Breaking The Chains: How to Slay the Hellish Beast of Writer's Block

We've all been there. Whether you are writing a screenplay, short story, or novel, the gargantuan beast of writer's block lingers over your shoulder, spewing its hot breath of frustration, doubt, and stress. Whether you believe in writer's block or not, I'm sure you've felt like you can't do it. Today, I will give you five ways to prevail in the war of words.

1. Have a Writing Schedule

Many, who we aspire to be can "bleed on the page", without much effort at any time, anywhere. But I for one, am not. I have found that having a set time and setting to write and craft ideas has to be planned. Studies have shown that routines can support cognitive function, sparking creativity and production. Think about it. We all have a morning routine when we wake up. This could be taking a shower, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, etc. Those tasks take less cognitive effort because they are your everyday routine. The same applies to writing. If you feel that you are 20% more productive in the morning than in the afternoon, write in the afternoon and vice versa. You know yourself best, so capitalize on your strength and get the agenda.

2. PTO: Prepare the Others

Many of us have families, friends, and other responsibilities, which is normal. However, If you're truly serious about writing, you must advise those in your social circle that, this is your time. Referencing the above tip, if those around you know your mornings are for writing, they will likely be less apt to distract you from your work. On the other hand, they can hold you accountable for your actions, verifying that you are indeed writing. By informing my wife that I'm going to write on a scheduled day, she respects my time and damn sure wont let me forget about it (If you know, you know). All in all, preparing the others will help you focus and potentially provide a support group as you write.

3. Musical Momentum

When my wife was obtaining her degree, specifically studying for an exam, she would listen to Mario's theme music soundtrack on Spotify. With its fast pace beats and melodies, this ensured that she kept the locomotive momentive going, and kept her focused. I adopted this method, but added a few modifications. When I write, I play music that matches that genre of my writings. For example: when writing a horror, I may listen to gothic classical. While writing fantasy, I will listen to fantasy video game soundtracks. As I write this blog entry, I listen to Spotify's Lo-Fi Beats. Tailor this method to your specific needs and do what works for you.

4. 45-15

While serving the US Army, a grueling task was never far behind. While in the field filling sandbags, digging fighting positions or conducting maintenance on the Humvee can be very taxing. Especially when you compound that with the ever lingering presence of the hot sun and insects whispering sweet nothings in your ear. Taking breaks was crucial to keep moral up and finishing the mission at hand. While writing I have adopted the 45-15 method. 45 minutes may not seem like a long time, but in all reality, much can be accomplished in that amount of time. So try this, write as much as you can in 45 minutes and then take a 15 minute break. During that break, reward yourself with walk or another active activity to clear your head. DO NOT begin another task. This can be distracting to the point at which you wont complete your scheduled writing time. Again, feel free to modify this method to what meets your needs.

5. Walk Away

Yes, that is correct, walk away. To be clear, I am not telling you to give up, that is far from the truth. But, sometimes its best to close the laptop. If you get to a point at which you become overly frustrated and even angry with yourself for not being perfect, your doing it wrong. You don't want to grow to hate writing and never return. Remember that you grew to love writing for a reason. Your audience will forgive you for doing what is necessary, so that you can provide them with your best. When the time comes to walk away for the day (It will happen), don't look back. Take a hot shower, spend time with your friends and family or spoil yourself with a hobby or activity. During this short hiatus try not to think about writing, but if an idea floods your mind during this time, don't return to the keyboard; just open that small computer in your pocket and add a note that you will remember.

Conclusion

Well my friends, those are my tips for defeating writer's block. Remember, these are not prescriptive nor are they the only solutions, but only a few weapons to add to your arsenal to slay the beast. As i'm sure you all have heard: "Rome wasn't built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour" - John Heywood, English Playwright

-Juwan Allen