How To Overcome Writer’s Block Like A Pro?

December 22, 2021 Readree How To

A Guide To Conquering Writer’s Block and Writing Like A Pro

Writing is the culmination of creativity, effort, logic and motivation. It is not as easy as some people think it to be. Writing quality content requires substantial knowledge, commendable skills, steadfast dedication and a motivated mindset. Genius writers (READ: William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Satyajit Ray, Oscar Wilde, Emily Bronte, Jane Austen) are a rare species.

For an ordinary person to become a good writer, the road can be long, winding and full of significant obstacles. And the challenges don’t end even when you master the art of writing awesome content.

Whether you are a professional assignment writer at an online coursework help service or an up-and-coming author, writer’s block is something every writer struggles with. It can be debilitating, frustrating and mentally crippling. Reasons behind and remedies against this strange affliction are the subjects of this article.
So, without any more ado, let us begin.

What Is Writer’s Block? The Psychology Behind Mental Blockage

According to an article on the American Psychological Association, writer’s block is a mental construct that indicates a discipline problem. Doctor Paul Silva, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, points out nervousness, lack of confidence & discipline, procrastination and unrealistic expectations as some of the root causes of panic and frustration during writer’s block.

Reasons behind writer’s block vary from person to person. There are, however, certain factors that pop up quite often in every evaluation. They include:

Uncertainty, self-doubt and lack of confidence
Overwhelming Anxiety or Fear
Problems with Organization
Motivation and Prioritization problems

While the first two problems are emotional issues, the succeeding ones are procedural ones and arise from a lack of discipline. And, things become worse when a person convinces themselves that they are creatively blocked.

Human belief and confidence are strong things and can help one achieve greatness. At the same time, a lack of self-belief and self-confidence can cripple even the most talented individuals. That’s what happens when writer’s block strikes a writer. The pressure of everything takes a toll on the brain and stalls the cogs of creativity. We can put ourselves in pretty dark corners by overthinking and losing our mental strength.

Everybody struggles with writer’s block, from the most successful writers to young undergraduates. Many strategies help people cope with varying extents of
this psychological problem.

Let’s look at some prominent stratagems used by professionals to curb & overcome writer’s block.

Overcoming Writer’s Block: How To Write Well Regularly

Loosening those mental blocks that impede your creativity requires concerted effort. As self-doubt, anxiety and poor discipline are the root causes of writer’s block, a person needs to gather the will and motivation to move past them without succumbing.

Below are some ideas to overcome writer’s block and write like a pro. Diligently following them can be instrumental in uprooting this weakness.

1. Set A Writing Schedule

Many professional writers have a dedicated schedule for developing any content. Therefore, scheduling time to write is an excellent way to become prolific. In addition, writing regularly within a proper program can lead to more production.

The amount of time reserved for writing varies from person to person, but experts suggest a minimum of 4 hours of writing per day can lead to consistently good output.
One should pick a time when their creative faculties are at their peak and mentally acute. Schedule time so that nothing impedes or distracts you from your work.
Skills and content quality are bound to increase with due diligent practice. According to Professor Ronald Kellogg of Saint Louis University, regular writing can reduce writing’s demand on working memory and allow writers to compose much more nuanced prose. Studies also show that regular writers also developed more new ideas.

2. Prepare Yourself Properly

The theory underlying any creative process suggests that four crucial stages comprise them all, namely, preparation, incubation, illumination and verification.

The first stage, preparation, forms the base of it all. If you are not prepared well and do not know what to say, you will be lost. It is as simple as that. So, when you can’t figure out what to write, then it might be your brain telling you to do more research and prepare better. Prepare yourself well and know all you need to know to write something exceptional.

3. Incubate Inspiration

Another primary reason behind writer’s block may be struggling with creativity.

It pays to be imaginative and highly creative when you are a writer. When your normal creative thinking processes do not work, try some divergent thinking. Take the road less travelled and come up with something different. Nurture different thoughts and approaches & apply them in your write-ups.

Look for inspiration from different sources. It can be anything, a book, a blog, a movie, anything that shines a light on the path ahead.

And, remember to give it all a rest for some time. Proper breaks and sleeping help the brain consolidate ideas & associate gathered concepts. In addition, such incubation helps the mind develop creative insights.

4. Practice Free Writing

Finding the right inspiration is essential. But sometimes, you just got to let yourself go and start writing.
Put something, anything down on paper. Write whatever comes off the top of your head on a subject, and then work on it gradually. Be it a single paragraph, a flowchart of ideas or a barebones outline; start your freewriting, and you will find things like writer’s block a distant memory.

According to Doctor James C. Kaufman, writer and professor of educational psychology at the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut, writing and editing are most likely two separate processes. Writing involves divergent thinking and generating new ideas, while editing is quite convergent, involving inspection & evaluation.
Professor Kaufman states that writing one session and editing in another makes things much more manageable.
Remember, Your Writer’s Block is Just Temporary

Yes, it is just a phase and will pass! Believe in these words when your mind goes blank and do not give up.
If you just can’t come up with any ideas, then one of the most effective things to do right then is to think of your past achievements. Think about what you did, thought and felt differently. Know that your writing ability has not gone away, and it never will; you are just tired or too stressed out. So have a break and come back with renewed enthusiasm.

The tips above can be handy for overcoming writer’s block any time it assails you. There are specific writing exercises too that can help loosen writer’s block. Below are 3 of the most prominent ones.

3 Writing Exercises To Eliminate Writer’s Block

1. Pomodoro Technique

Decide on something that you would like to write. It can be a movie scene, a chapter from a book or a page of freewriting; anything that stimulates an idea in your mind. Set the timer for 25 minutes, and do not stop writing until it rings. Once done, take a five-minute break and repeat these steps, sticking diligently to the clock.

2. The 30-Minute Challenge

Set the clock for 30 minutes and start writing down the events of your day. When you are done or have run out of time, note what distracted you (thoughts, noises, interruptions). Then, look for ways to eliminate those distractions from your writing routine selectively.

Try the same 30-minute challenge a day later, and employ the techniques you came up with to remove the distractions you discovered the previous day. Then, repeat the same process until you have found your ideal writing mojo.

3. The Pretend-You’re-Talking-To-A-Friend Technique

Sometimes we can get too caught up in the writing process’s rules, structure, and formality. An excellent way to overcome this is to pretend that you are speaking to a friend and talking to them about the thing you are working on.
Think of how you would describe it to them. Then, if pretending does not work for you, compose an actual email or text. And, if this technique works out for you, incorporate that text into your draft.

Well, that about rounds up this article. Hope this write-up helps readers overcome writer’s block and write like a pro.

All the best!

Author-Bio: Henry Tesfaye is a professional content writer and copywriter with Allessaywriter.com, a global assignment and coursework help service.

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