What is writer’s block?
Webster’s dictionary defines writer’s block as “a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece.”
Writers block is part of the process of writing. Every great writer surely has experience writer’s block at some point of their careers. It could be very frustrating especially as a young writer just starting out. It makes you discouraged, thinking you’re not cut out for writing or you’re not good enough to write. Funny enough, not only writers suffer this creative block; musicians, artists even businessmen do too. It just happens when your creative juices need a refil, when you search for an inspiration to allow you get on with your work but it fails. Then you’re stuck, staring at your computer screen or sheet of paper. I once needed to write an essay for an assignment in my 200level and I ended up playing with fonts for 5 hours.
Overcoming Writer’s block
Steps that have been prescribed in tackling the problem they include:
Changing your environment when writing, you mustn’t confine yourself to the table or desk of your study or a library. Why not take your computer with you to the beach and try writing there while you watch the water. Visit a mall, order some ice cream, take two deep breaths and attempt to write and you may be surprised.
Limit the binge-writing
Before I started writing constantly, I had a friend who would advice me on overcoming writer’s block. Do not go weeks on end without writing and then go on a writing spree. “Write everyday she would say. Even one sentence counts as writing”. Try to break down your work into smaller segments rather than writing it all at once.
Try to free-write
This is a prewriting technique which helps in generarating ideas. Write without rules, forget about your punctuations, spelling ,paragraphs and line spacings, just write out random things that comes to your mind, you never know where that inspiration you’re looking for might emerge from.