It happens to all of us. The dreaded block appears and no matter how hard we try, the words just don’t flow. Everything we write sounds like nonsense and most of the time we end up thinking that we will never write another word again.
As much as you think you are the only one suffering in this way, you are not alone. Nowhere not even close to him.
The important thing is not to let it worry you. He understands that this is something that happens to many writers and that as incredible as it seems at the time, the muse will return. And probably with a vengeance. You will have so many ideas that you won’t have time to put them all on paper!
In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to help get your creativity flowing again. The following are seven ideas that have worked for me. I can’t guarantee they’ll work as well for you, but if you need to write and the pen won’t budge, it’s definitely worth a try.
1. Imagine that you were a child during your grandmother’s childhood era. What do you imagine you would be doing right now? If you could take one modern item back in time, what would it be and why? How do you imagine others would react to that article? Keep working on ideas that bridge past and present.
2. Try to see life through the eyes of a dog, cat or any other pet. What would make you happy? When would you feel frustrated? What do you care? If you are a hamster, do you mind being caged? If you’re a dog, does it matter if your human wakes you up from your comfortable bed to take you out for a walk in the rain? Try to keep things from an animal perspective instead of turning them into furry humans.
3. Write a letter to ‘someone’ explaining what you are writing about, why you are writing it and how you envision the final product. If you’re writing a novel, do you plan to find an agent? Will you write the entire novel first or just the first three chapters and then start shipping? If you are writing a column, where will it be used? Tell your ‘someone’ absolutely everything about your writing project.
4. Find an image that inspires you and write about it. You don’t necessarily have to describe the image, but write about how the image makes you feel; why you are attracted to him; what you think made the artist/photographer create that particular image. You can do the opposite with an image you don’t like.
5. Take a newspaper or magazine and open it to a random page. Now choose a headline and write your own story around it. It doesn’t have to be the same kind of story as the original. Originally, “Men Found in Tunnel” might have meant illegal immigrants trying to cross the border, but its story could be about criminals, coal miners, or whatever else your imagination throws up.
6. Go for a walk. When you return, write about the things you saw and experienced. Do you remember the bird splashing in the puddle? Or the dog owner who allowed his pet to litter the street without cleaning it up? Or what about kids who ride bikes without a helmet? Or the shopkeeper standing in the doorway chatting with a couple of old ladies? How did those things make you feel?
7. Interview a friend. He or she does not have to be present; if he knows them well enough, he can conduct a mock interview. Now rewrite your answers biographically.
Hopefully some of those ideas will help you break through your block. He just remembers not to let it bother you too much because the stress and anxiety will only add to the problem.
Happy writing!