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Facing the Enemy: Writer's Block


One of the greatest struggles of my life has been the fight against writer’s block. As an aspiring author, not being able to write and find the words my brain is thinking of is terrifying especially when a due date looms over my head. College has brought out the most writer’s block I have ever had. Combatting the battle of writer’s block can be super tricky, but here are some things that work for me!

1. Finding Inspiration

The most helpful thing for me in times of struggling with what the heck to write is finding some good inspiration. Whenever I’m struggling with writing a scene for my novel or just don’t know how to effectively communicate what I want to in an academic paper, I always go back to books, movies, or TV shows that I love for inspiration. Within them, I always find some bits of writing that I find amazing. These small pieces can really help me come up with different ideas for how to write and what to write. Going back to what I know is a great piece of literature whether it be a book or TV show, is a sure fire way for me to find some great bits of inspiration. Maybe I will find a scene that I want to draw some inspiration from or even a character. Either way, it is super helpful to find what works in the “bigger world” and let it inspire you in your own writing. 

2. Stepping Away

Another way to fight against that misery that is writer’s block is to just step away from the project for a bit. This may sound counterintuitive, but sometimes stepping away is exactly what you need in order to keep on going. This can be stressful though with academic assignments since the due date is very strict (which is why you shouldn’t wait until the ninth hour to start on an assignment). Stepping away even just for an hour can help to clear your mind to the great ideas that are buried within. It can also help take the pressure off of yourself by allowing you to relax a bit in order to find that clarity you need for writing.  

3. Pushing Through

Sometimes we get bogged down with having to have the perfect first draft of anything. I’m super guilty of this. Even with my novel I’m working on, I want everything I write the first time to be the final stage end product which is quite literally impossible. One of the most valuable pieces of advice anyone has ever given me was from one of my high school English teachers. He said that no great piece of literature is ever truly done. No work can be perfect even if you work on it for years. This perfectionism can be debilitating when it comes to writing. Sometimes we get so caught up in wanting the product to be perfect we stress ourselves out and we find ourselves stuck in the rut of wanting perfection to the point where we don’t even try. This is sort of a self-inflicted writer’s block. This perfectionism traps us in and doesn’t let us just write. 

In order to fight back against this type of writer’s block, the best thing to do is to realize that you can’t get perfection especially with only your first draft. Overcoming that barrier will help immensely with your writing abilities. Let go of the need for perfection and just let yourself write. Sometimes this can be the best thing. Even if you don’t use everything you write, you will help hone your skills and clear the weeds of distraction. 

There are thousands of different ways to combat writer’s block, but these are the most helpful for me. Writer’s block isn’t the end of the world. Let it pick you up and bring you to a new way of thinking and writing.

By: Sarah Yeaste, WCC Coach



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