Writer’s block: the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing. And no, you don’t need to be an author or blogger to suffer from this – not if you’re milking the internet for all the leads you can get your paws on.
Because, you know, that requires nonstop social media updates at the very least. Sprinkle in press releases, guest articles, email marketing, advertisements, scripts for audios and videos, and even the non-writer is forced to write all the damn time.
So what happens when the cursor dances in the top left corner of a blank screen, awaiting words that never come?
I’ll tell you what I do. It’s embarrassing, but it works. There’s four basic steps.
First, stop believing in it. If you follow all these quotes I’ve been posting, you’ll hear “thoughts become things” or some variation thereof, again and again. That saying is overused for a reason. It’s true.
So, instead of breathing life into this idea of writer’s block, I told myself it wasn’t real. That it was all in my head. And the way to kill it was by calling it a myth. Simple enough, right?
But there was still work to be done.
So second, I created an alter ego. It seemed to work well for that white rapper from Detroit. Why not me? Next thing you know, I had my own version of “Slim Shady.” Only, unlike me, my alter ego always had something to say. And it was usually witty and well-worded.
Anyways, before I need to write something, I get into character.
Then, third, I do a half-ass meditation thingy. I close my eyes, take a handful of deep breaths, picturing myself sucking air from the tips of my toes all the way up through my body and into my nostrils. I then think about three people and three things I’m grateful for. And I really try to feel it. Like, until I’m on the verge of tears.
Finally, fourth, I vividly imagine my alter ego, now full of energy and joy, effortlessly cranking out that which needs written… in a fun and entertaining way that’ll make the register ring.
And that’s how I put writer’s block in a body bag. True story.
