A blinking cursor against a white background can be one of the most promising sights a writer sees. Rife with potential, the possibilities are literally endless. However, it can also be the most terrifying, because there can be times when we know what we want to say and even know how we want to say it—but the lede just won’t come.
And yes, it does happen to all of us eventually.
Fortunately though, overcoming writer’s block can be done when you understand why it occurs. Here’s the deal.
Rational Mind vs. Creative Mind
According to psychologists, people are both rational and creative. Our creative side is the happy-go-lucky carefree region from which springs our ideas and inspiration. It’s where our flights of fantasy originate.
Meanwhile, the rational mind is where our analyzing is done.
When we write, ideas flow from the creative mind first and we tighten them up with the rational mind afterward. Sometimes though, the rational mind takes over prematurely and proclaims every idea the creative mind generates stale, overwrought or even just plain silly.
Frustrated, our creativity checks out and BOOM—writer’s block kicks in.
But to get over it, all we have to do is make the rational mind chill.
Shift Your Focus
However, the harder you try to make it happen, the worse it will get, so leave it alone for a while to go do something else. Mow the lawn, shovel the sidewalk, take a drive—the key is to disengage so the rational mind gets shifted to managing a different task. Meanwhile, the creative mind gets to keep working on the project in the background without interference. After a while, the lede of the story will come to you and the rest will flow from there.
Write Anything at Random
If you’re blocked, frustrated and worried you won’t be selling ebooks if you don’t get your act together, stop working on the project. Instead, write a bunch of random sentences about nothing. Don’t worry about formatting, punctuation, or spelling. The idea is to let your creative mind roam without constraints. It will eventually regain control of the process and you’ll get your train of thought back on the tracks.
Get Up and Move
Sitting at your desk and staring at the screen when ideas won’t come makes it worse. Get up and move. Throw on some slammin’ tunes and dance. Don’t worry; everybody in the house knows to stay out of the study when you’re writing. Nobody will see your Funky Chicken looking more like an Inebriated Turkey.
Seriously though, the idea is to turn critical thinking off and let your creativity take over. Breathe deeply while you move to relax your body and mind. A relaxed mind is a creative one. Your ideas will begin to emerge again.
Work While You’re Asleep
Walk away from the project for the day. As you’re lying in bed that evening, think about the elements of your composition. Your subconscious will work out the kinks while you’re sleeping. In most cases, the lede will come to you just before you wake up. When it does, get up, go straight into your study and start writing. Don’t edit the words; just let your stream of consciousness flow. Before you know it, the story will have practically written itself.
The key to overcoming writer’s block is to get your rational mind out of the way until it’s needed to clean things up. These tips will get your cursor moving across the screen again with confidence.
And hey, you’re welcome.