How do you handle writer’s block or creative fatigue?
I have the dry spell again. After constant writing, I abruptly stopped. It was so sudden and now, I am halfway of the month with no updates on my stories but this personal essay for Writer’s Sea of Thoughts. This is a monologue actually and no clear direction. Just plainly writing my thoughts of my journey with experiencing creative fatigue and writer’s block. It was more of writer’s slump for me since being in a slump means this is only a short period of having no inspiration or motivation to write. I expect that I will be able to pick up ongoing stories and start writing again.
How do I handle writer’s block? I find a distraction and I’m easily distracted with things going on in my phone - including social media. One second, I forgot that I have to search something in Google. There’s an explanation to that, I watched it in Youtube and now, I forgot. I can’t remember the right term but it’s about forgetting things in a short span of time, easily distracted due to the constant bombarding of notifications and content. Distractions can also mean a diversion for me. Or a detour. I was planning to join the NaNoWriMo but my other personalities of my brain told me that I can’t maintain it and I did. I stopped writing at the end of the October and now it’s almost halfway of November. I knew, a part of me that would stop all of a sudden. From writing. From channeling my scene ideas to my ongoing stories. From doing something related to creativity. Even scrolling and getting ideas from Pinterest.
Whenever I don’t have the motivation to write or I am not in the mood to write, I read stories - from novels to even comics, watch dramas or movies and worst diversion of all? Scrolling via FB, visiting political pages and compare their insights and be aware of what’s happening in the government. But that’s also stresses me so it’s a double-edge sword of distraction or diversion from suffering from writer’s slump or block. I want to keep my mind and my body occupied or else I’ll be in a loop of thoughts that can be negative in the long run. When I’m experience writing slump, I always think of quitting from writing altogether. It’s that thought of not being able to write again because of the slump, like forever. Sometimes, I judge my writing skills harshly. I would be disappointed with myself, feeling down when my writing feels like garbage and there are millions of better writers out there. Who am I anyway?
I may have creative ideas. Ideas of what I write. Or even projects that I can do that’s related to writing. But my hands, my emotions and my mind were cooperating against me. I also realized that I could not force myself to write when I’m feeling not writing anything. Even though, I want to express my thoughts. It felt like there’s trash clogging my brain and deteriorating my determination or motivation to write. In fact, right now. I only find words to describe my experience, typing them without minding if I’m going in the right track of the topic or not.
I have no other solutions but to take a rest and do things that I enjoyed also apart from writing. We have our own way of coping writer’s block/slump. What can be worst for me? Doomscrolling because I don’t want to read or watch anything. Almost deplete of energy and will doomscroll. Scrolling is easy anyway but the information every reels, shorts, posts, make my brain depleted also from processing all sorts.
There’s no magic in treating writer’s block. But one move? Write your thoughts or emotions at the moment. Like what I’m doing right. This piece is like stream-of-consciousness. This is how I type/write/express my thoughts. But more on taking a rest. Not forcing myself to write and just take my time. I need the rest too.