My Brain Won’t Let Me “Just Write”? How to Combat Writer’s Block.

“Just write.”

“You should be writing.”

“Buckle down and focus.”

If you’re a writer of any kind, you’ll hear these phrases all the time. I know I do. I find my answer is always the same.

How?

Maintaining focus throughout a project is one of the hardest things we as writers do. But it is essential to master. Through your author journey, you’ll need to maintain a focus on tasks like finishing your first draft, editing, and creating marketing materials. And keeping on task just isn’t easy.

For now, let’s focus on the first task; writing that first draft. When people start their first creative project, they have grand dreams. I mean, how hard can it be to take this beautiful vision in their minds and put it on paper? It isn’t long before that first taste of writer’s block stops them in their tracks. Dreaming is easy. Writing is hard.

Sitting down and staring at a blank page for hours on end isn’t the answer. Not if you’re anything like me. I have a few tried-and-true methods for getting my brain to buckle down and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

1. Music

Listening to music often puts me in a more creative zone. My mood is often influenced by what I listen to so hardcore rock and tear-jerker passages don’t mix too well.

But some days normal, emotion invoking music just isn’t enough to kick that writer’s block. When that happens, I turn my attention to background ambiances like Dark Victorian Mansion or Relaxing Fantasy Music on YouTube.

And if all else fails, I move straight into video game focus music. Sounds crazy, I know. But I heard of a study somewhere along the years that video game designers create their playlist with specific focus toons to get you keyed into their game for hours on end. I don’t know if it was true, but after spending several hours bashing my head against the keyboard, I gave it a go. And it worked like a dream! Give it a try next time you’re in need.

2. Cleaning

It sounds counterintuitive, right? But after about five to fifteen minutes of heavy duty cleaning, I find my brain is begging me to do just about anything else. After I reach a point of complete desperation, I sit my happy little butt down in front of the computer again and find my mind much more willing to cooperate. And bonus, the house is just a little bit cleaner.

3. Get Public

Get outside of your comfort zone with the expressed intention of working on your prose. Set a goal when you leave the house, such as “I won’t go home until I write 1,300 words.” Park yourself some place quiet and comfortable. I’d recommend the public library, a quiet corner of the mall, or your local coffee shop. When I was younger, I found a secluded table in the back of a Starbucks inside a Kroger grocery store, put some noise canceling headphones in my ears, and made sure I finished my research papers before leaving for the night.

Find a place that works outside your home and make it yours.

4. Reward yourself

’ll be the first to admit that this one’s a little childish. But one night, a long long time ago, I found myself struggling to get through a scene. It had to be written in order to finish the chapter, but each sentence was like running a marathon.

The idea came to me when I spotted a bag of sour gummy worms on my desk (don’t judge). I told myself if I just finished one paragraph I could eat a gummy worm. Nine gummy worms later, I completed several paragraphs and in record time for that scene. Once there was a little momentum behind my writing, everything became easier. An hour later, the scene was completed and my diet was well and truly ruined.

Sometimes you’ve just got to bribe the writers’ block away.

You don’t have to use food and destroy your diet like I did. Find something motivational to you. Maybe a difficult chapter earns you a trip to the nail salon, or finishing the first draft of your dissertation gets you that beach trip you’ve been dreaming of. Writing is hard. Treat yourself.

5. Remove distractions

If anyone deserves the most distractible person award, I’d be my father, but I’m a close runner-up. The list of things that have grabbed my attention while I write this blog post alone would shock you. I’ve found that the best way to make sure I don’t get distracted is to remove everything I think of that may have a chance of grabbing my attention.

Of course the big ones, like internet and phones, have to go. But so did smaller things like:

Smartwatch (I wonder what my heart rate is right now)

Research papers (I was supposed to read this right? No time like the present)

Photos (Oh, this was when we went to the pumpkin patch. That’s such a great memory.)

Dragon figurine or any other decorative toy (Was this 3D printed, or made in a factory)

Candles (Should I light this? Maybe a different scent. I should go find another one)

By now you catch my drift. Anything that could steal your attention or make you even consider about leaving your workspace has got to go.

And if you’re writing on your computer, you should consider one of those writing apps that doesn’t allow you to see anything else on the screen except your current project, such as Calmly Writer or Zen Pen.

6. Find an accountability partner

A good accountability partner is hard to find. You can’t trust just anyone to keep you on the straight and narrow. It has to be someone that will call you out if you don’t meet your goals. Someone you trust, who can keep you on task and understand the reasons you really need to get this done.

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Have you used any other tactics to kick your writer’s block to the curb? I’d love to hear about them. Reach out and let me know!

As always,

Happy Writing

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