As a writer, words are the most vital component of your work. Without words, we have nothing to read, nothing to share, nothing to connect. So what is a writer supposed to do when the words won’t come?
It could happen to anyone…
Writer’s block is real. Every writer faces it at some point.
And it usually happens “at the worst time possible.”
Which really means, it happens when you’re stressed or burned out. You feel the pressure. You sit at your keyboard, and the blank screen taunts you.
The Vicious Cycle
If stress causes writer’s block, and writer’s block causes stress, how do you extract yourself from the horrible loop?
When it comes to writing, I either give myself permission to “write stupid” or I start work on another project. Some people even do physical activities or chores.
The main thing is to get your mind focused on something else. A lot of times when your brain is concentrating on another task, it will free up the energy you were spending on being stuck and your creativity can flow again.
Have you ever had a great idea while you were commuting or completing a craft or taking a shower? It’s the same concept. Give your brain something else to work on, and it will break the cycle of stress-writer’s block-stress.
Write Stupid?
This is the term I use when I give myself permission to write whatever comes to my brain. Sometimes is a load of garbage that I’ll throw away later. Sometimes it takes my story on a new, exciting path and unlocks possibilities I hadn’t considered before.
It’s a way to give myself permission to explore and potentially “waste” time. However, if it unblocks my creativity, then I don’t see it as a waste. I’m much rather write and edit than stare at a blank screen!