Writer’s block is a serious issue that affects authors and academics of every discipline. Whether you’re writing a thesis, an essay, or a novel, feeling stuck can hinder your progress and kill your motivation. Luckily, many other famous and successful writers have dealt with this issue and have tips on how to conquer it. If you’re currently dealing with a bout of writer’s block, let these words of wisdom help you overcome it and get going again.
Get Over Blank Page Syndrome
“Unfortunately, many people suffer from BPS—Blank Page Syndrome. Let’s face it: starting to write is scary. Seeing the cursor blinking at you on that bright white screen, realizing that you now have to come up with three or ten or twenty pages of text all on your own—it’s enough to give anyone a major case of writer’s block!”—Stefanie Weisman
As author Stefanie Weisman puts it, Blank Page Syndrome is real and can be debilitating if you don’t recognize it and work to overcome it. When you know that you have a certain page or word count to hit, being faced with a blank screen can be one of the worst things in the world. One way to get over BPS is to try writing in a range of forms. For example, if you find yourself sidetracked by all the distractions a computer has to offer, or if the blinking cursor on the blank screen is giving you anxiety, going the old fashion route with a pen and paper can help you get back in the groove. You can also try speaking your writing out loud and recording your ideas in audio that can later be transcribed into text.
Write Through the Block
“Writing about writer’s block is better than not writing at all.”—Charles Bukowski
If you’re stuck on a writing project, whether you’re just trying to get started or are somewhere in the middle, writing something is always better than writing nothing. As Bukowski put it, the best way to jumpstart your ideas is to write through the block. This could mean writing about how difficult it is to write, writing about your cat, or writing about basically any other topic—it doesn’t necessarily have to be related to your project. Just the act of writing itself can help you overcome the block.
Break it Down
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”—Mark Twain
Mark Twain was a man of organization and discipline. His suggestion for how to overcome writer’s block involves breaking down a larger task into smaller, more manageable tasks. This is a good strategy for a wide variety of large projects, but especially for writing. Any writing task, whether it’s a thesis, an essay, or a book, can be broken down into multiple steps. For example, you might think of things like research, drafting, writing the introduction, or writing each paragraph or chapter as separate steps. Then write down all of the steps in an order that makes sense and work on each step one at a time to help you feel less overwhelmed.
Persistence is Key
“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.”—Octavia Butler
Nobody understood writer’s block better that Octavia Butler. Her words of advice involve persistence when writing, even if you feel certain that what you’re writing isn’t good. You should never be afraid to write poorly, because sometimes getting out all the bad writing is the only way to get to the good stuff. No matter how bad you think your writing is, keep at it and eventually it will get better. Persistence and determination are some of the best cures for writer’s block.
Stick to a Schedule
“I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.”—William Faulkner
Writing is not all about the creativity and fun of the craft. It’s also about putting in the work and having the self-discipline to write every day. If you find yourself lacking motivation or struggling with writer’s block, sometimes treating writing like a job, complete with a set schedule, can help you be more productive and overcome writer’s block. Consistency and discipline of the kind alluded to by Faulkner is sometimes necessary for progressing on a large project.
Writer’s block can be a writer’s worst enemy, but it doesn’t have to be as daunting as it’s made out to be. If you’re struggling with what to write or being confronted with the blank page, looking to professional writers for advice can be helpful.