Treatments for Writer's Block

Short and simple- how do you work through writer's block?

 

listen to music helps me.

 

For me writers block is usually stress or focus related (and sometimes you can't focus cause of the stress). So I gotta get rid of the stress and the chaos. I tend to put game music in that case. Game music is specifically designed to hold your attention so you keep playing more and longer, so it's a good way to get into focus quickly and drown out all other things.

 

I tend to be one of those people who feels bad if I do one thing before another task that is more "important". But then I might be stuck on the larger/priority task... which leads to nothing getting done at all. It's not a bad thing to take a break from a task, work on other things, and return to it in a timely manner, hopefully with fresh eyes.

Another issue is if I feel like I'm not doing something justice-- it's easy to get an idea of what an 'ideal' is, and drag your feet if you can't read that. A few months ago I joined an art community though, where this video was posted... it's helped a ton in forcing me and convincing me to just forge ahead. The motto should be "Finished, not perfect".

 

I have a cup of tea and crank out some one liners. Most of the battle is getting my butt on the seat.

 

People work through their writer's block? >__> Usually, I just sit there, suffer and drown in it.

 

I just keep on writing. Even if it's a sentence here or a sentence there. I shift subjects. Find a different character. Write some poetry. Or, when absolutely suffering, break out my watercolors and just paint.

 

Something I've done is a concept I learned back in high school called "Morning pages". The idea is to just write, and write, and write. For ten minutes. DOn't stop writing. Even if you are just writing the same word over and over, or just writing what you are thinking. Just write for ten minutes. The idea is to get all the "fluff" from your head and clear out your thoughts. It doesn't always work, but sometimes it will help me focus after because I've gotten all the distractions out.

Other times though I just need to take a break and go for a walk. Clearing your head can be as simple and going outside and walking for half an hour. Get some fresh air, stretch out your muscles and when you get back you'll feel refreshed and ready to go!

 

I pick up a fancy, beloved pen and hand write. The movement helps get me out of my head. Computers and Scrivener tend to be too much.

Once the pen is in your hand you have to remind yourself that it doesn't always have to be good or right. It can be fixed later. It doesn't even have to be used, you just have to write.

I'll often start in the center of a scene or with dialogue. I get hung up at the beginning. The who the what the where. So I just start with the action. Then I go from there and fill in the blanks later.

 

100% agree. Writing by hand really helps me think of ideas better. I can type really fast, but often I'll doodle or scribble down ideas and stuff and it just comes so much more easly.

I also try making mindmaps and whatnot.

Eventually, if I can't decide what to write, I consider whether my character would be able to decide what to do, and work that into the situation.

 

The best solution I have found is: Don't try to get through a block, go around it. Starting or planning a new story, even if it never gets beyond concept, gets your brain working properly again. Half the time you'll turn around to find that you have a ton of new ideas for an old story because you managed to push it into the back of your mind long enough to stop overanalyzing things or just to make connections you hadn't planned before.

 

I have a playlist for each of my characters. Whenever I want to write for them I play it and try to tune everything else out.

 

Music can be a huge muse-booster, like impulsive said, but so can taking a step back from my own head and just talking things out with a friend over DMs. Putting what the character(s) are doing into verbal explanations and trying to describe where I want them to go/end up can often shake loose ideas that translate to being able to write fresh content for them. And having a good friend/soundboard who asks good questions that make me think more deeply about the characters' motivations and desires, or the setting or scene is really helpful!

 

Definitely music as many have said, but I find also a really good series/show or even book? I find when I'm watching (or listening, since I'm more about audible), I'll get really inspired to start writing if I'm invested in the story or even just how it's being written. A really good turn of phrase can instantly boost my muse.

 

Music is the number one. If that doesn't work, I usually just reach out to my partners for some plotting or musings over our characters.