Oh oh! How to defeat writer's block.

augenauf · #1 (**permalink**) 12-27-2007, 01:32 PM

I thought I would post the stuff that always helps me! =)

-Don't just sit there and bang your head on the keyboard. Get up, take a walk, go down to a gas station and buy some moutain dew, spend a few minutes away from the computer doing something else. Then come back.

-Brain storm! Write down anything that pops into your head relating to the topic, no matter how stupid it is, even if you already have it down or have a page dedicated to that.

-Watch movies, TV shows, and read other articles related to your topic. It never hurts to look for inspiration. (try not to copy, though!)

-Ask someone else what they would expect to find on a site like yours, or what they would like to find. Some people are more creative than others, so ask lots of people.

-Listen to that music that gets you in that mood =) this works better for some sites than others xD

-meditate! Tense up, release, tense up, release, and focus on your breathing. This helps especially if your writer's block is a symptom of being upset about something.

-Last resort? Go to bed and hope it gets better in the morning D:

-STILL stuck? Sometimes writer's block lasts weeks (months if you're REALLY, REALLY unlucky, but not usually) and there's nothing you can do about it. This is a good time to focus on other stuff--how's the layout? Are there any grammatical or spelling errors? (if you're not so good at proofing, have someone help you). Organization--is everything easy to find? Are all the links working, is your sitemap up-to-date? Just because you're not writing new stuff doesn't mean you can't work on your site.

-try and write something on a topic you are not familiar with. To do this, you need to do research (Not copy and paste!!! I mean actual research) and learn about the topic. This gets your mind away from regular tensions. This works for me. ----Submitted by our good friend TechMonster!

I'll add more stuff here as I discover new things or as I think of them. =)

lisa · #2 (**permalink**) 12-27-2007, 01:51 PM

Ha ha, what a nice light-hearted post and some useful tips too.

I've recently discovered the benefits of meditation. I used to think it was all about chanting and going into some kind of out-of-planet state. But just sitting and focusing on my breathing for 5-10 minutes really clears my mind and helps me focus.

I also agree that asking for other's opinions is useful. Often times you get into one frame of mind and someone else comes along with a fresh idea to help you get another view point.

Good stuff augenauf!

augenauf · #3 (**permalink**) 12-27-2007, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisa

Ha ha, what a nice light-hearted post and some useful tips too.

I've recently discovered the benefits of meditation. I used to think it was all about chanting and going into some kind of out-of-planet state. But just sitting and focusing on my breathing for 5-10 minutes really clears my mind and helps me focus.

I also agree that asking for other's opinions is useful. Often times you get into one frame of mind and someone else comes along with a fresh idea to help you get another view point.

Good stuff augenauf!

Well thank you! Writing is my corner of the woods, and with it comes, you know, the unfortunate parts =/

I used to think that same thing about meditation. You may not know this abou tme, but sometimes I have temper problems =/ it's getting better but I waste a lot of time being angry and it REALLY gets in the way sometimes (it's hard to get anything done when you're angry!) but then our psychology teacher had us meditate for a class period and I was astounded to find that, once I left the class room I felt... better. I can't think of any other way to describe it. Just better. =)

lisa · #4 (**permalink**) 12-27-2007, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by augenauf

... our psychology teacher had us meditate for a class period and I was astounded to find that, once I left the class room I felt... better. I can't think of any other way to describe it. Just better. =)

Now that's really cool, augenauf. Glad you found something that works for you.

augenauf · #5 (**permalink**) 12-27-2007, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisa

Now that's really cool, augenauf. Glad you found something that works for you.

Thanks, Lisa! -adds another tip- Yaaaay!

foong · #6 (**permalink**) 12-27-2007, 08:42 PM

Good tips, I practice some of them too, it is just not going to get things done any faster when you are so rush or stuck, stop the work and stay away for a little while, sometimes things can just workout magically.

techMonster · #7 (**permalink**) 12-28-2007, 12:10 PM

One more trick to overcome writer's block is to try and write something on a topic you are not familiar with. To do this, you need to do research (Not copy and paste!!! I mean actual research) and learn about the topic. This gets your mind away from regular tensions. This works for me.

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