9 Ways to Get Over Writer's Block
Shamoon Siddiqui
May 28, 2021
Having more to say, but not being able to say it, is incredibly frustrating and makes writing difficult. We've all faced writer’s block before and we can all relate: the feeling of frustration when you know you want to write something great yet cannot get started on that book or blog post because "the words just won’t come out!” Even the most seasoned story teller succumbs to the occasional self-doubt which leads to writer’s block. We've compiled a short list of 9 proven methods to help you get the best in your work without spending too much time on it.
Writing isn't easy even when a writer is not blocked in the first place. But this doesn't mean that we should give up writing altogether and stop working on our novel or creating new content for our blog posts, etc. Without further ado, we present our list of 9 steps to kickstart yourself and get over writer’s block effectively.
1. 💻 Step away from the computer
Go for a walk, run errands, or bike ride. Taking a break often triggers many of those creative juices in writers – especially when they're feeling tired after another long day building an outline. Maybe just reading a book will do more good than sitting at some keyboard waiting for inspiration for your writing. You can also try going outside into natural light (i.e. sunlight) vs. artificial lighting to boost your mood before starting any writing session. Conveniently, going outside costs nothing and gives you something else productive as well!
2. 🤖 Get some AI inspiration
Services like Wordblot can help trigger some of those creative ideas for you by utilizing the latest and greatest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. Even if the predictions aren't EXACTLY what you're looking for, it might be enough to jolt you out of your writer’s block. It can help you write pretty much anything - a book, blog post, article, landing page, student essay and more - whatever the writer needs. The best part about AI inspiration is that it gives you ideas out of seemingly nowhere. Although the ideas may be new, the flow and tone will match exactly what you were trying to get done anyway. In fact, this is why AI-based tools are so powerful: They provide you with an infinite amount of fresh options without you having to do or think very differently from how we usually do things.
3. 📓 Try freewriting
Freewriting is one of the easiest ways to get started with writing again because free text allows you to freely express all sorts of thoughts but doesn't force any particular style onto them. It also allows you to write ANYTHING that pops into mind at random as well, so there's no requirement whatsoever to create a cohesive story line like for a book. Without the constraints of structure in the first place, freewriting can help get the juices flowing to end that writer’s block that might be weighing you down. It can be used almost anywhere – even if your goal is just to get some words down on paper (which I'm sure many of us have experienced). You don't necessarily need to come up with full drafts either; whatever feels good enough right now works quite fine.
4. 🦋 Eliminate distractions
Writers often find themselves working in the strangest of places: coffee shops, libraries, airport lounges etc. In these situations, we are constantly surrounded by other people who could easily distract us from our work; music, videos or mobile phone notifications may interrupt concentration on whatever task takes up most mental space during this time span. Try to free yourself from those distractions by turning off all notifications, locking away your phone when not in use - anything which would hold back your thinking power. Often, writer’s block is caused by having too many distractions around, which prevents one from their writing process (or just plain old procrastination). You should try to limit as much external stimuli as possible while focusing solely and intensely on achieving a specific aim… whether it's finishing that book you've been wanting to write for ages OR getting an article written within 48 hours!
5. ☕ Drink some coffee
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that can help increase productivity if taken regularly throughout the day. The increase will be gradual (it usually takes about an hour before it reaches its maximum) until caffeine begins to have more of an effect after 2-3 hours and then increases steadily. It might get you out of your funk to unblock you. Combine this with Tip #1 and take a break to read a book while having a nice warm cup of coffee! It's also important to note that caffeine has been found to improve memory in moderation as well. Just make sure there aren't any lingering effects due to drinking it at night or for long periods of time afterwards.
6. 🔁 Change your routine
There is no silver bullet for writer’s block, but changing your routine might get you in a new state of mind. If you normally work at a coffee shop, try going to a library instead. If you normally write in bed with headphones on, try writing outside and listening to the sounds of nature. Whatever it is, change something as soon as possible because it just might work! Adjusting how things are around can help bring back all kinds of creative juices, but don't overdo it. A short break from those things will actually do wonders by giving creativity space to breathe again so everything works better when you're feeling fresh once more.
7. 🎯 Set an achievable goal
Writer's block has many causes; one of them being setting too high goals or making unrealistic demands upon yourself. Set realistic expectations so they don't continue to fill you with self-doubt. Wordblot can help by quickly creating content at the speed of thought. The writer is and always will be you. Wordblot is just there to help writers make the time their project requires while freeing up valuable brain space. If you set a small goal of finishing a chapter in the book you're writing, or maybe just writing 100 more words for the day, that'll keep you motivated enough to do what needs to be done.
8. 🤙 Talk to a friend
If you have friends that are writers, that is great. You want those pals around when things get tough though. They've been there themselves before (or if not literally) and know what works best to get your writing going. The very act of conversing - the back and forth - is better than anything you might read in a book. It actually helps out wordsmiths who struggle more than others for ideas but cannot come up with enough confidence to carry through until inspiration strikes again. They say "misery loves company," and the same is true with those stuck with writer’s block - discussing it with people can lighten its load considerably!
9. 🏃 Start from the end
Often times, writer’s block creeps up because you're not sure how your book or blog post will end. Why not tackle that first? Get the suspense out of the way by writing the last paragraph first. It'll give you direction without feeling like you're guessing at the ending. Wordblot can help here as you construct the sections leading up to the ending. Editing and rewriting are way easier than writing in the first place.
Remember, there is no "one size fits all" solution for writer’s block. Some of the solutions might be helpful some of the time and nothing will work all the time. The key is to not get discouraged when we don't see immediate results after trying something new – just keep trying every day so things slowly move along naturally over time 😀. This list of suggestions is by no means exhaustive and we'd love to hear your solutions to writer’s block - just drop us a line!
Wordblot helps you write faster and better than you ever thought it would be possible. The AI-generated predictions and completions read like a well-written book to improve your word choice and vocabulary skills too. When words magically appear, writer’s block is a thing of the past. Give it a try now to create that masterpiece, manuscript or simply jump right into your next piece with confidence, knowing this tool has been proven effective before.
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