Writing Through Writer’s Block

“There was a time, a long long time ago; Chevys and Levies played on the radio…”

I know when most of you were children, your parents probably sat you down in the living room, poured you a cup of tea and taught you about writer’s block. I’ll never forget the big day, “son, you can’t do anything about writer’s block; sometimes ‘god’ wants writers to slow down and think about what they should write.” My parents were right; writer’s block cannot be stopped, you can only hope to contain it.

Writer’s block is annoying and most likely comes from over-thinking. For no apparent reason, the mind will shut down and stop producing ideas. (There is no scientific explanation for writer’s block, so until one exists, we’ll go with the over-thinking theory!) I struggled with the condition for most of my life, until I finally arrived at a solution. Writing is the only way to cure writer’s block.

I know what you must be thinking; “who the heck is this idiot and what does he know about writer’s block?” I’m no expert, but I am someone who never has to deal with writer’s block. (Seriously!)

Experiencing writer’s block, is like going to the mall with a list of items to purchase and discovering the second store on your list is temporarily closed; you don’t sit there and wait, you move on and return later. Use the same solution when writing. When you get stuck, write down “think of a great idea and add it here,” and then add asterisks to the text; maybe even change the color to red. (The goal is to ensure that you remember to come back and edit!)

Once you have created a reminder for yourself, continue writing as if you came up with the perfect idea. Here is an example:

Dead goat heads look like dinosaurs. I remember the first time I saw one, *Write an example – get creative.*

One time, I buried a dead goat head in the back yard and I allowed it to remain hidden for three weeks. On the day of my big cookout, I shocked the guests by “discovering” a dinosaur fossil! They couldn’t believe that some of the flesh remained! It was great until my uncle pointed out that he *connect my uncle to the first time I saw a dead goat head. Maybe he was the one who made me cut it up.*

Add something about rather being bitten by sharks than dinosaurs! (As the ideas pop into your head, write them on the page and continue to write. Once you find the perfect place to insert each new idea, make your edits!)

[The End]

This is an example of how I am able to write without stopping because of writer’s block. Once you continue to write, the ideas will start to flow and you can go back and fill in the empty spaces. Attempting to force out creative content will only exacerbate the situation. (Writer’s block grows stronger when people try to force the issue!)

This approach can also work for someone who is having trouble coming up with a new idea. I believe anyone who wants to write should keep a stockpile of ideas with them at all times. Thankfully, we live in the era of “Technological Revolution.” My smart phone has a memo application which I constantly use to jot down ideas. (I currently have exactly 130 memos in my phone!)

** Those of you who do not keep up with the basic gadgets can carry around a small note pad!**

The ideas are great to have, but you may rifle through your collection and find that nothing sparks your interest. That’s not a problem; all you have to do is pick a random idea and start writing. Once the creative juices begin to flow, you will find the great idea you were looking for. (Reading can also help to get the creativity going!)

Music is another great way to prevent writer’s block. Life is filled with all types of distractions. Playing music in the background will control your surrounding area. Music can also be a great idea generator; you may hear some lyrics which can spark a topic.

These are the methods I use and I hope others can find them to be useful!

Although I love listening to Cash Money Records, I don’t play any rap while writing. (Except for Three Six Mafia’s, Doe Boy Fresh.) **If I could explain it, I would!**

My playlists consists of ‘80s rock classics and Magic 106.7 soft rock greats. Thanks to my cousin @Dtexboston, I now have Spotify. (I suggest you check it out!)

Here are thirty random songs from the playlist of over one hundred:

1. Slice – Five For Fighting
2. Carry You Home – James Blunt
3. Faithfully – Journey
4. World – Five for Fighting
5. Daughters – John Mayer
6. Collide – Howie Day
7. She Will Be Loved – Maroon Five
8. Here Comes The Sun – Beatles
9. Copperline – James Taylor
10. Who’s Crying Now – Journey
11. Open Arms – Journey
12. Billie jean – Michael Jackson
13. Your Love – The Outfield
14. Walking In Memphis – Marc Cohn
15. Hotel California – The Eagles
16. Superman – Five For Fighting
17. 100 Years – Five For Fighting
18. Chances – Five For Fighting
19. High – James Blunt
20. Carolina In My Mind – James Taylor
21. It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday – Boyz II Men
22. Losing My Religion – R.E.M.
23. American Pie – John McLean
24. I Ran – A Flock Of Seagulls
25. Redemption Song – Bob Marley and The Wailers
26. With Or Without You – U2
27. I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing — Aerosmith
28. Say – John Mayer
29. This Romeo Ain’t Got Julie Yet – Diamond Rio
30. This Is How We Do IT – Montell Jordan

<BONUS> Don’t Stop Believing — Journey

Judge me if you must, but I like good music! (I usually listen to Five For Fighting and Journey, for the most part!)

Unfortunately, Spotify doesn’t have any of the songs from the movie Scarface!

**No Livity –– Rapaz Novo, either!**

If I had the time, I would definitely send a letter: “To whom it may concern!”

     ***Be advised, my solution for preventing writer’s block may only work for people with an extreme case of undiagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder. (I truly hope it works for everyone!)***

Good Luck!

@PeteTeix617