Some sounds may be helpful. White noise, calm music, or a spinning fan may be helpful for you if you tend to get a little antsy in complete silence.
Shorter pieces of writing and bits of novels you’ve read before are better for this than larger texts you aren’t familiar with. If you get wrapped up in what you’re reading, you may not get any writing done!
If you do listen to music, don’t choose music that you absolutely love or you may end up focusing on a song you love instead of your writing. Even if you’re a metalhead or hardcore hip-hop fan, it’s probably better to listen to some ambient, classical, or instrumental music.
You can also go to a museum, write while you’re standing up at a counter, sit down on your front porch, or sit down at an outdoor café and write.
If you’re a little hungry, an apple or a yogurt will really help you feel better as you sit down to do some writing. Be careful about drinking coffee or tea when you’re tired. The immediate boost may help you push through for 1-2 pages, but you’re bound to crash after a short period of productivity.
You can use your phone to do this if you’d like, but you’re more likely to actually make a habit out of this if you use old-school paper and pen since you’re already used to pulling your phone out and may get distracted.
For some people, freewriting isn’t particularly helpful. If this doesn’t spark an idea, don’t worry about it. Some people get kind of cagey when they don’t have time to think about what they’re writing ahead of time.
If you’re just sitting there dreading the prospect of writing a paper, just come with a first sentence—even if it isn’t good. Write this first sentence out and then see if your fingers keep typing. If they don’t, think through the second sentence. This is a particularly helpful if you’re trying to complete a school assignment or you’re writing for work or something like that. This isn’t the right solution for everyone. If you can’t force yourself to write things out, try another approach.
When you do proofread, read your work out loud to catch any mistakes. It’s much easier to find problems with your writing if you can hear what your text sounds like out loud.
Taking a break is mandatory when you’re writing for a long period of time to begin with, but you may need to take a break if you can’t shake the writer’s block at all. If you find yourself struggling to get started or get past the first page, it’s time to take a break.
If you don’t think you’re a particularly artistic person, don’t worry about that. Just draw something—even if it’s not great! The mere act of doing it is what’s important here and nobody is judging your art.
This is a great excuse to take the dog for a walk or pick up a snack at your local corner store.
If your desk space is clean, do some laundry, clean the dishes, or sweep the floor. Do something to cleanse your home and you’ll feel much better about getting some writing done.
If you’re one of those writers that writes like 10 pages in one sitting and then doesn’t write for a few weeks, stop! Binge-writing is hard to maintain and you’re taking long breaks because you keep burning out. If you can develop a consistent writing routine, your output will improve dramatically.
The general consensus is that it’s much easier to write early in the morning. However, if you find a different time works better for you or you have a schedule that doesn’t make it easy to write in the morning, pick another time.
Just don’t get in the habit of taking multiple days off in a row. The more consistent your writing schedule is, the less likely you’ll be to run into writer’s block.
