So, your girl has been in this headspace where it seems almost impossible to write a coherent piece I can be proud of, i.e writer’s block. And usually when this happens, I either go look for a recyclable piece or just disappear (clearly sis disappeared). After much thought and deliberation, I concluded that a good icebreaker would be to give you all the tea on this situation.

Here are some of the solutions that usually work for me when I feel stuck. Enjoy!

1.   Writing continuous rubbish; the first thing I do is just write. It doesn’t have to make sense (since it is just for my eyes); I just write anything and everything, from incomplete sentences to how my day went, or even the fact that I can’t write now. It doesn’t matter what it’s about. What this does for me is it clears out my head; it also prevents me from getting comfortable in the fact that I can’t write anything. And this is not a magical fix; sometimes it takes me writing rubbish for days before I can finally put together content I want.

According to John Rogers; “You can’t think yourself out of a writing block, you have to write yourself out of a thinking block”

2.   Music; the songs I listen to depend on the topic I want to write about. Sometimes I just need instrumentals; be it classical or hip-hop, because at that point lyrics would be a distraction. Also, I listen to the songs and capitalise on a single word or line, and build my piece around that. I remember when I wanted to write on suicide, I listened to Demi Lovato’s Sorry on repeat for a whole day, alternating between the instrumentals and the song itself.

3.   Other people’s work; when you have so much to say on something, it is usually difficult to form a coherent piece that is not all over the place. So what I do after writing 20 different introductions is to Google the topic, either watch a video or read an article or poem on the topic. This gives clarity; it helps me focus on one part or allows me to create a flow that combines all my scattered thoughts.

4.   Laugh and play; this is probably obvious, but sometimes I forget about this. When something is not working out, it is easy to get frustrated and just get down on yourself. So, I constantly remind myself to go watch baby videos on YouTube; it is literally the best. Try it. Or I call my mum (she always makes me laugh). Just do something that is freeing and fun. When you get back to your desk, you feel relaxed, and even if the writing doesn’t come easily, the pressure is reduced.

5.   DO NOT GIVE UP; this one is especially for me. Once I try the first time, second time or even the third and I do not get it right, case closed, onto the next. So, try as much as possible not to give up or procrastinate (this is the worst trickery, because you keep telling yourself you will do it and never actually go back; it simply compounds the situation, believe me) because eventually you will get it right.

STAY SHINING LOVELIES

PS. Have you guys noticed how I can’t write one post without “SO”?

What is your reference word?

What other ways do you use when stuck?