5 Creative Ways to CRUSH Writers Block!
Are you constantly falling into the trap of feeling COMPLETELY uninspired to work on your novels? You feel like every time you open your manuscript, no matter how inspired you felt beforehand, your brain goes blank and all words cease to exist? This happens to every writer and it can lead you to think, what if I can never write again? What if my writing days are over? Well, I have some tips for you to help you get words flooding on the page again. Because you CAN write and you WlLL write again!
First thing to remember is that it is completely normal to have writing ruts and to feel completely drained of creativity, whether you haven’t written in months or you just wrote five thousand words the day prior. I believe that writers block has a few different sources and I’ll list them below, then give some examples on how you can CRUSH YOUR WRITERS BLOCK and get back to business with your amazing story!
Different Kinds of Writers Block…
PERFECTIONISM!!! I put so many exclamation points on that one because this is a super common, if not one of the most common reasons, writers block. This may not be the case for everybody, but it is so easy to approach your writing through an overly critical lens, whether we realize or not… we can be extremely harsh towards ourselves and our stories — which is not a good booster for our creativity and will actually drain you of it completely.
BURNOUT. Another reason why you may be experiencing writers block is simply because you’re burnt out. Maybe life is busy, you’ve been pushing a writing goal too hard, and you’re in much need of a break. You also may be so focused on checking off boxes and goals that you lost that spark that brought your story to life in the first place.
LACK OF IDEAS. Maybe you have a manuscript that you were working on, but now you’re STUCK and don’t know how to continue, and the pressure of that looming blank page ahead scares you. Or maybe you just really don’t have the inspiration to come up with another story idea in general. A lack of ideas can get us wondering if we are capable of even writing another story, but trust me, if you really desire to write — you’re not done writing stories!
ENDLESS IDEAS, ZERO WORDS. This can be extremely frustrating, feeling like the message of a scene is ready to pour out onto the page and it’s on your mind all day, you can’t wait for that free time where you can sit down to write, then you FINALLY open your document and— nothing. Your brain is blank. You don’t know how to get into the scene or get yourself invested in writing it. What are words? This can tie together with the other sources mentioned, you may be too burnt out to have a clear mind to think of the right words, or perfectionism might be keeping you from getting to work on that scene because you’re afraid it might not turn out the way you want.
LACK OF EXCITEMENT. Maybe you’ve simply lost that joy you found in writing. You forget why you pursued it in the first place and it doesn’t seem as exciting as it used to be. But, DON’T WORRY, though that sounds hopeless… it’s not a permanent feeling.
Those are some different ways writers block can hit you full force, and to be honest, I think the hidden root behind a lot of those can be fear. Fear that your writing isn’t going to be good enough, it’s not going to reach your expectations, you’re not capable of writing well. Or simply, fear that you won’t be able to find that same spark you had for writing ever again.
But, that is SO far from the truth! There is a reason you write beyond crafting the perfect story, because stories are so much more than that. At times writers block is an every day battle, being afraid to sit down and write because you’re afraid it won’t come out the way you want it to, leading you to believe that it will never be the story you are dreaming it to be. But, what if there were FUN ways to combat these creative blocks? Ways to not only take down your perfectionism, or fear, or lack of excitement, but do it while still growing in your writing AND enjoying it in the process? Time to FINALLY get into my 5 creative ways to crush writers block. Let’s go.
Character Journal. This has been one of the most helpful ways for me to get back into writing one of my novels. It puts me right into my characters mind and gives me insight into what they are really feeling on their journey. When I use this method, I pick a certain scenario that the character could be going through (normally one that is in my current manuscript) and write their feelings on it, but you can also just do a spontaneous journal entry if you want and see what comes out! It feels like a personal document of your characters mind, those things THEY would spill out on a page and can get you invested in how they see the events they go through, which is the most crucial part of your novel that you can take with you return to it. What is your character feeling and experiencing in this scene? How are they reacting? Where do they end up due to the events that take place? If you bring it back to that, it can invest you in your story again and help remove your creative block. I also find it helpful to write in 1st person, so if you don’t already write this point of view, experimenting with that could be a good way to feel creative again! This also gets you seeing through the eyes of your character.
Pinterest Boards / Playlists. This is one of my go-to’s when I’m first starting out a story! But it can be super helpful when trying to get inspired for it again or to get out of a writers block. Sometimes, being away from your actual manuscript but STILL exploring your story and getting yourself connected to the world can be so inspiring and motivating. Making Pinterest boards with the aesthetic of your novel + characters and playlists that do the same have really affected my inspiration! Usually seeing it visually and hearing my story’s style through music leaves me so excited to open my document again and get writing.
Take A Walk. Experience the Real World. You might hear this a lot… but IT’S TRUE! Being outside is so refreshing and is a great way to unplug and get your creativity flowing. Even if its a short ten minute walk, it can be so beneficial to clear your head and even take away all the pressure you put on yourself to get back to writing again. Sometimes our biggest reason for being blocked from our writing is the pressure we put on ourselves to write!
Read Your Story Aloud. And Act It Out. Okay I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve done this. But it works. I admit that I’ve even gone as far as reading some of my first draft in my characters western accent because I wanted to feel like my character and see if my writing was as bad as I thought it was. Turns out, I felt less horrible about what I had written and it made me excited for the story. That probably sounds silly, and maybe it is, but it’s a great way to feel like your character and experience your work in progress in a different way besides trying to crank out more words!
Talk To A Writer Friend. (And if you don’t have one of those… I’LL BE YOUR WRITER FRIEND!!) Tell them all your ideas, concerns, story dreams. Ramble about your favorite characters and plots, there is nothing more motivating and encouraging than talking to somebody who GETS what you do, because they are embarking on their own journey in the same craft.
Those are all my five ways to creatively crush your writers block! I hope you find some of these helpful and motivating to get back into writing. Also, remember why you write your story. It’s not about perfection, it’s about the path your character goes on and ultimately what message you want to share with your readers. If that message means something to you and is something you want to share, then keep pursuing your novel and don’t give up on it. REMEMBER why you write it and let that fuel your next writing session, because only you can tell this story through your eyes.
If you’re interested in a video form of this and want to hear me break down these steps a bit more, check out my YouTube video on this same topic!
Thanks so much for reading, it means the world to me!
— Hannah