WRITER'S BLOCK

WRITER’S BLOCK

All writers have dealt with this syndrome, some time or the other. It hits one in the best of times as well as in the worst of times. There are no medical remedies for the affectation. Writers are rendered helpless when struck by writers’ block. But what exactly is this disease-like pestilence? Down the ages, thinkers and philosophers have tirelessly hunted for answers to this conundrum. But all their efforts have been rendered futile because it affects all writers to this very day.

As if struck by a thunderbolt, this malady incapacitates the writer from writing any further. He or she faces severe problems while penning down thoughts on to the blank sheet. The thought processes get blurred and the blankness of the paper in front worsens the matter in most cases. The pen just refuses to formulate the proper words. The mind goes caput and we are rendered mere puppets in the hands of the Almighty. But are there any ways to overcome this syndrome? Can the Writer’s Block be overcome? Till this day, there’ve been no definitive answers. Some questions have all the potential in them, to remain unsolved puzzles. Writer’s Block is, unfortunately, one among them.

But there are a few steps which can be followed in order to keep this in check. They are:

1.       When writer’s block strikes you, just give up. Don’t try to pen down anything. The more you try, the more will this block try to overwhelm.

2.       Read as much as you can. This has been reiterated by innumerable writers around the world, irrespective of time and place. The more you’ll read, the better will there be a grasp over the language.

3.       Read from diverse genres. Though this may sound pedantic coming from an amateur writer like me, yet this is the one step to complete eradication of the affectation.

4.       Take time off to exercise. Believe me, this really helps. It may be simple stretching or plain, simple breathing one. Fresh air to the lungs, I think, aids mental functioning.

5.       Plan a holiday. During the vacation, take down copious notes on the place of visit – its history, scenic grandeur, flora and fauna etc. After returning, incorporate these into your writing. They may range from short stories to newspaper feature articles.

6.       Stop all attempts to write further when struck by writer’s block. This further aggravates the problem, instead of alleviating it.

7.       Go and watch a movie of your choice. Taking the mind off from work and enjoying some ‘me time’ really works wonders.

8.       Turn on some soothing, instrumental music. Music therapy has proved beyond an iota of doubt that serious illnesses can get cured by listening to music.

9.       Try to doodle a bit. Not all writers are good painters. But both painting and creative writing require imagination. Paint a bit. It may help to divert the mind from the immediate problem.

10.   Last, but not the least, do not consider writing to be a tedious affair. It should come effortlessly, effectively and empirically.

These are certain guidelines which have proven results, not just with me but the world over. Try them. And then reach out to me to convey whether you’ve found them effective and worth following. Say a Good Bye to Writer’s Block, once and forever.