If you’re writing every day, there will come a time when you sit at your computer and nothing comes. Zilch. Zero. And it sucks.
It sucks because you still have to get whatever it is done. You can’t use writer’s block as an excuse anymore than you could blame your dog for eating your homework.
So what do you do?
These things have been helping me recently:
1. Shutting down.
Not emotionally, but electronically. I choose one day a week when I turn off my computer, ignore my cell phone, and refuse to even read a book or a magazine. Nature’s my only friend during those moments and I fully embrace it. No matter how many dishes are still in the sink or how many books are piling up that I still need to read, I know that if I don’t commit to shutting down, I won’t have anything left to give.
2. Engage All of My Senses
Writing is just one skill I have. When I’m feeling burnt out, I know that I need to begin lighting the fire under the other ones. Recently, that’s been listening to instrumental music, singing in the car, feeling the wind of my face, and appreciating good poetry. I’ve been reading a memoir and poet Jill Lurie’s first collection of poems called Ginger Roots and it’s been pulling me out of my block back into the zone. It amazes me that by having fun instead of forcing myself to write, the process of writing seems so much easier. Go figure!
What has helped you get those words and ideas flowing again?
