Feb 15
How to combat writer’s block
By Poorvi Singhal
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If you’ve ever Googled your creative block, chances are that you’ve already been suggested to go for a hike, catch a breather, or chant hymns for a clear state of mind. And, as much as I want these hacks to be effective, the truth is not everything works out for everybody. While going for a walk might clear someone’s head, completely shutting off the diary and approaching the piece later works out for others, AKA me. Well, that’s why there exists no one sure-shot way to tackle writer’s block. While some of the aforementioned techniques work out just fine for the majority, here are some measures for the esoteric ones like myself.
- Revel in what inspires you
Understand what drives you and indulge in it for some time. It is certain to pump you to achieve your goals, like writing, in this case. The process simply lets you know that this is what it all comes down to and working hard is the only way to bring more such experiences to life. For instance, luxury inspires me. Every time I find myself stuck, demotivated, distracted, or at a paucity of ideas, I recount all my lavish buys, spritz on a Chanel no. 5, book a table for one at a diner one can’t pronounce, and voila, here’s my reality check. Find your reality check, that’s all!
2. Read absolutely anything
I know this one has been long done and dusted but, it’s a classic. Every time we, at least I, read, it gives me a lot of new ideas. From Cosmo to a news article that’s 20-years-old, a how-to guide to any novel of your genre of choice, consume any form of reading material. It is certain to open your mind, making the writing process smoother.
3. Scribble, doodle, or just write for effect
Pick a dusty notebook, flip to the last page as you would in school and start signing it, sketch doodles off Pinterest, pen down random lyrics of a Bollywood number, or write anything under the sky. Every time I do this, completely random yet partially creative thoughts catch me off-guard. With newer ideas up my sleeve, I can write something new, which eventually helps me finish the existing piece.
4. Jot down your ideas
If you just can’t get your creative juices to flow, make a list of your brief, draft a mind map of all that you want to include, make pointers of the sub-headings and have a skeleton ready. This way, half your work would be done by the time you get in the zone to actually sit down and write. Yes, sometimes formalizing work makes it easy-peezy.
5. If nothing works, shut off your diary
This is no Gen-X shortcut I’m asking you to hop on. Shut off, unwind, come back later and start from square one. I believe distance makes the heart grow fonder. Simple.
