from your mind to the paper. It just gets to be a huge waste of time.
You breathe more shallow as you you stress about the situation you’ve found yourself in. You can’t seem to snap out of it. Pounding your head on the table does nothing more than give you a big bad headache, because the writer’s block is still there.
So how does this terrifying inability to write come to pass?
I think one of the reasons is fear. The fear of being able to write something that would be of value. It has to be a masterpiece or you’ll have every critic knocking down your door. It could also very well be the fear of writer’s block itself.
Writer’s block can happen to anyone in any situation. You may think you have to have a masterpiece or you will get picked apart by all the critics out there waiting to pounce on your next article.
Here are tips you can use to get over the writer’s block and get back on the writing track.
You may not believe it but WRITER’S BLOCK CAN BE OVERCOME.
Please, remain seated.
[1] Know your topic. If you prepare properly and really know your subject, you will likely have a lot to write about. Research will not only prepare you to write, but will bring you confidence. You’ll know what you’re talking about and it will come out.
[2] Forget about being perfect. Just sit down and write whatever comes to mind. Really! Don’t stop to think if it makes sense or not. Write down every thought that comes to mind in any order. Just get it out of your head and on to your paper. You don’t have to care about your drafts. That’s what they are for, the journey to the final piece. You’ll be surprised at the thoughts that come out, because you didn’t judge it as being worthy or not worthy to be written down.
[3] Don’t edit while you are writing. This goes hand in hand with the last tip. Just let the thoughts flow without even focusing on any writing structure. Forget the spelling, grammar, sentence structure, etc. The idea is to write down your thoughts without any thought to the correctness of it. You can structure it later after you have the thoughts down on paper. Write like you are talking to a friend at a coffee shop. Just having a casual conversation.
[4] Forget about the first sentence. Writer’s block can grow when you force yourself to start in a particular order. Just let that go and write down any thoughts that come out in any order. You know the middle of your article? Then write it down. You start somewhere and the other parts will come. You just need to activate your mind and get the thoughts flowing
[5] Act as if. If you want to be a confident writer without a problem with writer’s block, then act as if you are that great writer. There’s a lot of power in this state of mind. Just do it and you’ll be amazed at what you come up with.
[6] Remember what the Nike slogan says, “Just do it!” Don’t hold off any longer. Get yourself going. The longer you procrastinate, the longer you’ll have to deal with writer’s block. Get all your notes together and keep them close. Also remember most thoughts aren’t original. Know what other people have said about your topic and use their thoughts to get your thoughts going. It’s good not to copy what people say word for word, but put thoughts into your own words and add to them with your own experiences and stories. Include your own style and you have your own work. Don’t try to re-invent the wheel every time you sit down to write.
To conclude, you can beat writer’s block once and for all. Use these tips and they will help you get back to being a productive writer. Just remember that your writing is valuable. There are those that will be inspired by your work. Just keep writing and you will become better and better with each assignment.
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