Writing is an art, an offshoot of a creative culture that portrays perspectives, reality, and suppositions.

Despite how creative your mind is, there is always a chance that you will run into challenges that will test your purpose.

One of such challenges is the writer’s block.

If an idea hits you, the first inkling is to put it down somewhere. However, if distraction doesn’t get to you first, the possibility of the muse slowly wading off will probably deter your flow.

That’s writer’s block getting in the way of your pace, your purpose, and your invention.

However, does that mean you should get worried, sitting next to your blank screen and wondering if you’re getting close to the end of your writing career?

Certainly not.

The good news is that writer’s block is a pest; you can let it have the farming season, or you can kill it and use it as manure.

Instead of allowing your fears and anxieties to create a dark season in your writing experience, here is a list of what to do with writer’s block if it ever poses a problem.

How to Use Writer’s Block To Your Advantage

1. Convert It into Library Time

When the block sets in, it’s telling you to get charged up. Your intellect needs a boost, so, start by spending some quality time to read anything of interest.

Versatile readers accomplish so much with little time.  That’s because they have several angles to approach any subject.

The fact that you specialize in fiction doesn’t mean you should stick to Marvel, Disney, and other fictional creation that will only keep you boxed up in a single territory.

Find out new things, spend money on documentaries, and invest in researching subjects that are way different from your area of specialty.

Jhumpa Lahiri told The Times on an interview:

Writer’s block is a natural part of the creative process for almost all writers. There are times when one is bursting with ideas and inspiration and all the important components – time, focus, etc. are in place… I have written for long enough to accept these patterns and to understand that the blocks are temporary, that in the long run, if one sticks to a schedule and tries to write on a regular basis, something will eventually come. I think a lot of what people refer to as “writer’s block” is the period during which ideas gestate in the mind, when a story grows but isn’t necessarily being written in sentences on the page. But it’s all-important, in the end. If I am feeling stuck or uninspired, I usually take a time-out to read. That always gets me going again.

2. Travel

Have you ever told your story based on personal experience? It doesn’t matter what pronouns you use. Telling it from a personal purview helps you to shape the creative orbit and organization of your write-up.

So, when the block kicks in, change your scenery.

Whether it’s an uncharted territory or places from your early childhood, let the writer’s block expire there.

3. Meditate

Think about this; you’ve never had time for yourself since you got a pile-up of work to do within a short time.

This could be the reason why you mistakenly type in a portion of the lyrics of the song in play while you’re working on an essay.

You have the ideas, but anxieties and fear of beating the deadline have clogged up your creative flow, so instead of a quality service delivery, you’re forced into plagiarism and other unprofessional habits that aren’t your style.

What do you do then?

How about some Yoga class? If there’s one around your neighborhood, take some time out from your work routine.

Go to a cozy place that will help set your mind in tune, flushing out all the unnecessary thoughts that are welcoming the block. No amount that you spend doing this is a waste.

As a matter of fact, it’s an investment. Your mind is the engine room of all your creative expertise. Spend money for its maintenance!

You don’t have to go through the extremes like some writers to beat the block.

4. Reassess Your Body Mechanism

A block could be a signal of your body telling you to take a time-out. Mental exhaustion or fatigue is a thing.

The most ignorant thing to think or accept is the misconception that writing is a form of recreation.

Whether you’re writing as a vocation or for a formal project, your brain is engaged in the activity. Hence, you can be mentally exhausted. Analyze your body; tend to yourself.

A block is telling you to clear up those emotions to have clarity and the right cognitive ability to put down an excellent job. 

5. Think of It as a Check on Your Creativity and Efficiency

The more you write, the hungrier you get for perfection. Writer’s block mostly set in when you’re unimpressed with what you have put down.

Think of it as a built-in critique in your consciousness, checking unsatisfactory pieces in your write-ups.

So, instead of giving in to frustration, take a step back, review your work from the beginning, get back to the purpose of the write-up, and rediscover your muse.

There are some claims that the earlier works of William Shakespeare were uninteresting at first. However, the genius went back on his works to ensure that his readers and viewers at his theater are not disappointed.

The remarkable stories, the poetic organization, historical settings, and contents are some of the things that made Shakespeare’s work unique. Those creative ingenuity couldn’t have been set up without several reviews.

A block is not a setback. It’s a set-up for the next edition that is better than the previous one.  

6. Change the Game

Getting stuck in your train of thought is a call to change the way you write. Your intuition is pointing you to another direction; avoiding what it’s saying get you stuck in the process.

There’s something unique about being unpredictable. Many of your works might not leave the shelves of the few bookstores it gets to if your readers can predict you.

Even if you decide to stick to writing tragedies alone, the block is a signal pointing you to consider areas that you could use to spice up your creativity.

The likes of Stephen King were able to consistently engage hundreds of thousands of readers by producing a series of books of the same title and genre.

It had a lot to do with being able to thrill the expectant readers with fresh, surprising perspectives.

7. Engage A Self Help Exercise

Here’s another way turn a writer’s block into an advantage.

Put your writing on hold and ensure you’re in a place of solitude. Stare into the mirror, starting with your fears. Then remind yourself of the purpose of your write up.

This will help you focus on your goals, especially when there’s limited time to try out the previous suggestions on this article.

No one knows you like you. Talking to yourself could be more therapeutic than you know.

8. Discuss Your Project with Trusted Peers or Writing Professionals

There are so many social media platforms where you can meet writers that are more advanced than you.

And here’s the thing. They can be the easiest and most-accessible plug out of writer’s block.

Get to know writing professionals if you can. Discuss your issues with them and hear their stories.

Ironically, in searching for a solution, your opinions may end up being the solution that they need.

There’s always healing from being a help rather than getting one.  Stop sulking with your writer’s block and take the necessary steps to change the situation to your advantage as soon as you can.