When Clive has stolen all your words and is holding them to
ransom for biscuit crumbs, writing anything at all can be a labour of love. Confused?
Don’t be.
Not knowing what to write but feeling a desperate need to creative can be a real struggle. Here are 10 of the best tried and tested ways to defeat the beast of burden.
Not knowing what to write but feeling a desperate need to creative can be a real struggle. Here are 10 of the best tried and tested ways to defeat the beast of burden.
1.
Try to write something each day.
Don’t worry if it’s rubbish; in fact, you should expect the first few sentences to be complete nonsense. Write about your view out of the window, or your cup of tea, or the guy who does that thing at the bus stop all the time. Sitting around simply talking about writing without doing anything will never shift the block, however satisfying it may feel to wallow in your creative self-pity. See Tip 7.
Don’t worry if it’s rubbish; in fact, you should expect the first few sentences to be complete nonsense. Write about your view out of the window, or your cup of tea, or the guy who does that thing at the bus stop all the time. Sitting around simply talking about writing without doing anything will never shift the block, however satisfying it may feel to wallow in your creative self-pity. See Tip 7.
2.
Give it a name.
My writer’s block is called Clive – and he is a real idiot. Clive steals all the words from my head and hides them behind the settee. Like a small, yappy dog, Clive won’t let you have any of the words until you follow Tip 1 and just try to write something. He then releases the words in small batches, and sometimes I’m even allowed adjectives. Brilliant.
My writer’s block is called Clive – and he is a real idiot. Clive steals all the words from my head and hides them behind the settee. Like a small, yappy dog, Clive won’t let you have any of the words until you follow Tip 1 and just try to write something. He then releases the words in small batches, and sometimes I’m even allowed adjectives. Brilliant.
3.
Don’t let it win.
Writer’s block comes from many different places, and from my own experience it comes from a point of insecurity: if I don’t write anything, then it won’t be shit. But by not writing anything at all, you let Clive win his tug o’ war with your words. Just try a little bit, even a to-do list is enough some days.
Writer’s block comes from many different places, and from my own experience it comes from a point of insecurity: if I don’t write anything, then it won’t be shit. But by not writing anything at all, you let Clive win his tug o’ war with your words. Just try a little bit, even a to-do list is enough some days.
4.
Drink a lot.
By this I mean drink a lot of liquids – this can be tea, coffee, water, juice, soup, wine, beer, rum, the list goes on. If you keep your brain hydrated, you stand more of a chance of getting the creative (not orange) juices flowing. If you choose to drink alcohol, you may find you come over a bit Hunter S. Thompson and your writing will get weird, very rapidly. But you do you.
By this I mean drink a lot of liquids – this can be tea, coffee, water, juice, soup, wine, beer, rum, the list goes on. If you keep your brain hydrated, you stand more of a chance of getting the creative (not orange) juices flowing. If you choose to drink alcohol, you may find you come over a bit Hunter S. Thompson and your writing will get weird, very rapidly. But you do you.
5.
Get outside.
Remember the outside world? Nah, me neither. So get your boots on and go for a walk in the fresh air. Take your canine companion (if you have one) or borrow a dog, or relative, or friend and get those lactic-acid filled limbs swinging. An oxygenated brain is a creative brain.
Remember the outside world? Nah, me neither. So get your boots on and go for a walk in the fresh air. Take your canine companion (if you have one) or borrow a dog, or relative, or friend and get those lactic-acid filled limbs swinging. An oxygenated brain is a creative brain.
6.
Or get in the pool/on your bike.
It turns out physical exercise is actually quite useful. Sorry, anyone who ever tried to teach me PE at school. That six-week long menstrual cycle with a twisted ankle has cleared up now, thanks.
It turns out physical exercise is actually quite useful. Sorry, anyone who ever tried to teach me PE at school. That six-week long menstrual cycle with a twisted ankle has cleared up now, thanks.
7.
Talk about it.
Find a writing group to talk about your concerns. I’ve been assured everyone gets an attack of the Clives every now and then. Also by talking about your current work, you might even inspire yourself to revisit that frustrating chapter or unruly character.
Find a writing group to talk about your concerns. I’ve been assured everyone gets an attack of the Clives every now and then. Also by talking about your current work, you might even inspire yourself to revisit that frustrating chapter or unruly character.
8.
Do something else.
Yep, you read it correctly: do something else. It doesn’t have to be writing, or a creative endeavour at all. Pair up your socks, or learn a new skill. Sometimes I find clearing out a clothes drawer, knitting, practising shorthand, reading or playing video games helps to take my mind off not-writing.
Yep, you read it correctly: do something else. It doesn’t have to be writing, or a creative endeavour at all. Pair up your socks, or learn a new skill. Sometimes I find clearing out a clothes drawer, knitting, practising shorthand, reading or playing video games helps to take my mind off not-writing.
9.
Research, research, research.
Where do your characters live? What do they eat? Are they even alive? Whether you are crafting a dystopian zombie love story or an historical compilation of lampshades, you can never do enough research on your topic. So bust out your library card and notebook and go forth!* Learn all there is to know about the language preferences of the undead. With snacks.
Where do your characters live? What do they eat? Are they even alive? Whether you are crafting a dystopian zombie love story or an historical compilation of lampshades, you can never do enough research on your topic. So bust out your library card and notebook and go forth!* Learn all there is to know about the language preferences of the undead. With snacks.
*Or you can use the internet, but you will
get distracted by cats and less interesting listicles. Don’t say I didn’t warn
you.
10.
JUST WRITE.
The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed the similarity of this tip to number 1. That’s because it’s the best remedy to not knowing what to write. The longer you allow yourself to do nothing, your brain will curl up and hibernate, taking all your inspiration and ideas with it. Clive will make a castle out of your unused verbs, and you’ll be stuck. If you were stuck down a hole, and the only way to get out was to call for help, you would, wouldn’t you? So the only way to get out of a writing rut is to write.
The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed the similarity of this tip to number 1. That’s because it’s the best remedy to not knowing what to write. The longer you allow yourself to do nothing, your brain will curl up and hibernate, taking all your inspiration and ideas with it. Clive will make a castle out of your unused verbs, and you’ll be stuck. If you were stuck down a hole, and the only way to get out was to call for help, you would, wouldn’t you? So the only way to get out of a writing rut is to write.
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