The Advice Column IV

657

Advice Request
This person wants to overcome their writer's block.

Answered Submission
Hello, I hope you’re keeping yourself safe during this pandemic and hopefully you and everyone around you are safe.

As someone who’s still writing from time to time, I also experience a lot of writer’s block. In order to overcome it, there are actually a few things that you can do and each might sometimes work but sometimes it might not. So sadly, you might have to do a trial and error thing with the list below.

1. Just write it.
When I first heard it, I thought ‘‘Huh?!’’ because why would you tell someone to just write it when they’re having a writer’s block in the first place. But it’s actually a real and an advice that works for me. One of the reasons one would have writer’s block is because of the negative or anxious thoughts on how the writing would turn out. In my case, I hate it when I fail to write a story that flows smoothly and does not seem forceful. In your case, because of your anxious thoughts, my guess would be that you might not really know how you really want to write your story/essay because you’ve become undecided. But you don’t have to think too much about it and just write anything that crosses your mind. You don’t have to second guess anything that you’re thinking. As long as there is something on your paper/screen, as bad as it is, it’s better than nothing.

2. Start small.
You don’t have to aim for a big goal such as 2000 words per day or any target that might seem too big for you at the moment. You can aim to write one small paragraph and from there on you can add a little by day. This might help you to reduce your anxiety in having to decide everything in one sitting.

3. Write what you want to write.
I know this might sound similar to the first one but what I meant from ‘write what you want to write’ is to just write any stories you want to or even your own feelings. Sometimes, when I have problems to continue on a work, I’ll just open a new file and write anything that I want. Usually, that piece of writing is completely self-indulgent in which I write to make myself feel good, to let out anything that’s bothering me from my mind.

4. Skip the part you’re stuck on.
If you’re having troubles to continue your writing from A to B, you can just skip that part completely and write part C or any part that you want. This can avoid you from being stuck too long and losing inspiration for your story.

I do not really know what would work with you but I hope this will help.

Remember to stay safe!

Wishing for the best,
The Advice Column Team