Every profession demands a skill out of you, isn’t it? Whether a profession demands manpower or logic out of you, your task is to deliver what’s expected. Similarly is the journey of a writer who is always seeking to find ways to be creative.
It sounds all fancy and interesting from the outside to see that writers are paid for the beautiful things they write, they could just stay home and finish their work. In reality, do you think is it as fancy and rosy as it appears or does the background have a story that most of us are blinded by.
Having said, in the world of creative writers too have their share of roadblocks given the cut-throat competition in creativity that is all over the place.
This article intends to draw attention upon the roadblocks a writer goes through and ways to overcome those block in the path of writing. Hope the writers can relate to this article and the ones unaware of the writer’s struggles get enlightened as well.
Struggles And Possible Solutions For The Road Blocks A Writer Faces – Turn It Around!
The struggle of a writer is like that of seasons. The happiness and contentment of writing well can be like the beautiful rain. Whereas, in times when writers are in the threshold of almost losing out on words it feels like a dry barren land in summer. The same goes with any profession and everyone is on that constant journey of traversing through the roadblocks that come by during work.
Take a look at the common roadblocks that a writer witnesses!
Road Block No 1 – Go From Writing Tons To None
There are times when every writer is in that place of having so many points to put down on paper but fail to do it because thoughts flow in such a speed that it loses its capacity to get synchronized and put forward.
It is just like lots to say but you just don’t know how to begin, continue and conclude the subject. All that comes to the mind is thoughts bouncing everywhere and not finding a place to settle down. When this happens, a writer can go from writing lots to writing nothing at all. This roadblock is common with all writers.
Back-Pedal This Road Block: Follow the right path now by working on the following aspects
- Rest well
- Do your homework by reading enough
- Make sure you are giving your body the right amount of fitness by ensuring to exercise well
- Relax if you aren’t able to write, leave it there, take a breather and get back to see how well your brain will start working and you will get to know what to write.
- Make a note of whatever is on your mind, edit it, make it better and then review it
Road Block No 2 – Losing Track While Picking The Right Words
There comes a point when writers have their thought and plan of the information that they want to write about. They are good to go and they are going well with writing. All of a sudden they lose track while they are searching for the right word and this is how they miss on conveying what they want to. This is a common situation every writer goes through.
Back-Pedal This Road Block: To work around this, adopt to two of these solutions
No 1 – Short term solution – If you are in search of a word and unable to find the right one open thesaurus or websites that have a list of synonyms.
No 2 – Long term solution – Everyday spare about ten minutes in learning ten new words and once you have mastered them try and make sentences and paragraphs using those new words. This way you get a clear idea as to how to use those words in the right context.
Road Block No 3 – There Is Perplexity To Start And End
At times writers have it all but they just miss to catch on the right way to begin with on a given topic. Either it could be a problem in beginning with the first sentence, title or how to creatively convey it.
A writer finds this complexity only when they have to begin on something and the rest of the time that they write is a smooth sail for them. It so happens that sometimes it gets tough for writers to give a crisp and convincing conclusion. This is experienced by writers no matter how old they have been as writers.
Back-Pedal This Road Block: Follow these tips when you find it a hassle to begin or end with a topic. Follow these points:
To begin
- When you do not know how to start a topic, use the questioning method
- Leave the readers curious to know about the topic
- Get your facts clear and authenticate your information backed up with logic and facts
- Be in the shoes of the reader and begin with how you would like a beginning
To end
When you want to conclude on a topic do the following :
Give your neutral opinion about the subject
Talk about the pros and cons of the subject
Briefly talk about the consequences of the topic
Be crisp in summarizing your conclusion by ensuring to cover every point
Road Block No 4 – Creativity Doesn’t Seem To Gel Well
Writing is one in a kind that needs repeated practice and nurturing and it keeps getting better over time, it is just like giving a plant the sunlight, water and right care for it to bear fruits and flowers. There are times when a writer is writing but missing on the creativity big time, that essence and wow factor in that piece of writing have no traces.
Back – Pedal This Road Block: Creativity is not dependent on factors, it is natural that it can be at its best and can go weak as well. It is variable in nature and it is not possible for it to remain constant.
“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence” – Octavia E. Butler
Here is what you can do to keep your creativity in place most of the times in order to be up to the mark in your profession.
- The point is that you want to write, not merely write but write good stuff. To do that you have to understand the audience from different backgrounds, culture and mindsets become more observant
- Take inspiration from best authors to get better ideas
- Practice by reading a good article and observe the words that are new for you, the style of writing, the way the message in that piece of information was conveyed and the format of writing. Be a keen observer. The more you observe, the better for you
- Try your best to be yourself in whatever you express, let your thought process reflect on your writing. For all you know, your thought process might be standing out
- Listen to videos of ideal and good speakers in order to improve on your language and get new ideas of presenting information
Road Block No 5 – Inferiority With Better Writers
Now, this is something that you have to train your mind to stop right here. It is a human tendency that we tend to compare ourselves to people who are too good. Having said, keep your mind in your control and start to believe that even you are good in your own way. Everyone has their bit of struggle and even if a writer is too good, he/she would have come from where you are.
Back – Pedal This Road Block: When you feel inferior to another writer this is what you should do
- Start to tell yourself that creativity is unique and can never be compared. Everyone has a different level of creativity
- Instead of feeling, you are not as good as the other writer, look for what are your strengths and the best in you
- It is universal that there is always someone who is going to be better than the other so why compete with another? Start working on yourself. Let your focus be you
Only when you accept and appreciate yourself that is when you are going to be able to get over this inferiority. Do not feel upset over it. Time to work on how can you be good in your way
Road Block No 6 – Off The Cuff On The Subject
When you begin writing being unprepared it is definitely going to have an effect on your ability to think, your creativity and your start and conclude problems, this is because you cannot write a word without doing your background homework. Being unprepared is the biggest problem for a writer.
Back-Pedal This Road Block: Here is what you should do to keep yourself prepared although it depends on the context of the topic you are writing about.
Be updated on current trends
Read and research before you start writing
Collect facts and back it up with valid facts and information
Before you begin writing, do not miss looking at the subject from a different point of views. Do not let it be looked at in one direction
When you do a little preparation your issue of not being prepared about the topic will no more exist.
Road Block No 7 – Fear Of Criticism
Every writer has this question in mind after completing their write up. Questions such as, if my write up will be liked? Whether it is informative? Was it good enough? Am I up to the mark? What if my write up is not like by anyone? how to approach criticism. All this is always in a writers mind and he/she is afraid of many other contributing fears.
Back-Pedal This Road Block: The only solution to these fears is being sportive to take criticism and working on it without letting it stay on your mind for long. Getting criticized is not easy but a part of the journey and instead of letting it affect your confidence, let it be an area of opportunity for you.
Quotes To Inspire Writers To Stay Motivated
“Read a thousand books and your words will flow like a river” – Lisa See
“When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid off every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to bare essentials is always a little murdering like children, but it must be done” – Stephen King
“If the book is true, it will find an audience that is meant to read it” – Wally Lamb
“ A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit” – Richard Bach
“Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience.” -Henry David Thoreau
All in all, let your passion for writing and your profession bring the best out of you and give you all the strength to overcome all challenges as a writer.
If you are someone who thinks writing is your cup of tea then you are on an amazing track, do not step away but just hang in, tune in and keep trying by just writing and writing to be a writer.
Stay Happy And Keep Writing!
