As writers, we have all experienced the dreaded phenomenon: the block. Even some of the world’s most renown authors have been through it—and overcome. Here are eight ways they did it, and you can too.
You know the drill: you find yourself staring at the blank screen or at a blank page, and you start to moan, panic, and sweat. Maybe you even scream and cry. Sometimes the ideas just don’t come, the muse isn’t awake, or self-doubt creeps in. Maybe you’re just not in the mood. The block happens whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction. Here are the eight ways highly successful writers have broken through:
8 Tips from Successful Authors:
1) Write anything. (Ernest Hemingway)
Hemingway once said, “The first draft of anything is shit.” So go for it! Write down whatever comes to mind. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just put something down on paper or into your computer to get your juices going.
When asked to name the scariest thing he ever encountered, Hemingway said, “A blank sheet of paper.”
2) Free Write (Anne Lamott)
Lamott and Hemingway offer similar advice. Lamott, famous for her essay “Shitty First Drafts” in Bird by Bird, suggests brain dumping continuously for a specific amount of time without paying attention to spelling or grammar. Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and write whatever comes to mind. If you think, “I have no idea what to write” or “I’m hungry,” that’s what you write. You just get it down. Then you can go back and clean it up.
3) Take a Break. (Neil Gaiman)
While many authors believe in meeting a daily word count goal, sometimes we have to take a break from a project to restart our writing flow. Gaiman suggests doing something totally different: “Go do something else. Chop wood. Go for a walk. Go for a run. Go for a swim. Go garden. Go play with small children. Go explore kittens. Go feed the chickens.” I’m sure he’d advocate something as simple as taking a shower. On occasion, the mind needs rest. You’ll come back to your writing energized.
4) Write at a different time. (J.K. Rowlings)
While many writers bust through writer’s block by making sure they write at the same time every day, Rowling believes changing the time of day from your normal writing routine helps your brain. The change of pace is good. You’ll recharge your mind, and you’ll get a new perspective.
5) Change Your Environment or Your Medium. (Stephen King)
Whereas Rowlings advises changing writing time, King thinks changing your writing environment will help conquer writer’s block. Even though a routine writing place equipped with your favorite writing chair, your writing tools, and lighting is usually wise, sometimes we have to get out of the routine to spark creativity. If you always write at home, perhaps go to a park or coffee shop.
King also suggests changing your medium, such as writing on paper instead of typing on the computer or vice versa. You’re breaking a habit and stimulating your brain in a different way.
6) Talk it Out. (Margaret Atwood)
Sometimes we lack focus and write in circles. Atwood suggests talking out ideas with a writing partner or a friend. That can help you gain direction, clarify your thinking, and spark new ideas.
7) Read—and Read Regularly. (Ray Bradbury)
Good writers are voracious readers, and they read multiple genres. Bradbury advises reading “a short story, a poem, and an essay right before you go to bed for 1000 days. The genius of this advice is that what you read will percolate while you sleep.” Maybe you don’t need to do this for 1000 days, but doing this regularly might help writer’s block.
8) Outline Your Ideas. (Mark Twain)
Twain said, “The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”
When you craft an outline, you don’t need to be concerned about how you are going to start because you know where you’re going.
I am Gail Kerzner, your “savvy red pen.” As a writer, educator, and coach, I bring both practical, hands-on expertise as well as academic knowledge to the services you receive. Hopefully, these tips from famous authors to fight writer’s block will inspire you and keep your creativity going. I know you are not alone if you are experiencing struggles on your writer’s journey. You have me there to give you confidence and help you to push forward. The world needs your story. I am here to help you bring it to fruition. As Margaret Atwood says, “There’s something compelling about the blank page. It beckons you in to write something on it. It must be filled.”