Are you stuck?

Everyone who writes on a regular basis is familiar with a little situation called “writer’s block”. It is a phase where the writers are unable to find inspiration for a new article or even have a hard time keep the old one going. There is a creative lull for a period of time and there are absolutely no new ideas. This time is very frustrating for a writer because the wanders but no inspiration can be found anywhere.

Writer’s block is not necessarily caused due to lack of writing skills or lack of commitment. There are very many reasons like stress or burnout , maybe some health issues or family issues, there could be numerous other reasons. For novelists, this situation arises when they lose touch with their story or the characters in it. If there are too many distractions around it is natural for a writer to lose his writing spree and give into those distractions. One of the more complicated reasons could be that the writer is afraid to fail. Fear of failure can lead to overthinking which finally derails the writer from their main goal. Another could be the pressure of being a perfectionist and not being satisfied with your own ideas. In all of these situations the writers could still be motivated but there would be zero creativity.

If, as a writer, you are facing a writer’s block, here are some ideas that would help you get your creative juices flowing.
1. CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT: If you are cooped up in one corner of your office all day everyday trying to think, your brain will definitely go into a dead end. It is very important that you change your surroundings every once in a while. New place, new ideas and as a bonus it would be very refreshing for your brain.
2. TAKE A NAP: Sleep is the ultimate solution to majority of our problems. Lack of rest can cause unwanted stress and could ultimately lead to burnout. Even for a writer it is necessary to take 7-8 hours of sleep to reduce stress and improve the mood. Not only that it also keeps you mentally healthy and you perform better.
3. WRITE ANYTHING: An accomplished writer can make sense out of randomly written sentences too. So, if you are facing your share of writer’s block just write anything that comes to your mind. Start with writing random words and soon the words with start making sense and connecting together and voila you have your new idea.
4. DO SOMETHING RECREATIONAL: Sometimes to remove a block you need to get away from the thing all together. Take some time off and do something else than writing. Take out some paint and start painting random pictures, go for a walk, go for a hike, just divert your mind and when you are done you’ll have a whole new perspective on things. Your brain will work faster and you will come out of your block in no time.
5. TALK IT OUT: Communication is the best way to let things out. Call an old friend or talk to your family. Maybe the conversation will strike up some new ideas or will help you get that load off your mind and heart.
6. DON’T PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON YOURSELF: Everyone wants to succeed but putting too much pressure on yourself won’t get you anywhere. Keep your perfectionist side aside and just let the ideas flow.

Just like rejection or failure is a part of your success, writer’s block is also just a phase and not something that will stick with you permanently. Don’t stop writing completely because your are facing a block. Keep going. You never know when the inspiration will knock on your door again. Be patient, remember your ideas are there somewhere in your mind just try some of the techniques mentioned above and the block will disappear in no time and the ideas will start flowing once again.