What Is Writer’s Block? How To Get Rid Of It?

Writer’s block is a condition when a person is unable to think of anything to write about or proceed with writing. 

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What is Writer’s Block?

Have you found yourself in a spiralling dilemma of being unable to write a coherent sentence? Your mind doesn’t support you when it comes to writing something. You just sit there staring at the blank page, but nothing comes to the surface. If you have faced such situations, you are dealing with writer’s block. Something that every writer faces at least once in their lifetime.

Writer’s Block Definition

According to Cambridge Dictionary, “writer’s block is the condition of being unable to create a piece of written work because something in your mind prevents you from doing it.”

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What Causes Writer’s Block?

There might be a lot of reasons why your mind has blocked all the thought-processing at once. You might be stuck at your work, or your situation is not so pleasant to let you think of something creative, or it could be something else. Here, sharing with you some of the causes that might be the reason behind your block in the writing process. 

1) You Are Dealing With Conflicting Idea(s)

Perhaps you have no clue what you will be writing about or what your next move will be. Your mind is stewing in a lot of “I don’t know’s”, trying to figure out what to do next. Moreover, you are dealing with a crippling sense that you might never have a good idea as long as you live.

Whether you believe it or not, indecision is fear in disguise. Or another cause & reason could be you have tons of ideas all at once. With many ideas swirling in your mind, you are agitated about where to begin or how to start them. 

2) You Are Dealing With Fear

Most writers (beginners or advanced) struggle with fear. A crippling fear of putting their ideas & themselves in front of the world. And then face the fear of others judging or criticising (ruthlessly) their work.

We must know that fear is completely normal. It makes you a human altogether. However, it becomes a problem when your fear stops you from creating something new. 

3) You Are Looking After Perfectionism

Perfectionism is one of the most common & sometimes worst blocks for writers and creatives. Though it is completely normal to want to do your best, to get everything right before starting your first sentence. 

There are a lot of people who use perfectionism as their protection mechanism. It protects them from harsh criticism or failures. Sadly, trying to write a perfect piece will lead most writers to never write a single word, let alone complete a sentence.

4) You Follow Harsh Self-Criticism

Criticising your work is a good thing. It lets you understand where you are making mistakes and where to make things better. However, excessive criticism is a killjoy. Moreover, criticising yourself excessively is what sometimes holds you back from writing what’s in your head. 

A lot of writers compare their work with others, which is normal. It gives them an insight into different writing techniques. But comparing your popularity with your lack of makes every effort unnecessary. So stop with harsh self-criticism.

5) You Are Dealing With External Pressure

In a lot of cases, writer’s block comes into the head when others are pressuring you to write. In such situations, people experience a massive block. Furthermore, they are helpless to cope with writer’s block since others are pressuring them to write something eventually. 

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How To Get Rid Of Writer’s Block?

It does not matter whether you are writing an essay, dissertation, research paper, thesis, book, article or anything in between; writing can be difficult. A secret to getting rid of or overcoming writer’s block is to sit down at your computer or open a book & take a pen/pencil and write. 

Because if you are looking for inspiration, you will start your writing journey. Good news for you, there are varied methods available to help people get rid of writer’s block:

1) Utilise The Perfect Pomodoro Technique

Pomodoro Technique is an effective method of time management for students, professionals and procrastinators. The work in focus here is at 25-minute intervals.

Invented in the late 1980s by a student named Francesco Cirillo. He was struggling to focus on his studies and complete his assignments on time. Feeling overwhelmed with the pressure, he asked himself to commit at least 10 minutes of focused study time. Encouraged with the process he found a tomato-shaped kitchen timer, and that’s how Pomodoro Technique came into existence.

2) Plan A Suitable Time And To It As A Habit

To overcome writer’s block, it is pivotal for you to set a suitable time of the day and commit to writing at least one page. Including this little ritual in your daily schedule will work as a step ahead in getting rid of the block. 

You can put the schedule on the calendar and commit to that time daily. During this period, you don’t necessarily have to come up with ideas or inspirations just follow the schedule. 

3) Try With A Writing Prompt

Remember the time in school when your teachers assigned you a particular topic that you have to write in 20-30 minutes? This works the same way. Instead of teachers, give yourself a writing prompt. It could be any topic which relates to anything. Try to complete the prompt within 30 minutes. Follow the method daily. It will eventually relieve you from dealing with writer’s block.

4) It Is Completely Acceptable If Your Writing Has Flaw

No one is perfect, and ironically we all know that. But when it comes to judging your own self, there is no leniency. To overcome ruthless self-criticism, start writing.

When you try to write a draft, do not distress by wrong spellings or grammatical errors. They can be fixed later on. All you need to worry about is starting writing. At least one page a day!

5) Make Sure To Start Reading

Reading helps a lot when it comes to getting an idea or inspiration to write. If reading a long book is not your cup of tea then try reading poetry for at least 10 minutes a day. Nevertheless, the process will do wonders in overcoming writer’s block.

Final Thoughts

Honestly, overcoming writer’s block is a tender process, which is highly subjective and depends on individual tactics. Eventually, the only thing that can rid you of writer’s block is writing. Also, try the tips & tricks mentioned above in your daily life. It will help get the creative juices flowing again in no time. 

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