If you like to write, then you’ve probably suffered from writer’s block every now and again, times where your mind doesn’t feel like working and decides that it’s time go off on an unnecessarily long vacation. A lot of people tend to take a break themselves to wait out the lack of motivation until their head’s back in the right space, but others who have to submit an array of assignments within a deadline (me) and are just too lazy to start them in advance (again, me) can’t afford to wait that long.
Here’s the good news — there are ways to get your thoughts racing and down on paper again! However, every person has their own ways to get over writer’s block and the following tips are just a short compilation of what works for me personally. Still, I hope this helps you in some capacity:
1. Carry a diary and a pen and write about anything.
This is probably the most common way to get inspired, but it actually is very effective. Try to carry a pen and paper with you, or at least your phone anytime you go out, and observe your surroundings. Observing other people can be very helpful and may even spark the creativity for a fresh new base for a character.
2. Artists are always there to help.
One of the best ways to start writing about something is to observe your surroundings to gain a deeper interest in things, right? For me, to get inspired or to just get my mind working again, I go through art accounts on Instagram and/or Twitter, or I use Google to search up some modern pieces that come up under my favorite art styles. Looking at sketches and paintings really helps me come up with new ideas.
3. Don’t ever stop writing.
Every single day, grab a few minutes and write about anything; maybe describe your ideal date or your favorite food. It can be absolutely anything, but just don’t stop writing because once you take a break from it, even if it’s just for a day, it’s difficult to get back on track. Forming a routine like this can help you immensely in the long run.
4. Free-write.
This may seem weird to some, but why not try this: take a pen and a sheet of paper and start jotting down your thoughts, your emotions, parts of your imagination, and just about anything without a care in the world for punctuation or proper grammar. You can edit your work later, but when you do this, don’t care about anything — just get everything out of your system without stopping.
5. Indulge yourself.
We’ve all been there: so exhausted that a vacation or perhaps just a short break is much needed, so do just that! If you can’t afford to take days off, find something you really love doing; perhaps narrowing down some movies or TV shows that you’ve wanted to watch for a long time, or making yourself your favorite snack, and voila — you’re ready. Do something that makes you feel happy — this will help you relax and give your brain some rest.
6. Perspective matters.
When you can’t bring yourself to write adequately about a specific character or a specific situation, try to change the whole perspective. Ask yourself: How? What? If? Branch out — don’t just go with the “what would I do here” scenario — that character isn’t you, neither are you in that situation, so try to change your point of view. It can get a bit hard to keep up with sometimes, but it helps a lot in creating a more interesting plot line.
7. Read, Read, Read!
Go grab a book whenever you need to get inspired. Reading other works, especially from authors you love and whose writing styles you admire, recharges your mind. When I get really hooked on a book, by the end of it my brain is swirling with all kinds of my own ideas. You can also skim short poems and quotes on different topics to inspire yourself, but read anything you can — you don’t know what kinds of seemingly random things can spark that creativity again!
