Inspiration is like the winds of change. Constantly changing directions and capable of disappearing in an instant. Flowing out of your reach and calling you to chase after its tail. It’s incredibly hard to harness the power of the wind, but it is never impossible.
I’ll admit, writer’s block is not a walk in the park. On the contrary, a more accurate description would be a desperate plunge in quicksand. Analogies, metaphors, imagery, so many concepts and strategies that are nearly impossible to run with when you’re drawing a blank.
But after a considerably large amount of time spent in said block, I’ve come up with five methods to demolish the pesky cube. But of course, it depends on what I’m planning to write and the circumstances of the block. Therefore, these strategies can range from extremely effective to hopeless depending on the details.
5: Distractions
I’m sitting at my desk, pen and paper at hand but no story in mind. What should I do? As strange as it sounds, leaving the task unfinished and returning to it at a later time can help. In times like these, I feel incredibly discouraged and overall unproductive. Taking a break to explore a hobby or subject I’m actually confident in can help boost my self-esteem and overall feelings towards the subject at hand. I'll watch a funny video to lighten my mood or eat a snack to help me recharge. I could study some psychology or learn more about astrology. Even just a five-minute break can help me readjust and better focus on the work ahead.
However, there are some cons accompanying this tactic. I could forget about the task entirely or leave it for “another day” that shall never arrive. Not to mention, this tactic only works for projects that don’t involve my education or any assignment that has a deadline. This method is only effective if I can confidently keep my limits. After all, a five-minute break could turn into a five-hour break if I’m not careful.
4: Prompts
Writing prompts can prove to be very effective against writer’s block. Especially if you’re having trouble coming up with a plot or character dynamic. A lot of prompts I use to brainstorm include situations or alternate universes. For example, maybe you want to put original characters through a Romeo and Juliet inspired plotline. Or maybe you want to explore the fantasy world and create a story about the truth behind werewolves and vampires. There are countless writing prompt generators and ideas available online.
Whatever the prompt entails, they must first meet my three I’s; interest, intrigue and inspire. Before choosing an exercise to throw my writer’s block upon, I must first consider these three factors, especially if I’m planning to expand beyond the prompt. First, if the prompt doesn’t meet my interest then I’m likely to abandon the idea without trying. Second, if the prompt doesn’t bring to mind any questions or arise mystery that needs answering within the material I’ll soon write, then it’s not intriguing. Finally, if the prompt doesn’t inspire me, then it defeats the purpose of choosing to write a prompt. Remember, the prompt’s purpose is to inspire you, so you shouldn’t feel stumped while writing within a given prompt.
3: People
I consider myself a naturally extroverted person who enjoys long, in-depth conversations. Sometimes having a conversation with someone, no matter the subject, can help inspire me to write. There’s something about interacting with another human being that loosens my writer’s block. Whether I’m inspired to create a character or relive a familiar moment, talking with family or friends about what I’m writing, or anything at all, can help. I’ve been through long periods of loneliness or silence that have only encouraged writer’s block. Getting out of my room and interacting with other complex personalities often leads to a poem or story almost immediately afterward.
Though, just as my “distractions” point had a few warnings, so does this tactic. Social interaction is vital, but you shouldn't rely on people to inspire you. I’ve learned the hard way that people aren’t always around when you need them, and sometimes (more often than not) they need you instead. When an assignment is due or a story needs to be written, family and friends wouldn’t be the first resource I’d turn to inspire me. Solving a writing block independently can end up more effective, especially taking into account deadlines.
2: Nature
Say, would you be more inclined to write in a blank and inescapable room that seems to cave in on itself, or a colorful and open space full of leaning trees and saturated skies? A huge portion of my writing is heavily inspired by the world around us. Despite not being an “outside person,” nature has always inspired me to create. There’s something about every new day, every star in the sky, and every flower that completes a bouquet. How gracefully the trees sway in the wind or which combination of colors the sky chooses to wear that day.
No matter the weather, time, day, or season, nature never fails to inspire me. It’s all so limitless, from the very edge of our galaxy to the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Often I’ll open a window and stare above at the clouds, at the shadows my house casts, or the gentle breeze that sweeps away leaves. If life is appreciating the little things, then surely writing can hold similar principles. Too often are simple things (such as nature) disregarded, except in literature. It’s all about escaping that blank box and taking a glance outside. Because sometimes the most vivid poem starts with the tiniest dew drop in spring.
1: Music
Music is a huge part of my life. The way each song or symphony can make me feel an emotion or situation, music has the power to break my heart or piece it back together. Similarly, writing also involves many emotions and moods, especially when writing a touching story. Personally, writing about a death scene or romantic moment can prove to be difficult if I can’t call upon those emotions at that time, or if I’ve never experienced it. The amazing fact about writing is that you don't have to experience the scenario to write about it. Literature, especially fiction stories, doesn’t have to be a biography, it has to be art.
So if turning on a groovy song will set the mood for me to write an equally groovy story, so be it. Music is what I turn to when my writer’s block is the heaviest, sharpest, and overall, most difficult to bear. Just as a song can move me to tears, a book should be able to do the same. I suppose that’s art in an essence. Lyrics aren’t far from sonnets if you have the right melody. Art is all about expression, so it’s only fitting that I have a playlist for as many emotions as I’d like to convey. Eventually, when I’m completely absorbed in my writing, the lyrics become white noise to my ears. And from then on, all I can hear is the typing of my keyboard or the scribbling of my pen. At the end of the day, my best tool in writing isn’t my pencil, but my earbuds.
Yes, the winds of inspiration are quick to change direction, but just as a writer’s block could drive them away, proper techniques can rally them back. Regardless of what method I choose to use that day; distractions, prompts, people, nature, or music, each have helped me break out of writer’s block and write some of my best work yet.
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