Writer's block and what to do with it

in #writing8 years ago

I have a real writer's block. Absolutely real. 

Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work, or experiences a creative slowdown. The condition ranges in difficulty from coming up with original ideas to being unable to produce a work for years. Throughout history, writer's block has been a documented problem. 

I had to finish the article a week ago. And it is ready for seventy percent. But I can not ... All ideas have disappeared somewhere ... I'm ready to do anything: plant flowers, take care of animals, clean up in the house, but I can not write at all.

I tried a lot of tips from the Internet. Nothing helped. Finally I found this:

  If nothing else works, I resort to my number one, lethal weapon to cure writer’s block: the Glass-of-Water Technique. Before bed, fill up a glass of water. Hold it up and speak an intention into the water. (Example: My intent is to tap into my creative source and write brilliantly tomorrow. I choose to be in the flow of my best writing. I am resolving my story’s issues as I sleep and dream). Drink half the water and then set the half-full glass on your nightstand. Go to sleep. When you wake up the next morning, drink the rest of the water immediately. Then go straight to your computer and write at least an hour without distraction. This may seem a bit out there, but give it a try. It works! Do this technique for three nights straight. It gets me out of my writer’s block every time, often the next morning and definitely within 72 hours.  source

I will try to do it today. If this does not work, I'll probably start collecting money for a shamanic tambourine!

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seems like i'm perennially stuck in a writers block :/

I understand you:)

Maybe you're focusing too much in "thinking about writing" and not actually writing. Don't think about it as a task or a chore, do what really inspires you, have some fun and then you'll feel the need to write :)

True glory consists in doing what deserves to be written; in writing what deserves to be read; and in so living as to make the world happier for our living in it.
Pliny the elder

I think you are right! I think: "I must to finish it yet! I must! I simply must! etc:( "

I have the opposite problem. At night when I go to bed my mind starts racing and I end up jumping up every 20 minutes to jot down ideas. I guess my cure for writer's block is trying to go to sleep.

You are lucky:) My problem is that I have to write many articles on the ordered topic and this blocks creativity

I guess I've always just been verbose. When I was in college the prof would ask for a 5 page paper... They would stop me on the way out of class and say "5 pages, get it 5"

here's something that you might try that worked for me back in 1989 when I had artist's block the last time - so it's worked now for 28 years... take an Intuitive Painting class like this one - http://www.paintingfromthesource.com/ this is the one I actually took - but if you are not in the area - you can look for process painting, intuitive painting, etc. Yes I know it's painting - but its all the same to the subconscious mind.

Thank you very much, I will definitely try

Oh I see you are in the Ukraine. Well, here's what you can do. Get some cheap water color paint or tempera paint or even house paint- all colors of the rainbow. It is better if they are liquid so that you can be free-er with them. Put a piece of paper up on the wall or on ground. Somewhere were you can get messy. Next - fill the paper with color as fast as you can without thinking about it. If you can't stop thinking and trying to censor yourself then switch hands so that the brush is in your left hand. Then fill the whole page. Next, add another page to the picture - up down left right top bottom which ever way you feel like - and fill that page - making sure to be extending the first page not just making a separate block of color - continue to add pages until you get tired. Once you are tired, take a break and eat something - come back to it. And then without thinking begin, using your left hand, to find shapes or objects in the abstract colors with your brush - outline them - work on this one painting for about 8 hours - don't allow yourself to say you are done until you really are done - do this again another day...http://joannawhitney.weebly.com/intuitive-painting.html you can look at this slide show to get an idea of what I am talking about - this should release your writer's block - because you can find a story to tell in your picture surely...let me know how it goes.

Nice Advice, I ever watched about interview video with indigenous New Zealand Writer, he said that we too much say no when trying to write. He suggest us just write words that come out from our mind. Nice posting ! :)

Thank you for your comment:)

That's actually not a bad idea. I can totally see how that could work. While in a drowsy hypnagogic state, speck your intention, as you drift off to sleep the brain will consolidate that information and use it when necessary. A form of hypnosis. For an alternative technique for writer's block, try 4/8 breathing technique. Breath in for a count of 4 while imagining in Vivid detail the numbers as you count. Then breath out for a count of 8 while imagining in Vivid detail the numbers while you count. Repeat 10 to 30 time. Your welcome 😎 haha.