WRITER’S MENTAL BLOCK

“Writing about a writer’s block is better than not writing at all” 

– Charles Bukowski, The Last Night of the Earth Poems

Webster’s dictionary defines writer’s block as “a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece.”

It happens to everyone. Writer’s mental block. There were times that I do have a lot of ideas in mind but I couldn’t put it all together and when I began typing, all my words came out to be total nonsense. Often times too, my mood affects my writing.

The reason for this:

1. My mood. Whenever I’m happy about something, then my mind could create a lot of ideas to write about. The same feeling when I’m sad or exasperated or hurt by anyone or worried/upset about anything, then I could become a great poet.
2. Timing. It’s not always the right time to write. Sometime, my ideas would come out of nowhere whenever I’m out, or at work, or just walking in the street observing things and people, I would keep the idea on my idle folder head, then will start fabricating the right concept to be able to write it correctly.
3. Obsessions to perfection. Whenever I started typing on my keyboard and I felt the inability to express my thoughts on a certain topic, then It upset me, I would immediately stop writing.
4. Distraction- One main factor is disturbance. Whenever I’m hooked about something, then just one single annoyance would immediately distract me from pouring my thoughts.

How do I overcome these?

1. Go for a simple walk- This always elevates my mood and relax my mind.
2. Exercise- Like running. All I need is a clear head to write.
3. Listen to music- Music never fails to change my mood from being sad to happy to being emotional to dramatic to being hyper.
4. Change of environment- A new place, a new restaurant, a new park, a new activity always gives me flowing ideas to write about.
5. Free writing- Write anything that comes to your head, without editing, just write.
6. Eliminate distraction- Have your own personal space away from any interference. If you could go off-line, switch-off your mobile phone and stay away from any interruptions, then it would be better.
7. Think about progressing and not about perfection-Just write. And believe me, in time you will find yourself improving. From the petty things you write, your ideas will flow spontaneously and you will find yourself writing much more mature stuff.
8. Spend some time with the people you love- Just like a regular working person, the usual routine of going to work on a daily basis makes us irritable. So break the ice, and enjoy quality time with the people who make you feel happy.

I’m just a person with a passion for writing but I wouldn’t consider myself a professional writer because I’m not. I write as much as I can whatever pops in my head as a hobby.  I just find writing as a form of escape. It’s like I’m traveling somewhere else even without actually leaving.