Overcoming Writer's Block

Whether you are a casual writer or a published author, we all had to deal with writer's block at some point. It is frustrating, wanting to write, but the minute your fingers touch the keyboard or pen, your mind goes blank.

Writer's block can vary in form and severity. Some writers experience writer's block if they don't want to write a particular scene while others go into complete shutdown at the sight of a keyboard.

This creative slump can be very demotivating, especially if like me, you had constant writer's block for the past year and a half.  

Luckily there are some things you can do to help clear the block:

1. Do something new: Being stuck in the monotony of daily life can zap all your creative juices. Try to break the routine once in a while. Go out, do something different. See some new sights or go and visit that friend you hardly see. Take the Ice-bucket Challenge if you have to. Getting out of your routine will help get the creative juices flowing again. 

2. Think Positive: Negativity drains one's energy, but being positive and excited about what your are writing and where your story is heading will go a long way in preventing writer's block.

3.  Keep Writing:  “What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks ‘the cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat.’ And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I’m writing, I write. And then it’s as if the muse is convinced that I’m serious and says, ‘Okay. Okay. I’ll come.’” — Maya Angelou

4. Lighten UP! Taking yourself too seriously can really damper creativity. Yes, your work is important! Yes, we all want to be the next J.R.R Tolkien, J.K Rowling or Maya Angelou, but that is no excuse not to have fun. All work and no play is a creativity killer.  

5. Identify the cause of your block: Are you bored with your characters? Do you think your story needs more spice? Are you looking for inspiration for a new novel or poem? Are you stressed?  Once you identified what caused your block you can address the problem.

We all experience writer's block, even the famous writers you admire. It is not the end of the world to have a case of writers block, because it can be overcome just like any other obstacle : by not giving up.