A Block a day Keeps the Writer Away

Don’t you just hate it when you have been deep in thought all day over what you will write in your novel when you get home, you have been planning and envisioning, and when the time finally comes for you to sit down at your laptop and type away……..nothing comes out. You wrack your brain for any semblance of the drive and imagination that you had earlier, but to no avail. You are thoroughly and unbelievably stumped. Maybe you put on some music, maybe you take a break, maybe you write something else for a little while, but when you come back your motivation is even less then when you started.

Writer’s block can manifest itself in many forms, but no matter how it arrives it is always an unwelcome guest for any writer. As someone who frequently struggles with this problem, as nearly every aspiring author has, I understand perfectly well just how aggravating writers block can truly be. Whether it lasts for a day, a month, or a year, writer’s block is an obstacle that any author must be able to overcome else they will find themselves in a nearly unstoppable spiral of procrastination.

This particular malady can cripple even the hardiest of authors for days on end unless the correct steps are taken to remedy your ailment. While there is no definitive cure-all technique, there are many treatments available to properly deal with writer’s block, but each one will not always work for you. There is the tried and true method of putting your nose to the grindstone which is one of the most effective techniques to write large quantities, but more often than not the product of this approach is shoddy at best. This method is mainly used so that the writer can blow through the section of their novel that is giving them difficulties, but unless the writer intends to return to this section at a later date to revise their work it will most likely cause more harm than good; and I for one am not a fan of smashing my face into a grindstone. Sometimes this technique is necessary and when those opportunities present themselves, I encourage you to take full advantage of them, but there are many other ways to climb the proverbial mountain that is writer’s block.

One of the more effective remedies that I have found for this ailment is to simply set aside your desktop, laptop, writing pad, etc. and pursue a different activity for a period of time. While most activities will work, I find the most effective ones are those that take place outside, such as hiking, fishing, frisbee golf, or any other such hobby. The fresh air and change of scenery can help to alleviate the mind’s built up stress. Personally, I find the activity that helps to overcome my writer’s block the most is a good long hike, especially in a heavily forested region where there is plenty of flora and fauna to observe. The reason I find hiking the most efficient activity at curing this ailment is because I feel as if I am taken to another world. Since I write mostly fantasy, the feeling of being somewhere else helps me to better see the world from my character’s perspective. I can understand what it might be like to traverse the vast untamed forests of the world I have created, and sometimes a good hike can even give me an idea for a new biome or area within my novel. The main activity that further exacerbates writer’s block though, is video games. This particular activity is one that many authors partake in and in some cases, it can even help to stimulate your brain, but whenever you are facing writer’s block video games can be your worst enemy. Avoid this at all costs whenever you are struck with a particularly cruel bout of writer’s block.

While the other treatments I have mentioned can be incredibly effective, the remedy that I find most helpful is to listen to music. This method is by far the simplest one, and in many cases it’s already something many authors do as they write, but oftentimes the most rudimentary solutions are the ones that produce the best results. Music of all genres helps to stimulate the brain, but I find that different kinds of music can help when you are writing particular parts in your novel. For example, calm and serene orchestra music can be very beneficial while you are writing about a calm setting. However, if you are attempting to fashion a bloody battle scene, I would recommend something more akin to rock. The most important aspect of this treatment is to determine which style of music will best accentuate your writing abilities at certain parts of your book. If you listen to the same playlist throughout the entirety of writing your novel, then there is a good chance that you will regress to monotony and end up with writer’s block anyways.

There are many more ways to cure the severe ailment that is writer’s block than the few that I have listed here, but in my experience I find these three to be the most effective; a good balance of these techniques throughout your writing process will help create the best novel you are capable of while minimizing your down time due to writer’s block. Just remember, waiting to write the next chapter isn’t inherently a bad thing, but make sure that your patience doesn’t devolve into a more severe ailment. What are some of your favorite ways to overcome the travesty of writer’s block? Happy writing out there.