5 Tips to Overcome Writer's Block

chillibreeze writer — Gayatri Sriram

You have had those moments. You have a deadline to deliver your 1500-word article in three days. You have been sitting down religiously for hours over the last week, staring at the stark whiteness of your screen. You have tried every known trick in the book. Meditating, taking a long walk and rereading selections from inspiring works until your eyes hurt. Heck, you have even considered some chemical aid to bring on that energy; that burst of creativity to get you going.

People around you have analyzed your predicament and offered their own theories on the causes of the dreaded ‘writer’s block’. You know you don’t want a diagnosis. What you want is for this to end and the words to click-clack off your fingers onto the whiteness in front of you.

If this is you today, read on. Here are 5 things that have helped other writers in such a predicament. It might help you kick that block away today.

1. Get comfortable with the idea of writing and write anything. Just the simple act of writing can trigger new ideas. You could choose to write out the lyrics of a favorite song, jingle or limerick. The material does not matter. The process may help you connect with other happier times when ideas flowed freely.
2. Pick up some old newspapers and doodle some ideas using crayons or markers in big letters. Sometimes moving away from the computer and working at a different scale could do the trick.
3. Look at some pictures that could relate to your topic. Visuals help trigger thoughts that could turn into ideas. Sometimes, the look in the eye of a subject in the picture can be a story in itself.
4. Get in the kitchen and cook something or indulge in any other of your creative pursuits. Do you sing, dance, paint or juggle? Then, go out and give your other talents a good workout. This tip is based on the principle that creativity begets creativity.
5. When all else fails, complain bitterly. Find a sympathetic ear and pour out your woes. It helps if that ear belongs to a writer, someone who has been there before. You could get some more useful tips. If nothing else, you have it out of your system.

Now, get back to your desk and try again. You may find that your word craft has not left you for good. In fact, it might have become a notch better. Some times a break whether forced or not could be the tonic that was needed.

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—About our writer: Gayatri writes for chillibreeze.

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