101 Writing Tips from an Exhausted Reviewer

Writer's Block

"Welcome to Miss Sunshine's Clinic! How can I help you today?" 

"Um... Well... You see..." 

"What's up?" 

"I..." 

"Are you struggling to get words out?" 

"Yes..." 

"Tell me more." 

"I... I can't write anymore. I sit down to write. And I just... can't." 

"Oh. I think I know how to diagnose this." 

"Oh, no." 

"Yup." 

"It's not..." 

"I think it is." 

"Please, Sunshine, anything but..." 

"Writer's Block." 

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO--" 

And then the customer realised healthcare was super expensive, was in debt, and then decided to jump onto an eagle and enter the realm of toothpaste. 

True story. 

Anyways! Writer's Block! I'm sure it's a term we have all heard at some point. 

For those who don't know what it is, it's basically that feeling we get where we simply just cannot bring ourselves to write our stories. It happens for a plethora of reasons, but it's a pretty dangerous cycle. We fall into the slump of not writing, so we put our project off for days, then weeks, then months, and it just gets even harder to write then, because we've lost a grip on where our story was. 

So, what sort of things cause Writer's Block? 

Well, you can't just ask someone why they had a heart attack... rude much. 

(But also, I blame Greg the Mosquito.) 

But because we are writers and we ruthlessly murder characters, I think we can all ask each other... Well, why do we lose our spark? What makes it so hard for us to write sometimes? 

Let's go back to the heart attack analogy. Heart Attacks can happen for heaps of different reasons. Sometimes, it's simply random chance. Sometimes, we aren't really looking after our bodies. Sometimes, it's a genetic thing. Sometimes, we go on a roller coaster. And sometimes, someone gives you a cup of coffee or something. 

Similarly, there are a bunch of random reasons why we get Writer's Block. Some might be genetic. Some might be coffee related. 

However, these are usually the common reasons that I can think about: 

- I am tired and burnt out. 

If you have been writing a lot and overworking yourself, you probably need a break. So, please! Take care of yourself! Take a warm bath, walk a pet [even a gold fish], eat your favourite food, listen to some amazing music, go to the ocean, dance a little -- anything that helps you find some restoration and peace within yourself. 

Actually, speaking of that, if anyone has any favourite songs, please tell me their names here! I'm looking for more music outside of Eurovision!

- I haven't written in ages and I feel like I've lost touch. 

It can be super intimidating to write, especially when you haven't written in ages. Imagine being a singer, then not using your vocal chords for two years, and then singing again. It's happened to me before. I sounded like a duck whose throat was caught in a fence. 

But be patient with yourself, and give it a chance! The worst that can happen is that you notice you're a bit rusty, but then that gives you the chance to polish it!