5 Different Ways To Overcome Writer's Block

If you’re a writer, you’ve encountered writer’s block. I know many writers, and many have complained about it, especially recently. In my research to write this article to help people, such as my friends, I came across pretty much the same advice over and over again.

Rest. Set a schedule. Be worry free. Exercise. Live a healthy lifestyle. Think of it as a job.

Some of those really have nothing to do with writing, if you really think about it. The others will just give you a headache. I’ve been there, done that. You can set all the schedules you want and intend on sticking with them, but if nothing is flowing through your noggin, good chances are you’ll sit staring at your comp while your scheduled time ticks by. So, instead of repeating the same stuff, like everyone else, I’m going to suggest some different ways to step over that pesky writer’s block and help get those creative juices flowing through your brain. Not all will work for everyone, and none may work for you. You never know until you try, though.

1. Stumbleupon
When I worked at a marketing agency in PA, I often times had to be creative in writing to sell products using different scenarios. For instance, I wrote just about constantly on different ways to use a flash drive. After about the eight very obvious uses, you start to wonder what in the hell else is there to do. That’s when I turned to Stumbleupon.com for inspiration.

You can stumble only writing stuff, or you can stumble everything. More often than not, you’ll find a picture, a quote, a story, a writing tip that will spark your imagination or light some type of fire under those fingers. Worst case scenario, you just learned/saw some pretty cool stuff.

2. Troll Facebook
There are  pictures on your friends’ profiles or your friends’ friend’s profiles that are just dying for a story to be written. If the pictures don’t get ya, take a status and use that as found inspiration in your work. If nothing else pops off the screen at ya, the political opinions on Facebook I’m sure could spark something.

I’d go every day if I saw a monkey face in my cup!

3. People watch
Go to a cafe and just sit outside, watch people walk by, and sip coffee. There’s going to be at least one person that catches your eye. Write down the details about the person: what they’re wearing, hair color, how they walk, what they’re carrying, etc. Listen to what people are talking about. You might hear something that triggers a memory that will get your fingers going. Who knows what will come from people watching!

4. Watch a documentary or educational film
Learning always gets the gears going. We’ve all got opinions about something, and documentaries usually touch on topics that are even the slightest bit controversial.

5. Write through your thoughts
Occasionally, writer’s block happens because you’re being a tad bit ADD and are not focusing your brain on any one single thing. If there are a few things bouncing around in your skull, write them down. Then, see if any of what you wrote can be elaborated upon.

Well, those are a few suggestions on getting over writer’s block. Granted, most of these suggestions are geared mainly towards creative writing, but they can be tweaked a bit to cater to whatever your needs are. Suggestions on overcoming writer’s block are always welcome!

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