Easy Peas Recipes

It has been a few weeks since I last blogged. I admit feeling pretty guilty about it, but I honestly haven’t been able to think of much to write. Work has been busy, I’ve been sometimes sick and mostly uninspired. Life has just taken a lot of energy lately; I’ve suffered from writer’s block.

Writer’s block is pretty normal. When I think of writer’s block, I usually think of someone who is sitting in the second story of a Victorian house, at a wooden, roll-top desk, writing a nine hundred page novel. This person has been writing for over a year and a half, and suddenly, they are at a stand still. Each attempt to push through fails. This poor, tortured creature stays up until the early dawn with heavy eyelids and a heavier heart as a mound of crumpled papers grows around a wire mesh trashcan in the corner of the room.

Actually, you don’t have to be a prolific writer of epic poems to experience writer’s block; writers of all genres, including bloggers, have occasional problems coming up with material to write about. There is an art to writing a blog, and I’m not confident that I’ve mastered it yet. However, I do know from experience that there are steps one can take to recover from “blank blogger brain.”

Consider that novelist with writer’s block. For weeks, nothing comes to their mind until suddenly, the flood gates open and once again, their story continues, virtually overflowing onto the pages. What happens to take somone from a brain blank to a brain spill? What is it that gets the creative process moving again? Many of us who struggle with creative blocks simply wait for the desire to write returns, however long that may be. But, is being passive the best way to reignite your passion to write? Let’s take a look at some active and engaging ways to smash the writer’s block.

Just Keep Writing

This is a classic technique to keep your mind engaged and your pen moving. Don’t worry about what to write, just write! Skills like planning and problem solving are developed in the frontal lobe of your brain. That’s also where your motor skills are housed. So, it makes sense that the physical act of writing words down assists you when you’re working through a writer’s block.

Even when you’re irritated and angry, write about it. When you’re frustrated and sad, let it out on the paper. Even silly, impromptu thoughts can turn into gems in the right situation. Writing is therapeutic and can lead you down paths you wouldn’t expect. Where you end up could be the genesis of new ideas. Just keep writing and watch your ideas bloom.

Don’t Throw It Out

A professor in college once told me to never throw out anything I wrote. I begged to differ, especially if I thought that what I wrote was trash. But, she said, even small snippets or phrases can be inspirational jewels for future material. Keep your half-written pages, metaphors, and poems even if they’re scrawled on torn scrap paper. 

Your words have power. Your words have worth, to someone, if not to you. It’s quite possible that the bits and bobs that you feel are meaningless scribbles now are really future strokes of genius. So, don’t throw it out; keep everything that you write.

Talk it Out

Some of my best ideas come to me when I don’t have a pen in my hand or a computer in front of me. In fact, these ideas bounce around in my head and will get lost in the file cabinets of my brain if I don’t write them down. So, when I can’t write, I talk… to myself.

Before you decide that I’m crazy, let me explain. In the temporal lobe of your brain, functions of hearing and memory intertwine. So, hearing your voice is a good way to remember something when you’re not able to write it down right away. Talking through an idea may also reveal flaws that you might not catch otherwise. When I write, I am careful with spelling, grammar, and context so that my writing makes sense to the reader. Sometimes, that dry process takes the spice out of the narrative. Speaking your thoughts out loud, spontaneously, is a good way to turn imagination into virtual reality – until you can get it onto paper. Just to be safe, you can talk away into a recorder so you don’t lose those valuable thoughts later.

Ask for Advice

All of us need help. It’s not unusual for even professional writers to ask advice of other writers. Many writers attend writing workshops and camps. Hashing out ideas with others is a great way to get excited to write again. Even though I don’t like to ask for help, reaching out to others for their opinions and writing tips is a load off my shoulders when I’m out of ideas. It is not a sign of weakness to need assistance. Other people’s feedback and ideas add to our creative pool and help us to become more diverse and imaginative writers.

Along with asking for advice is asking for someone to proofread your material. In my head, something that I write makes perfect sense. At the same time, if someone else reads it, it could be confusing. So, having a trusted friend look over your work and suggest edits is oftentimes necessary. Another thing to consider is your audience. Are you writing for you or for others? It is important to understand your audience and how you can connect with them through your writing. This takes practice. Feedback from others about your writing will also help you greatly so you can get out of your own head and see your writing from a different viewpoint. Then, you can judge the impact of your words and revise them as needed.

Read Others’ Work

Sometimes, when I read the work of others, I feel incompetent. There are so many brilliant writers. But, there is no need to judge yourself. “You are your own worst critic.”

We are all on different paths in our writing journeys, and some have been faithfully treading the paths longer than others. Don’t be intimidated by a master writer. Those veterans of the pen can teach us a lot through their handiwork. Read good stories by great writers as often as you can. Hopefully, their expertise will inspire you to continue writing yourself.

How Did I Do?

It looks like I’ve broken through my writer’s block for now! Hey, these active techniques honestly work. The process can take time, though, and that is probably the most frustrating part. But, keep chipping away at that block – don’t give up – and your writing adventures will reward you and your readers tenfold.