5 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block
No matter what you’re writing, or how often you have to sit down and put pen to paper, there’s no escaping the brain fog known as writer’s block.
It looks different to everyone. Sometimes it’s sitting at your desk, staring at the same blank screen you’ve been looking at for the last 30 minutes. Other times, it’s reorganizing everything from your desk to your sock drawer to avoid having to start a daunting project. Whatever it looks like, can we all agree that it’s incredibly frustrating? Especially with deadlines looming.
As writer’s ourselves, trust us, we’ve been there! Which is why we’re keen to share 5 of our favorite tips to help you get the creative ball rolling.
1) Set Realistic Expectations
Nothing will kill your motivation and momentum faster than the stress of an unrealistic deadline.
It’s important to set yourself up for success when it comes to your writing, which means allowing yourself a reasonable amount of time to plan, write, and edit your project.
Look back on similar tasks that you’ve completed in the past and how long it took to accomplish them. Knowing how much time you can realistically expect to spend on a project means that you’ll be able to block out time on your schedule appropriately.
And yes, it is important that you’re scheduling time to actually sit down and write!
Make sure that you also factor that inevitable procrastination time into your planning too – that way, you’ll have ample time to get things done, even if you get sidetracked a bit during the process.
2) Schedule Writing During Times You Enjoy
Everyone has a unique time of day that they feel more focussed and productive… and finding when that time is for you is crucial to getting things done!
For example, some people find that they’re most centered and creative in the morning when they first get up. Others need time for the juices (and that first cup of coffee) to kick in before they sit down and accomplish anything.
Block out writing time in your schedule based on when you typically feel your best during your day. It could be the morning, afternoon, evening, after your gym session, before your social engagements… whenever it is that you happen to feel the most focussed.
Trust us, there’s no point in just sitting there if you’re not in the right headspace. You’ll only end up feeling frustrated over your lost time and losing hours that could have been better allocated elsewhere.
3) Get Someone Else to Set Your Due Dates
When it comes to setting deadlines, we can often be our own worst enemy.
How easy is it to simply decide that you’re not going to do it today? Or that you’re too busy, or that you’ll get to it tomorrow instead?
The bottom line is this: it’s very easy to renegotiate a deadline that’s been set for you, by you.
If you’re prone to procrastinating or moving deadlines, give that control to someone else. Ask one of your colleagues, or even one of your most type-A friends, to set a firm due date for you.
By doing this, you create external accountability which can help deter you from putting things off or renegotiating your deadlines. Your excuses might fly when you don’t have anyone else but yourself to own up to… but will they stand up to your friend? Your coworkers? Your boss? Very unlikely.
4) Experiment with Writing Like You Talk
Writers are notorious for being so self-critical and perfectionistic about their work that they often get in their own way. We know it’s not on purpose! Instead, it tends to come from an internal pressure for every word to be perfect, the stress of which can grind the writing process to a complete standstill.
If you’re one of those people, try concentrating on just getting words onto the paper.
And it might surprise you to find out that our favorite way to do this doesn’t have anything to do with putting your fingers on the keys!
Change cognitive gears by turning on the ‘dictate’ function of your writing program and just speaking to your device. It’ll take the notes for you, help you to comprehend the ideas floating around inside your head, and will help you do what is often the hardest part of the process for many writers: getting started.
5) Create Motivation by Listing Your Accomplishments
Writer’s block doesn’t happen because you’re not capable or passionate about your project. Instead, it’s often the result of not feeling motivated or losing motivation because of how overwhelming it seems.
This is where having a ‘done list’ can really help!
Being able to visually see all the work you’ve been able to complete, whether it be that same day or in the days and weeks leading up to it, can give you the mental boost you need to feel secure in your abilities. It can also put your upcoming work into perspective, helping you to feel less overwhelmed and more confident about your workload.
The program Trello, for example, is a great resource for ‘to do’ lists, ‘doing’ lists, and our personal favourite: the ‘done’ lists.
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Writer’s block still got you down? At Descriptive, we can help take that stress off your plate by creating custom content that seamlessly fits your vision.
Contact us today for any questions that you may have or schedule in with us at your earliest convenience for a complimentary 30-minute brainstorming session!