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Six Suggestions for Treating Writer's Block

By Tom Aaron

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Published: 21Sep2009
Word count: 704
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Writer's block is what happens to writers when they cannot think of what to write. They are unable to write. Something is blocking them from writing. Some varieties of writer's block are short-term, while some writer's blocks can be longer. Writer's block can be related to an actual writing project. Maybe the writer needs inspiration, the writing project was not a good idea, or the project is just too difficult for the writer. Writer's block can be unrelated to the actual writing project, coming from problems in the writer's personal life: financial problems, illness, or relationships with people. Most writers face writer's block at some point in their writing lives. When you do, we hope that you can quickly overcome your block.

We have six suggestions which may help you to recover from writer's block.

1. Take a week off

Taking a week off may or may not work for you. You may have a deadline that cannot be put off. Still taking a week off may be the treatment needed. Activities that may help during the week off could include walking on the beach, reading a novel, cleaning out your desk drawers, thinking about what you value in your life, and exercising.

2. Sketching

As a writer, you are probably word rather than image oriented. Doing some sketching may reduce your writer's block. Using colored pencils, trying to think in pictures and capturing those pictures on paper with your colored pencils may help to reduce your writer's block. One sketching approach is to draw the text you are trying to write. The other sketching approach is to ignore the text that you are blocked from writing and sketch whatever you decide you want to sketch. A third sketching approach is free sketching. You simply put your pencil on a piece of paper and keep the pencil moving in whatever direction it wants to travel.

3. Warmups

Writing warmups are an old method, which have helped many. For ten to fifteen minutes write whatever comes to mind. Don't erase; don't cross out anything. Just keep writing on any topic that comes to mind. Writing warmups can be a stream of words that come into your mind. The rules of grammar and punctuation are unimportant. The goal is to just keep writing.

4. Write the conclusion

One situation you may be facing is a particular piece of writing that you have to do. You may not know how you're going to get there, but you do have an image of the conclusion of the piece that has generated your writer's block. A possible solution is to simply write the conclusion. In doing so, you may find the words that alleviate your writer's block.

5. Too much work

You may just have been working too hard, and the natural response to too much work is writer's block. If you cannot take a week off, suggestion 1, taking three hours off may reduce writer's block symptoms. Take a long walk or take a short walk and go to see a movie. Get some exercise. Stretch your arms and legs. Make yourself something hot to drink. Tell yourself that no matter what happens you will not think about writing for three hours.

6. Thinking about writer's block

One other treatment is thinking about writer's block. Find yourself a comfortable place to be. Then start thinking about your writer's block. Some questions that may help you to organize your thoughts could include (a) when did the symptoms begin, (b) what was happening prior to the onset of symptoms, (c) what have you done in the past to cure writer's block, (d) who do you know with the same problem that you could talk with, and (e) are you simply overworked. Some people think better when they are alone; some think better with a pencil and paper; and others think better with someone else listening.

Writer's block is a curable ailment. With a little bit of time and some care, you may be able to treat your own writer's block. We hope that our suggestions will lead you to a speedy cure.

Good luck!

Aaron Language Services on the web at http://www.aaronlanguage.com provides translation, proofreading, and online English coaching to a primarily Japanese client base.

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