Sometimes, despite the best of intentions, you sit down to write and nothing comes. You can feel the tumbleweeds billowing through your brain like it’s a western, the saloon doors swinging back and forth in the wind.
It doesn’t matter what you’re working on – a blog post, a poem, your latest novel – there are days when it just ain’t happening my friend.
As you watch the hands of the clock tick ever closer to your deadline, fight the urge to panic or do any of the following things:
- Sit at your desk thinking ‘”la-la-la it’ll be fine, I’ll do it later” and spend all day reading the latest gossip about Justin Bieber and laughing at angry cat GIFs.
- Plagiarise someone else’s work, because no one will ever know – right?
- Stare at a blank Word document for hours whilst the bile rises up the back of your throat.
- Decide that you need a break and if you stop thinking about it you’ll get a great idea. Then get caught up with your distraction and forget about your writing entirely.
- Remember Hemingway’s advice to “Write drunk; edit sober.” You are not suddenly the epitome of talent because you’ve downed half a dozen Jager bombs and scrawled some stream of consciousness drivel about your dog.
- Despair that you’re a failure and give up altogether.
- Throttle your workmate/friend/significant other when they ask you how you’re getting on.
- Cry and curse the heavens.
- Plead with Twitter to give you something, anything to write about.
- Throw your laptop out of the window.
There’s no magical cure for writer’s block, but anyone who writes for a living, or even just for fun, has been there. We feel your pain. Don’t give up!
Caroline says
Heehee – this is SO true! I’ve always loved that Hemingway quote. xx
Amy Lord says
Thanks Caroline, glad you like it!
Lani says
Hi. Found you on G+ and noticed a lot of posts on writers block lately! Anyway I find reading other blogs or books, what have you, gets the creative mind going. Sometimes you just need to take stuff in and digest 🙂 Cheers.
Amy Lord says
Hey Lani, yes you can tell I’ve been suffering recently! That’s definitely good advice! Thanks for commenting
Helen Cadbury says
Great post, Amy! Nice to see a ‘what not to do…’ list. I don’t think I’ve ever had writers’ block of the staring at a blank page variety, but I do suffer terribly from procrastination and a wide range of displacement activities. One thing that works, when I get around to it, is walking to a library, preferably one where I have no internet access, like a university, and then making myself stay there as long as possible before walking home. The walking releases a lot of words.
Amy Lord says
Thanks Helen, that’s a good tip – when I get chance to write in the library or somewhere away from my desk I do find myself more productive.