Everyone who has written anything has hit writer’s block at some point in their life. Writers of essays, poems, short stories, novels, articles, and, well, anything have experienced it. (Psst – if you’ve experienced writer’s block when it comes to blogging, check out my 40 blog post ideas.) I’ve written all of the above, and over my time you can better believe that I’ve hit writer’s block. Today I’m bringing you 7 ways to deal with it!
1. Change your scenery. Sit outside, move from the couch to the dining room table, go somewhere new … basically just change your perspective in any way.
2. Take a 15 minute break from all work. Set an alarm, maybe even set a backup alarm, and seriously just stop your break after 15 minutes. But clearing your head for that time will help you.
3. Free write. For 5 minutes, write non-stop about your topic or just about anything that’s in your head. It may seem forced for the beginning, but by the end your mind will work clearer.
4. Outline. If you haven’t already, jot down the key points you’re writing to say. And then …
5. Skip around in your writing! Know what you want to say a paragraph or a page later? Skip ahead to that part, and later write the connecting part. Once you know exactly what you’re working towards, it will be easier to write the connections.
6. Snack break! Try one of these superfoods for concentration and memory: coffee, fruit, fish, nuts, chocolate, avocado, and whole grains. (Shoutout to WebMD for the information!)
7. Work on something else for a while. If you’re like me, there is always something else that needs to be done. Take a productive break to focus on something else and go back to it later. (Yes, I know this is similar to #2. What’s the difference? This one involves still working – just working on something else.)
Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.
4 and 5 are huge for me!! Sometimes a part is just going nowhere and I can't deal with it anymore so then I'd go onto something else and go back. If I ever write another novel I think I'll be outlining the heck out of it.
Coffee/tea helps! Especially when I take the time to make something I really like, like a flavored coffee or chai latte!
Outlining is what I always do when I can't think anymore. I feel like when I get writer's block it's because I've been thinking about what I'm writing for so long that I've lost track of what I'm actually writing about. Outlines help me remember my plan of attack!