I simply cannot tell you how many times I have sat down at my desk and stared at a million crumpled papers, each having only a few jotted words scribbled all over it. Of course, those piles are full of failures during my bouts of writers' block. Actually, if any of you have noticed, I have not written for the Times for a while, and I have recently emerged from such a bout and I am ready to tell you all about it!
Now, this article is not just to tell you why I've been gone all this time or my experience with writers' block. You see, I have seen so many talented writers crash and burn because of this terrible creative illness, and I would like to share with you how I personally got out of this block and how you - yes, you, my friend! - can escape the grasp of such a grotesque thing. Over the months I have come up with many remedies and I will happily hand them down to my fellow writers.
Writing Random Stories
I'm pretty sure that, if you have been a writer for any amount of time, you have heard of this cure. While I had writers' block I thought it was nonsense, but as I tried it I found it out to be true! Writing will most definitely help you crawl out of your shell of dullness and stir your imagination. Even the stupidest story is sure to help you out. I mean, look at one of mine!
"Once upon a time, there was a muffin man who met a magical unicorn. He talked with the unicorn for a while and then jumped on, flying into the air and meeting many flying llamas on their way to a strange and mysterious cave. That cave contained many jewels, but a great dragon was guarding the treasure and roared at them with feverish eyes glaring. Oh, so scary!!"
Um . . . yeah. You get the idea. Your random stories may turn out to be rather odd, like mine; that's a huge forewarning, so don't be worried if your story ends up strange. That jumble of words alone, however, aided me in thinking about an ending and then how I could possibly improve. When you come up with stories your writing instinct will instantly kick in and you will be inspired to write even more!
Some Fresh Air
Another thing that might help you is if you take a walk or go hiking or something. Believe it or not, nature is a real stress reliever as well as a thought stimulator. Study the intricate designs of leaves, or watch bees buzz around, or perhaps even just lay out in the sun. You can do absolutely nothing in the outdoors and yet complete a lot to rid yourself of writers' block. Just the mere whiff of fresh air will clear your mind of worries and let in room for lots and lots of ideas as well as the ability to translate those ideas onto paper.
Creative Impact
Oftentimes listening or looking at other creative things will get your mind going and help you form your sentences. I highly suggest listening to uplifting music (such as Owl City!) while you're trying to write. Also, watching someone draw/drawing yourself/looking at a painting or something may loosen the lock writers' block has on you. Colors and other vibrant things (depending on the person) will most definitely help.
Positive Thinking
It has often been said that one of the number one causes for writers' block is negative thoughts and putting down your own writing abilities. You're only as good as you convince yourself to be, so you must convince yourself that you're good! Don't be afraid of criticism of your work or any of that. If you really love to write, you honestly wouldn't care. You'd continue no matter what; it just takes a little encouragement, that's all.
I followed every one of those points, and I was magically freed of this writers' block bondage. I hope that this will help you, too, and in the end you'll become a better writer. Best of luck!
- Mylo9810
