It is time to write, my friends. Yup. it is time for me to buckle down and get some writing done. You know what that means, don't you? Yup. Writer's Block. Or maybe it's Fear-of-Writing?
Whatever it is, I don't like it one bit.
.jpg "Photo by Florian Klauer on Unsplash")
Writing is a weird thing. You hear writer's talking about it all the time. Sitting down to write and just nothing happening. No ideas. No sentences. No words. Nothing. Why?
It is not that we don't have anything to say, or that we don't know how to say it. For me, when I am fired up about something, when something strikes me and I have feelings about it, the words and sentences and ideas and inspiration will just come bursting out of me. And I will, without fear, share it with the world, and it will very likely get a somewhat positive response. So I know its possible. But when I set aside time to write, and give myself a task to write, it feels like pushing an enormous boulder up a mountain. Sometimes I keep trying, pushing with all my might and make the tiniest amount of headway, or maybe just move the boulder sideways. Sometimes I give up altogether, and convince myself I could never move a boulder that size. What was I thinking?
If you have read any of my posts, you know that I am a full supporter of tricking my brain into doing what I want. The more I get to understand my brain, the more I know that it deserves to be tricked. I am starting to understand that my brain is miraculous, and startlingly adaptive, and crazy creative. And it also can't be trusted. My brain does things to "protect" me. It believes things that are not true. It flat out blocks out things it doesn't like. And it changes so quickly and so completely, it is hard to keep up. So yes, sometimes, the little part of my brain that I think I can control needs to find ways to trick the rest of my brain into doing the things that will help me create the life I want. Or at least I think I want. For now.
So, how do I trick my brain into writing when I am convinced I have nothing to write about?
Writing Prompts: I have books with different kinds of writing prompts, questions, subjects, journal ideas. I flip through until I find one that appeals to me, or makes me think of something, and I write about it. It might only be a few sentences, or it may end up being a whole article. The brain trick is that no matter what I write or how much, it makes my brain believe I've fixed the problem, and then I can write more.
Rewards: It could be a treat, or a change of scenery, or a nap. I give myself a goal, with a small reward at the end. It could be writing for a certain amount of time, or writing a particular article. once it is done, I give myself, and my tricky little brain, a reward. It is much like training my dog. Sadly, it works on my brain.
Don't Write: If there is something specific I want to work on, and I'm just not in the right frame of mind to write it, I switch gears and work on it in a different way. Do the research, make an outline, get quotes or read something that will inspire my writing. (I never have to convince my brain that I am good at researching and outlining.) Then I will be all set for when the mood strikes and my brain says "I'm ready to write it now!"
Change Location: Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and you can't get back to sleep. Your brain is tackling all kinds of worse case scenarios, making you rethink every decision you've ever made and convincing you of all kinds of impending doom. So, you get up and go out to the couch, lay down and fall asleep immediately? Really, brain, that's all you needed was a relocation? Well, it works with writing, too. Pick up your brain and your laptop, and head outside, or to a different room, or to a library or bookstore or coffeeshop. (Added bonus: coffeeshops have built in rewards available!)
Hand Write: Listen, I am not a person who ever writes by hand. It is too slow, I forget what I want to say before I ever get to writing it down, and my hand gets sore. But, there is a connection between hand writing and the part of the brain that creates the words. And when you can't think of anything to type on the page, taking a pretty notebook, and your favourite pen, and slowly printing or writing a few words can be very therapeutic. It allows you to do things you can't (easily) when you type, like draw and doodle, and create feeling with the stroke and style of your handwriting.
Which of the tricks I choose will depend on the circumstance. I am tired, distracted, unmotivated or deflated? How much do I need to get done, and how quickly? What is my reason for writing on this particular day? Then, I just choose the trick that seems like it will work, and hope for the best! Ultimately, any writing is better than no writing.
Do you have any tricks you use to combat writer's block?