Writer’s block – it’s the bane of every creative’s existence. Staring at a blank page can make you feel a lot like Mr. Lorensax when he’s taking roll call in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. You’ve got your laptop open, your doc set up, and maybe even notes. But when It comes to putting words down, you’re left calling out into the void. What if I told you that the key to overcoming this only requires you to reframe your mindset? By training your mind to be a fountain of creativity, silencing your inner critic, and dedicating yourself to your craft, you can banish writer’s block once and for all.
End Writer’s Block by Embracing Your Creativity
Too often, we fall into the trap of waiting for inspiration to strike. We excuse this by saying that our muse isn’t with us. There is one major issue with this: Creativity is not a passive process – it’s an active pursuit. Like the protagonists you aspire to write about, you must go on a journey of your own to create a story you care about. By adopting the mindset of being an idea generator, you empower yourself to actively seek out inspiration and cultivate a fertile ground for creativity to flourish.
Maybe you read a book and think to yourself that you could take some elements from it and write something better. Maybe you’re talking to your friend and they say something that you’d like to use as dialogue. By reframing your mind to see every moment as an opportunity for story inspiration, you start to become an idea generator. Over time, this will become second nature to you, and you will never lack an idea to write about.
The Inner Critic And Writer’s Block
One of the biggest roadblocks to creativity is the relentless voice of self-doubt . The inner critic is notorious for mercilessly picking apart every idea before it has a chance to fully develop. Silencing your self doubt is necessary because creativity thrives in an environment free from judgment. Think back to your childhood. When the other kids went along with your wacky ideas or added onto them, you’d have more with ease. Conversely, when your ideas were shut down, you learned to stifle that creativity. You can access your inner child through compassion and having a ‘yes and’ approach to any and all of your ideas.
Challenge yourself to suspend judgment and explore your ideas with an open mind. Remember, creativity is a process of discovery – not everything will be a masterpiece on the first try. By allowing yourself the freedom to experiment and make mistakes, you open yourself up to a world of possibilities. In doing so, you defeat the monster that is writer’s block. If you don’t allow your ideas to propagate despite your inner critic, you’ll never write anything!
Seeing Ideas Through to Completion
Perhaps the most crucial aspect of overcoming writer’s block is learning to see your ideas through. Too often, we abandon projects prematurely, convinced that our ideas are not good enough. But here’s the truth: every idea has the potential to blossom into something extraordinary if we give it the chance to grow. This can also become more of a problem when you have too many ideas. Which one do I run with? But that’s an issue for another day. Remember, the act of finishing something, no matter how imperfect, is a victory in itself.
Scarcity Mindset and Writer’s Block
It’s easy to get stuck in a scarcity mindset when it comes to the time you have. Why dedicate countless hours to writing a story that you don’t think anyone else would read? There are two main reasons:
- It’s good practice: If you’ve never finished a book, you don’t know if you can. It might take you a year or longer depending on your pace, but by sticking to it, you’ll be able to say you did it. And don’t worry about readers at this point. Most of the time, your first book (and especially your first draft) will be… to put it nicely, unrefined. And that’s not only normal but OKAY! You will learn so much about your craft by getting to that first huge milestone.
- People might surprise you: Let’s say you get lucky and have a really amazing first novel (after some editing and revising). Now you know that you can finish a book and also write an engaging story! But even if it’s not, your story may not be the issue. If you find the story exciting, with all its twists and turns, chances are there is a readership out there who is looking for a book like yours. And maybe if you tweak it and hone your skills, you could have a publishable novel on your hands. You need to finish it first, though.
In Conclusion
Writer’s block may seem like an insurmountable obstacle, but with the right mindset, it can be overcome. By embracing the role of an idea generator, silencing the inner critic, and seeing your ideas through to completion, you can unlock a world of creativity and banish writer’s block once and for all. So go forth, dear writer, and let your ideas soar. The world is waiting for your unique story to be told.
Do you suffer from writer’s block? Do you have any other solutions? Let me know if this helps you with yours and feel free to share a bit about your work in progress.