Not in the mood to write? Here's How to Get Going...

Ah, writer’s block. It is indeed a thing - and it’s a very annoying thing.

For me, writer’s block strikes on the days I feel most productive. I bounce out of bed, ready and raring to get stuck into a day’s scribing…and you can bet your bottom dollar that’s the day I’m reaching for my thesaurus and feeling nothing short of bl**dy disheartened.

Writer’s block comes to us all - and you don’t need to be a writer to suffer from it. Whether you’re wracking your brains over an email to send to your boss or you’re revising your CV ahead of applying for a new role, you’ll face a day when the words just ain’t a-coming. If it rears its ugly head for you too, here’s what to try…

Have a Break

Go on, have a break…and have a KitKat while you’re at it. If you can’t find the words you need, don’t force ‘em. You’ll only wind up feeling frustrated if you do.

So, switch off your laptop, make yourself a cuppa, go for a wander or have a chat to a pal - if you can. Admittedly, this may only work if you’re self-employed, or if it’s the weekend. Go walkabout from your office role for too long and you may have a very bemused boss on your hands.

If you can though, give yourself however long you need to take some time out and I promise you’ll feel much better afterwards. You may still not find the words, but at least you won’t be tearing your hair out while you stare at a blank Word document.

Just Get Something Down. Anything.

Trying to write something truly creative? Plenty of writers will tell you to just get something down on the page - even if you think it’s a pile of tosh. I’ll be honest…this doesn’t work for me. In fact, it only makes me feel worse when I see that what I’ve written is, well, pretty dire.

It’s a trick that’s tried and trusted by many a copywriter, though - and it may just do the job for you too.

Try an old-fashioned brainstorm (or mind map, as is the more PC phrase these days) and come up with some themes and subjects that will give you some much-needed inspiration to keep the words a-flowing.

Ask a Pal

It isn’t cheating to ask someone else for a dash of inspiration; some of the world’s greatest writers are believed to have taken their cues from wordsmiths of years gone by.

So, ask someone - writer or otherwise - if they have any bright ideas for how you can pen your intro to your email, or the bio for your CV. They may not come up with the winning idea, but they may well lead you down a path that allows you to come up with something great of your own accord.

Read Something Else

Stop reading what you’ve written and feeling bad about how little you’ve got down. Instead, down tools and pick up a book. This is the same as having a break from your screen, except the act of reading someone else’s words may well spark your imagination to help you come up with some text of your own.

Admit Defeat. Yes, Really!

If the words aren’t popping out of your head and onto the page, don’t stress. If your deadline will allow, just admit defeat. I know, this goes against all the traditional advice about writer’s block, but stuff it! I’m a big believer in not forcing creativity. Some days, we produce excellent work - writing or otherwise - and some days we don’t. Simple.

So, pop on a Netflix episode, grab a slice of cake, kick back and relax. I bet those words will come tomorrow.

How do you tackle writer’s block? Do you plough on through and get something down on paper regardless - or do you switch off your laptop and vow to come back to the task in hand tomorrow? Let me know in the comments section below…

Until next time…

Writer's Block: What to Do When it Strikes

Whether it’s a blog post for a client, a short story competition you want to enter or even a new caption for Instagram, when writer’s block strikes it can feel completely debilitating - and like you’ll never be able to write again.

To help overcome it, the first thing to remember is that ‘writer’s block’ isn’t something that crawls into your head zapping you of your writing ability; it’s usually connected to how you feel about your work.

Confidence is a huge part of being able to write and when those sneaky suspicions of ‘am I good enough?’ or ‘will my client like this?’ start to creep in, they can be overwhelming and leave you struggling to write at all.

What to do to restore your faith in your writing ability?

Here are my five top tips for when writer’s block strikes:

1.       Get up and walk away

If you find yourself struggling to find the words to write, get up from your desk and walk away. Pay with cash, don’t take your phone and walk a different way home to the way you came…it will encourage you to connect with your surroundings and look at things differently.

On returning to your work you’ll find you approach it with a clearer focus and the new ideas will start to flow.

2.       Get creative

Writing is a creative output and as described in an article for the New York Times, people’s approach to writing varies, as can the parts of their brains they use to write. Disciplines that require skill and practise need exercise.

Danielle Krysa’s book Creative Block is packed full of creative exercises to help you stimulate the grey matter, give some of them a go.

3.       Buy a newspaper

Newspapers offer stat-based, short snippets or long form pieces of journalism about people, products, services, businesses – everything! I recommend reading them in hard copy as this is a much more immersive experience than reading online. Plus, you can’t fall into the rabbit hole of click bait if the paper is on the table in front of you.

Get your pen out and scribble all over it as your brain engages and ideas come to you; go grab a paper and feast on its contents.

4.       Talk

 Talking with someone you trust will help your confidence and talking about your work will create new perspectives.

If you’re not quite ready for an in-depth dive into what’s at the root of your writer’s block, think about joining a writing community like Pro Copywriters – but remember to limit your online browsing to no more than 20 minutes, or you run the risk of losing half your day to aimless online wandering.

5.       Write

This comes up a lot when looking at solutions for writer’s block, and as obvious as it is, it’s also probably the best solution.

The chair you’re sat on – describe it, the scene from your window – dictate it, the last time you ate in a restaurant – write a letter about it; just write and focus on how you use language to solve these mini challenges.

Then go back to your work and apply the same process, break it down and start the first draft; write, edit, repeat – you can do it!