Writer's Block, How To Beat It In 7 Easy Steps

 

Writer's Block is a phenomena that stops us writers from doing what we do best, writing.  There are as many different causes of writer's block as there are writers, and therein lies the rub.  Because there are so many different causes, there cannot be one sure-fire remedy.  For most of us, writing is our salvation.  Escaping into our fantasy world, and leaving behind the problems of the real world, is what keeps us going.  Therefore, being refused that escape by the elusive Muse, is frustrating to say the least.  What I will propose in this article today, is not a way to beat, or fix, writer's block, but a way to own and control it.  We cant control the Muse, or dictate to her when she will bestow her gifts, but we can control how we think and what we do about it.

So, I propose that the next time you suffer from writer's block, you answer these questions in as much detail as possible.  If you don't know the answer, then make one up.  If you do this every time, you are afflicted, you may, one day, even find yourself with enough material for a book on writer's block.  Enough rambling, let's get to work.

1:  How does writer's block make you feel?  Are you angry, frustrated, lonely, happy, or sad?

2:  What do you think is causing this particular block?  Pressure from work?  Pressure from a relationship?  Maybe it's just boredom or lack of interest.

3:  Write down some things that you think might help remove the block.  Jogging, video games, reading, meditation, anything that you think might help.  I'm not telling you to do any of these things, just write down your ideas.

4:  How do you think that successful authors have dealt with writer's block in the past?  Did they wait it out, power through it, or just give up and start another project?  You may not know the answer to this for sure, but I want you to write it down, even if you need to make it up.  Its about what you think they did, not what they actually did.

5:  Are you excited about your current project?  If so, why?  If not, what excited you about it in the beginning?  Why did you want to write it?  

6:  Write a few sentences about what is going on in your life right now.  This will be used as a reference later.  You can come back to these pages and look for similarities.  Be as detailed as possible.  Are you happy overall?  Is work going well?  Relationships, are they making you happy?

7:  Write about a book, a movie, or a song that you have enjoyed recently.  How did it make you feel?  What was it that made the work good?  Do you think that the person who created that work suffered from writer's block?  Are you glad that they didn't abandon the project?

You will notice that the main theme of this project is to write.  Writing is the only way to get through a writer's block.  Going through these seven steps and writing down your feelings will help you open the door to your imagination again.  I know that this will help some people, and I hope it helps everyone who reads it.  I know that it can help you, if you apply yourself and write, but in the end it's up to you.  Have a great day, and happy writing!