It’s been one of those weeks when the writing is slow, and the brain fog thick. I have articles to complete for a client and the first draft of my novel to get on with. I know the words are somewhere in there but they’re reluctant to make themselves known.
Is this writer’s block? Surely not. I don’t believe in writer’s block, not really, but my brain has certainly been resistant to getting much writing done this week.
So when the words won’t come, here are 5 things I do to kick through that brick wall.
Check that I’m getting enough sleep
When I was in my twenties, I could cope with 3 or 4 hours sleep on a regular basis. Nowadays, I desperately need at least 7 hours, preferably 8, every night.
If I don’t get enough sleep, I can cope for maybe a couple of days, but after that the brain fog drifts in and everything seems more difficult to do.
Is brain-fog from a lack of sleep getting in the way of your writing? If so, make a promise to yourself that you’ll get at least 7 hours every night. You may have to re-organise your life a little, but try it for a week and see how much better you feel.
Drink water
When I need a boost of energy, I could reach for a coffee or a sweet snack, but I don’t. In fact, I tend to avoid those things as much as I can, and drink plenty of water instead.
I know, water is boring. It doesn’t taste of anything. It’s not frothy or fruity, or mildly interesting. But it’s good for you. Fact.
When your body is dehydrated, one of the first things to be affected is your brain. It just doesn’t work as well.
So whenever I’m having problems getting any kind of writing done, the first thing I do is have a big glass of water, and then another.
Change the record
Generally, I like to write in silence but when I need inspiration, I use binaural beats music. It’s the kind of soundtrack you might usually associate with meditation. I don’t know the exact science behind it, but it always helps me to get writing again.
If that isn’t for you, then you might prefer:
Get my message straight
What am I trying to say with my writing? If this is a non fiction article, what are the main points I need to include? If I’m working on a novel, what happens in this chapter and why?
I open a separate Word document, or grab a pad and a pencil, and plan out what I want to get across.
Take a break
If none of the above work, I step away from the keyboard and do something else for a little while. It might be as short a break as it takes to brew a cup of tea, 10 minutes to unload the washing machine and put on a new laundry wash, or 20 minutes to walk the dog.
When I return to my keyboard, my brain has usually come up with a solution or at the very least refreshed itself enough to begin to get the words down again.
*
What about you? What do you do when the words stay away?
P.S. It worked and I’m now in my writerly muse’s good books again – articles written and a couple of chapters too.