The Most Effective Writer's Block Hacks
1. Find Your Writing Ritual
In an interview with the Paris Review, Toni Morrison, American novelist, essayist, editor, and professor, said:
“Writers all devise ways to approach that place where they expect to make the contact, where they become the conduit, or where they engage in this mysterious process.”
These ways in which we approach writing are what is called a ‘writing ritual.’ It consists of all the things you do before you sit down to write. It is how you mentally prepare yourself for the task ahead.
In thinking about her writing ritual, Toni Morrison says, “I always get up and make a cup of coffee while it is still dark—it must be dark—and then I drink the coffee and watch the light come…For me, light is the signal in the transition. It’s not being in the light, it’s being there before it arrives. It enables me, in some sense.”
The key is to find where you will be at your best, creatively. When does your imagination run most freely? How can you release it? What sort of atmosphere does it require?
My (Olivia’s) writing ritual is quite simple: clean, caffeinate, classical music. Before I sit down to write, I need to make sure that my apartment is clean and organized. For me, a cluttered apartment equals a cluttered mind. However, to ensure that I do not enter the realm of procrastination, I limit myself to half an hour of tidying up. I target what bothers me most: i.e. the pile of dishes in the sink, the unmade bed, and the dirty clothes on the floor. Once that is finished, the second step of my ritual is to caffeinate. I pop a Starbucks Medium Roast K-Cup in the Keurig, and three minutes later I have my energy. The last step of my ritual is to queue up some classical music. For convenience’s sake, I just use Spotify’s “Classical Music for Reading & Studying” radio station. Then, with my apartment clean, my coffee made, and classical music playing, I can begin the writing process with a clear mind.
So, what will your writing ritual be? Maybe you take a refreshing shower. Maybe make some coffee or tea or have a small snack. Will there be music, or silence? A scented candle? Is the A/C running nice and chilly? Maybe you prefer to sit outside on the patio or by the pool? Or perhaps you get your blood pumping with a quick walk or jog. Whatever it is, make it happen.
In finding your writing ritual, you are using your imagination to unleash your imagination. See? By picturing your ideal, physical writing atmosphere, you are working towards unblocking the mental writer’s block. You're engaging your creative side without even knowing it.
2. Prevent Procrastination
Like I said on the Writer's Block page, a huge part in overcoming writer's block is time management. The stress of procrastination can be a huge burden on the writing process, but luckily it is preventable. It just takes some effort.
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I know that college curricula is very demanding. Sometimes your professor thinks that they are the only one in existence, and they pile on the assignments. Or your four classes all administer a midterm on the same day. Maybe you have a shift scheduled the day before a big paper is due, and you lose time to work on it.
I also know, however, that professors provide syllabi with the complete schedule of such assignments, due dates, and exam dates. And I am sure that those of you with jobs and/or volunteering gigs have access to those schedules as well. I hate to be blunt, but this means that you have zero excuse not to plan ahead and prevent procrastination.
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A great way to manage time is by starting with marking up a calendar, either digital or paper. By seeing the spread of all of your activities, assignments, exams, etc., you can begin to plan the time frame around which you will complete them. Setting reminders on your cell phone or laptop can be very helpful as well, because sometimes it is easy to forget. Regularly referring to your calendar and schedules encourages you to start making a dent in your to-do list. It is very gratifying to be able to check off each task that you complete, and especially when you finish with time to spare!
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If you're like me, you may say, "Pressure makes diamonds!" Maybe you work best under the pressure of procrastination, as I sometimes actually do. But, I have come to find that even better writing comes as a result of proper preparation and stress-free writing environments.
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Occasionally, school or work (or both) throws a fast ball at you and you have no choice but to wait until the last minute to write an assignment. Try to limit your allotted procrastination time to these special situations, only. Writer's block shouldn't be attributed to a time-crunch.
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3. Write (Freely)
Write?!?! I bet I shocked you with this one.
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But yes, it is true. This is the best way to conquer the block.
It's called freewriting. Writing freely. Liberating your words. You get the point.
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Grab a piece of paper and a pen or open up the word processor on your laptop and have at it. Write about the first thing you see to your left. Write about the first thought that comes to mind. Write from the point of view of your dog. Repeat the same curse word over and over and over. It can be anything. Write for the sake of writing. Nobody is going to see it, you don't need to worry about producing something important. This is just an exercise to get you going.
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If you want to write about the topic of your writing assignment instead, then do it. Create a bulleted list of brainstormed ideas. Write your introductory and topic sentences. They don't have to be perfect or even good. Every first draft is cruddy, remember that! The goal here is just coming up with something to work with.
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This little gem of an exercise is guaranteed to get you over the hump. I must advise, though, that it will only work if you have true writer's block. It will not work if you are completely empty of ideas and seeking inspiration.
4. Stay Positive
Mindset is important. When you stay positive and approach writing with confidence, it will feel like less of a chore, and you'll enjoy it more.