It was July 2008 that I started with this blog. Since then, I try to share what interests me, what disturbs me, or what I feel that people maybe interested to read. As days passes, as more and more articles comes and goes, there are times that I totally go blank. Times where I feel I ran out of topics to post on. At least the whole of June 2010 went without me writing a single article.
It was recently that I came to learn that this is something common. Well, a common factor known as Writer's block. According to dictionary a writer's block is "A usually temporary psychological inability to begin or continue work on a piece of writing."
So I tried to get some information regarding it and here is what I came to know.
Writer's block. Writer's block or the writer's temporary inability to continue with his/her writing is a situation very often faced by writers. A dream no writer wishes to see. Many are faced with this problem and some desperate to find a solution. Since I came to know about this, I have read several articles on different websites about writers block, though I am someone who somehow hates reading.
Some important things I learned from these readings are presented here.
1. Be who you are. Your writing what you think, what you feel and what you believe. If then, you do not have to avoid any idea thinking that others may not like it. Its your writing that you decide. If there are some who do not like to read what you wrote, there will also be many who will love to read what you wrote.
2. Just because you could not write today does not mean you can not write tomorrow. Often when we try to write an article and when we find that we just couldn't get any good idea, we get fed up. However, if we look back, we did write many articles before. So just because we could not come up with one today, it doesn't mean we cant do it anymore. So have faith and try once again always. Try, try and try, they say.
3. Make writing a habit. Not every thing that we write necessary have to be an excellent one. As simple as this. Every time you kick the ball, it does not have to score you a goal. Yet your still a player. It is a good idea to write something (though it may not make a good sense as a piece of work now) and make it a part of the daily life. Rule is simple. The guy in the bench can only watch, yet the guy playing MAY score sometime or the other.
4. Read. Oh I hate this!! Yet it seems this is an essential part. The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the more you think. The more you think, the better ideas will follow out from what you read before. Guess I got to think of start reading. :)
5. Give time. If you feel you ran out of ideas, do not force yourself to come up with an idea on the spot. Go for a ride. Have a talk. Watch a movie. Play a game. And come back with a fresh mind. You'd find that you can think of a good idea and also in the process of doing what was just mentioned you may get an idea too. And yea, no need to try on an article after a fight with your boyfriend/girlfriend or wife/husband etc... It'd help you in nothing more than proving to yourself there is nothing in your mind.
6. Don't let the ideas go away. No matter where you are, if you get an idea, do save it. Remember that you may need an idea tomorrow. I use to write the ideas I get as drafts on my phone. Very often a good source for me to decide what to post on my blog comes while watching news or while yawning in a long meeting.
7. A particular topic is not a must. If unable to continue with a topic, leave it for the time and switched to another one, yet do not quit the first topic too, as the idea may come anytime.
8. Avoid too much of over editing. This will make you feel that all that your wrote does not make sense. Rather try showing to someone your comfortable to share with and seek an advice on where it is not going very well.
9. Ask your friends for ideas and feedback. Keep a contact with others who writes. Both will help you in avoiding to face the writers block.
10. Sometimes the article you write may not be good for you, yet an excellent one for the others. So if you have an idea and the information, do not give up a chance. From what I learned so far, some articles that I wrote and published thinking few will bother were most important for many readers and vice versa.
Photo:
http://www.sodahead.com/living/skills-basic-to-writing-well-are/question-905969/
http://www.fuelyourwriting.com/an-unusual-cure-for-writers-block/