8 great tips to beat writer's block

The HSC is over Christmas and New Year partying is done and you’re at home for a little while before university or TAFE classes start. It’s the perfect time to get cracking on that little project that’s been tapping away at the back of your mind. You get out your laptop make a cup of tea sit down and … nothing. Wait… Nothing?!

Writer’s block: it happens to the best of us. It happened to me just now writing this article! But I can tell you my surefire tips to getting through your writer’s block this holidays and getting your amazing writing out there for the world to see.

In the immortal words of Play School: can’t go over it… Can’t go under it… Gotta go through it! Sometimes the best way to get the creative juices going is to squeeze the orange as hard as you can even if it feels like nothing is happening no matter how hard you try. Eventually something will start to flow – you just have to grease the gears a little.  

You’re probably doing it right now – reading this article instead of writing. Turn off your phone log out of Facebook and switch off the TV you’re double-screening – now is the time to focus. If you take out all the other buzz from your mind you’ll feel clearer and more able to relax with your thoughts and then put those thoughts into words!

If you can’t get the words flowing on their own sometimes they need a little coaxing. Reading a novel that has a similar style to your own writing can help give you the boost you need. If you’re really stuck try reading some poetry and analysing the flow of the words on the page you’ll start to see how words come together and it will help guide your writing when you get back into it.

Exercise is a great way to get your mind pumping as well as your muscles! I personally love to go for a walk or a run and leave the headphones at home – I let myself be alone with my thoughts and I find that when I get home again I’ve got a few great ideas bouncing around that I’ve already edited while they were inside my head. It’s proven that raising your heartrate increases your creativity and focus too so get out there and do power pilates before you settle down to write.

If you can find someone to read your writing out loud to. If you can’t (or you don’t want to risk the possible embarrassment! Been there) read out loud to the air or pick an inanimate object or a pet to read to. Once you hear the words out loud you’ll be in a better spot to pick out mistakes or inconsistencies and you’ll be more likely to want to continue the story from where it leaves off.

It doesn’t have to be the entire novel. It doesn’t even have to be the whole chapter. You can write a page a paragraph or even a sentence – it doesn’t matter how slow you go as long as you don’t stop. The late great Sir Terry Pratchett (author of the Discworld series among many others) has said that he would write 400 words a day. It’s really not that many when you think about it – this article has about 400 words in it at this point you’re reading. And Pratchett was a prolific author! Try doing just 100 words a day or even 50. Once you get into the habit of it it will start to feel like second nature. And on that note…

Humans love routines. Our bodies and minds thrive when we know exactly when and where we’re supposed to be doing stuff. And you know best – if you’re a morning person set yourself a writing time in the morning after you’ve had your wake-up coffee. If you’re a night owl set aside an hour before bedtime to get out all your thoughts before you sleep. If you do it at the same time every time very soon your brain will be overflowing with thoughts ready for when it’s been trained to put them into words.

Be kind to yourself. It happens to everyone, and there’s no reason for you to beat yourself up or feel bad. Creativity comes and goes. Take a break, have something to eat, call a friend, and then get back into it later when you feel up to it – no use rushing genius. Your time will come!