How to Kill the Blank Page
Hey writers! This month’s writing tip is: to
overcome writer’s block with inspiration. We’ve all been there. We’ve all felt
the drive to write, we’ve all procrastinated until a deadline looms, and we’ve
all wanted (needed) to write something well. But we constrain ourselves the
second we sit down, pen in hand or fingers flat on the keyboard, with the
pressure of needing to write a masterpiece. We think, okay, I need to start
this now, and this needs to be the best thing I’ve ever written. And sure,
maybe that’s true. But when something unsavory comes out instead of the
beautiful words we’ve been expecting, the panic rises. And that panic can be
absolutely debilitating. I believe that in order to avoid the pains of writer’s
block, we have to make conscious efforts to look for inspiration wherever we
can. The following suggestions can help you squeeze out the ideas spinning
around in your brain and give you the peace and confidence you need to approach
your writing.
1. Act like a kid.
Like many people at Emerson,
I’ve been in love with words since I was very young. This topic came up during
a workshop of mine just last semester: kids who write do so freely. They don’t
think of a grade, they don’t have expectations confining them, and they don’t
try to limit themselves to demands and specifics. They are completely free to
tell whatever story they want to and so, they do. It seemed everyone in my
class lamented this, felt envious. This is because like most writers, we all
get older and allow our freedom to get bottled up. We put so much pressure on
ourselves and set rules that only serve to put more stress and anxiety on our
shoulders.
I
think one helpful step to take is to act more like a kid when writing. We all
know it takes about 750 million drafts until we’re even close to feeling
satisfied with our work. So if this is your first draft, why worry? Write
whatever you want, however you want to, and do it because it is fun for you. Do
it because it makes you happy. You’re likely to surprise yourself; maybe you’ll
turn this impossible idea into a strong start for a story or poem. You can go
back later and fix any discrepancies or grammar mishaps that come with all this
freedom. But for a start, just try to let yourself write freely.
2. Take a breather.
Seriously! Sitting in front of
the blank page or computer screen becomes stressful after a while, and the more
you try to force yourself to write something, the more your anxiety builds, and
the more impossible the task becomes. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve
sat down, ready to write a poem or a story, only to freeze right up. I may have
an idea to run on, one that sounds perfect in my head, but when I try to put it
on paper, it just self-destructs. And then I really start to worry. I’ll write
a page and delete the entire thing. I’ll write four lines and feel nauseous.
People underestimate this, but starting anything is absolutely the hardest step
to take. And because I know that and understand it about myself, I’m almost
always terrified to start.
But
instead of worrying that whatever you’re writing isn’t good enough or isn’t
what you wanted, try to relax for a second. Take what you have, be it a
sentence, a word, or an entire page, and stop. Just take a break. Even if you
feel like you don’t have the time, sometimes you have to make time. If I feel
stuck like this and it’s late at night, I’ll just shut my computer and go to
sleep. When I wake up early, I’m tired, but with a cup of coffee and some
sweatpants, I can approach the day and the writing with a clearer mind. Maybe
it’s not sleeping that works for you; maybe you need to take a walk, watch an
episode of your favorite show. It doesn’t matter what it is. But try to
understand yourself and know that sometimes, it helps just to move away for a
while.
3.
Give yourself the opportunity to experience as
much as you can.
This is a huge step to take, but I honestly believe it is the
most important. As writers, we draw on life. Most of what we write about stems
from people and experiences we’ve had, no matter how far-fetched or unrealistic
our ideas may be. Writing has its roots in experience. You will write with much
more strength if you can open your world a bit. Take that cross country road trip,
go to that concert with your friends, try that new restaurant. No matter how
crazy or how mundane, each experience is one to be valued, and I can almost
guarantee that you’ll find something small to remember about each and every
one. Conversations that you overhear and people that you meet and interact with
can be some of the greatest writing prompts. Don’t limit yourself to your
imagination; allow it to work hand-in-hand with your experiences, your life.
When
I was younger and first struggling with writer’s block, I used to pray that
when I went to sleep, I’d have dreams with genius ideas for a new story. I’d
just hope that they’d come to me if I waited long enough. Sometimes this can
happen, sure. A spark will light and words will suddenly appear on the page,
almost by magic, and then you’ll be on a roll. More often than not, though, I
find that true, emotional experience can be the perfect cure to writer’s block.
The one thing I have to stress this month is: try
not to stress. Writing is difficult. It can be fun and rewarding, but it can
also be demanding and incredibly frustrating. This is just part of the lives
we’ve all chosen. I read a quote once, though I can’t remember exactly where,
but I’ll try to paraphrase. “Much of writing is not writing.” How true is this
for all of us? This is the struggle of being a writer. This is the beautiful,
infuriating struggle of being a writer. Try to embrace it. Write freely, take a
break, and let yourself live.
By Kim Lester
