There are plenty of articles on the infamous writer’s block and how to overcome it, but if there’s any takeaway, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. What might work for one writer, might not work for the other. Instead of giving you ways to overcome writer’s block, I’m going to tell you ways in which to take advantage of it.
Writers Block is a phenomenon that writers can’t seem to shake off. It’s like a large cement block has landed heavy in your brain, preventing any ideas or words from connecting to each other. Or it could feel like a thick fog has clouded your mind.
Writers will often stare at their computer screens or their blank pages, unsure of where to start or how to continue. Then they become frustrated, angry, and overwhelmed with pressure to want to write — to have to write — but can’t snap out of the spell. I have fallen victim to this phenomenon one to many times and I have read a plethora of articles about how to overcome it.
Some writers believe it doesn’t exist, and for a while, I tried to believe them. After all, it’s psychological, a made-up construct in our mind. If we put a name to it, it becomes real, and a relationship starts to build and now the writer is being visited more than once by writer’s block. I’ve learned to transform writers block into a moment of “meditation” of sorts, and a chance to find inspiration.
Reading Like a Writer
Writers have heard the term to write like a reader. This means to write with the same clarity you would want while you read. In this case, reading books with a similar mindset can help with inspiration.
When I read, it fills me with the excitement of knowing that one day someone will be reading and enjoying the adventures of my characters. I analyze how this successful author crafted their story line, how they shaped the characters and how they wrote their dialogue. Reading the works of other professionals encourages me to write like them because it gives me an idea of what publishers and editors are looking for.
I take the hopeful feeling I have after reading, and channel it into my writing. The result is stronger writing and a clear idea of where I’m going with it. Sometimes the inspiration comes while I’m in the middle of a good book. Other times, I ponder the book for a couple of days after I finish reading it, and I take the time to think about how I want my readers to feel after they finish my book.
Thoughts on a Walk
There’s something about walking and moving that get’s the words flowing. Whether it’s a conversation with a friend, or thoughts that pop into my head. Taking the time to mindlessly walk with no destination in mind frees up your brain to think.
I discovered Marily Oppezzo’s TedTalk on YouTube by accident. I was teaching text structure to my middle school students and this short video was part of the curriculum. It left a more lasting impact on me than it did my students, who were more interested in the next TikTok trend than a TedTalk.
In Oppezzo’s TedTalk, she delves into a study about how walking affects creativity. It showed “those who sat [in the first test] and then walked [in the second test] got a boost in creativity.” Even those who walked in their first test and then sat in their second, continued to show strong ideas in creativity. I find this to be evident in my own experience of walking, but a tip Oppezzo gives is imperative to the creative process as well. It’s the constant intention of brainstorming while walking. To break the barriers of writer’s block, it’s important to think about ideas, any ideas, that are related to your topic. Let your mind wander and ask questions of your writing and the direction you want to go in.
Since it’s not a one-shoe-fits-all deal, then you have to decide the pace you want to go at. For me, I would prefer a comfortable, slow walk where I can look at the clouds and the trees and have a guilt-free daydreaming session. Some may like to go on a jog or a bike ride to get their minds moving. Oppezzo agrees any of these are acceptable, as long as these exercises don’t distract the mind from the brainstorming process.
You can watch Oppezzo’s YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4LSwZ05laQ
Freewriting
On days when I feel overwhelmed with words, it’s tempting to stop writing and reading and take a break from it all. But not all writers have the luxury of taking a break. Deadlines must be met despite the infuriating writer’s block. Freewriting is one way to bust through the barrier and force words on paper when time is limited.
I like to call this “word vomiting”, where I write down whatever comes to mind, even if it doesn’t make any sense to the topic or doesn’t connect well. As long as it’s written down, then it gives me the opportunity to go back and edit.
Revision is a necessary part of writing, so it doesn’t matter how the words get down on the paper, as long as there are words that you can work with. Peter Elbow wrote in his book called, “Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process”, that “the goal of freewriting is in the process, not the product.”
But we don’t always want to “word vomit” on our documents. Elbow comes up with a Freewriting challenge, where “the point is to keep writing even if you repeat a word over and over again.” He challenges writers to write down their thoughts. They can start with their topic, or it doesn’t even have to be a topic. Just write, even if they write the word “and” thirty times over on their paper.
I was given this challenge on freewriting as an assignment for my class in Teaching Writing at Johns Hopkins University, where the topic was school lunch. It was challenging typing without pausing to think. Three times I would stop for a few seconds and then remembered I had to keep writing. By the time the five minutes were over I had written a large paragraph, albeit with incoherent thoughts strung together, but it was there. The bones of something I could transform into a more refined piece. What Elbow said was true: “So much writing time and energy is spent not on writing.”
If we sat and write, even if it doesn’t make sense at the moment, we get a piece we can work with. “Freewriting exercises help you learn to simply get on with it and not be held back by worries about whether the words are good or right… it helps you learn to write when you don’t feel like writing” (Elbow). This strategy could be beneficial for all kinds of writers, and a technique that should be practiced more often. It would build stamina and perseverance in writing to deliver a final product.
Instead of seeing writer’s block as the antagonist of the writing process, take advantage of the opportunity it presents. Use that time to “meditate”, whether it be reading a book, going on a walk, or challenging yourself to a freewriting activity. Writer’s block will always be there, it’s just a matter of how you handle it.
Works Cited
Elbow, Peter. Writing With Power: Techniques For Mastering The Writing Process. Oxford University Press, 1981
“Want to be more creative? Go for a walk, Marily Oppezzo.” YouTube, uploaded by TED, 6 Feb 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4LSwZ05laQ
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