What is writer’s block? If you’re a writer, you’ll be very familiar with this phenomenon. You’re hunched over your desk, pen or keyboard in hand, wondering how you’ll be able to finish your designated task in time. For one reason or another, it doesn’t seem to be working today. You know your capabilities as a writer, but they seem to have fizzled out this morning. Sentences stop making sense and you see yourself get caught up in the meaning of specific words. It’s either a terrifying or mildly annoying scenario, depending on how close you are to your deadline. 

There are lots of reasons you might have writer’s block at any given moment, so you have to tailor your solution based on when and where you’re writing. Here are a few tips that can help you overcome this problem. 

Toss perfectionism out the door

There’s nothing that gets in the way of success quite like perfectionism. This doesn’t feel like it should make sense, but it does. When you’re too caught up with whether or not your work is perfect, you soon lose track of the process of writing. People get stranded in the middle of their writing sessions simply because they aren’t satisfied with the work they’ve already done. 

Obviously, you’ll want to always give it your best shot, but that doesn’t mean you should give up at the first sign of trouble. Stop second-guessing every sentence as you’re writing it. There’s a certain flow to writing and you should strive to keep it up as long as your inspiration guides you. When it comes to working out the quirks and mistakes, you can always proofread it and make changes along the way.

Get in your zone

Sometimes, writing requires that you’re in a good place, both mentally and physically. You want to feel comfortable with your pen in hand, and that’s not always easy to achieve. What if you’re constantly barraged with outside noises? If you’re writing in the living room and someone’s pestering you, it’s kind of difficult to focus on writing. Whether it’s noise, criticism, bad vibes, or anything else that’s bothering you, you need a zone all to yourself to fix it.

It’s not without reason that old-timey writers had their own studies to write in. They needed peace, quiet, and the right kind of atmosphere to kickstart their inspiration. Consider turning one of your rooms into a dedicated study. Better yet, you could just make your room more comfortable for writing. 

Make sure you tune-out and block all the noises that could disrupt your writing process. Keep the lighting in the room just right. Natural light is always recommended for inspiration, so don't hesitate to use your windows. Don't overdo it, though. You don't want the sun to get in your eyes and irritate you as you write. Make use of some attractive cellular blinds or curtains for your room and you’ll be able to let in as much light as you like. Don’t like the noises coming from outside? Get yourself some noise-canceling headphones. Anything that helps you get in your zone will be helpful. 

Keep critiques out of your head

There's nothing quite like the fear of criticism to get your writing mojo going. If there's something that writers don't like, it's having their work criticized by others. This goes double if they aren't writers themselves. When you're sharing your innermost thoughts or creating a perfect piece of work, you don't want people to trash it or make fun of you. This fear can really hamper a writer's efforts, leading to certain writer’s block.

We’re all our own worst critic. You don’t want to read your work in a week’s time and think it’s bad. This would feel like wasted time. Take the sensible approach and stop caring about others’ feelings about your work. Even your own feelings don’t really matter in this situation. Keep writing and you’re going to see progress, whether you know it or not. There are much worse pieces of writing out there, so you shouldn’t worry. Even if yours were the absolute worst piece of writing ever created, you shouldn’t let others’ opinions get to you. Writing is all about progress, and you can’t make progress without writing.

Conclusion

Writer’s block is a difficult hurdle to overcome for any writer. We’ve all experienced this, so it’s not something that’s only affecting you. Whether you’re unsatisfied with your work or the opinion of others, there’s always going to be something holding you back. What you need is to block-out all the negativity that might be surrounding you and put yourself in an ideal writing atmosphere. Only then can you overcome bouts of writer’s block and start writing with confidence. Create a writing zone for yourself and you’ll find that inspiration will come naturally.