Today I have a guest post written by another blogger, Courtney Gordner. Thank you, Courtney, for being part of my blog, and thank you for the great ideas!
Writers’ block can be a cruel thing, regardless of whether you’re a blogger, screenwriter, or novelist. Sometimes writers feel as if the words are flowing from their fingertips. Other times it feels like their creative thoughts are being held back by a road block. Overcoming writers’ block is not an exact science, but there are several methods that have proven effective for many successful writers.
Interact with life!
Staying cooped inside your workspace all day can limit one’s imagination. Since even the smallest aspect of life – a bird chirping, a couple laughing, the moon shining – can inspire the next great idea, a writer should take some time away from their workspace daily. Even if it’s just a walk to go get lunch, you may be surprised how experiencing life outside your dimly lit desk can inspire the mind.
Take care of yourself
There are many romanticized accounts of writers like Hunter S. Thompson sinking into the despairs of alcohol and drugs, and for some personality types that may prove beneficial in the writing process, even if it causes irreparable harm to your body later. But for the majority of writers, and people in general, your creativity increases with your health. Psychology Today and other sources have written extensively on the positive impacts of exercise like yoga, and how it inspires creativity. Try some yoga or running if you’ve reached a writers’ block, along with a healthy lunch. Your body and mind will reward you. Some writers even check themselves into a private rehab center to help them relax and clear their mind. Try a few things and see what works best for you!
Make writing a habit
Any aspiring writer should write every day. Regardless of the topic at hand, writers should become as accustomed to writing daily as brushing their teeth. It makes the process a whole lot easier in the long run. Also, having an assortment of topics makes writers’ blocks occur a lot less, because writers are better off having more primary sources to cull their inspiration from.
Set realistic standards
Not every one of the twists in your novel has to be on par with Game of Thrones. Artists of all mediums struggle to accept the fruit of their creative efforts, as it’s easy to be a perfectionist when one invests so much time in a particular project. Lowering your currently high standards is helpful in preventing writers’ block. Even if the result isn’t exactly what you wanted, you can always go back and draw new inspiration from it.
If you have a weird superstition, have fun with it
Superstitions may seem silly, but they can also reduce stress because they direct one’s mind elsewhere than the chaotic topic at hand – at least temporarily. There is research suggesting that stress makes people more superstitious, so many writers with writers’ block may already be toying with certain superstitions to improve their writing. Superstitions have the tendency to inspire creativity because they inject both humor and a fantasy-like outlook into everyday life, sometimes resulting in experiences that are ripe for creative outsourcing.
Thanks, Courtney! I think I’m going to go write now, or interact with life. You can read more posts from Courtney on her blog, www.talkviral.com.
A. L. Sowards 