Last Tuesday, I sat down at my desk with a fresh cup of coffee and a big smile. I was ready. I cracked my knuckles, opened my laptop, and…
Nothing.
I stared at the white screen. The little black line (the cursor) just blinked at me. Blink. Blink. Blink.
It felt like it was laughing at me.
Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. I checked my email. I looked out the window. I did everything except write.
Have you ever felt this? You have a great idea in the shower, but the moment you sit down to type, your brain turns into chewed gum. It’s fuzzy, sticky and there is nothing to grab onto.
They call this Writer’s Block. I call it “The Brain Freeze.”
For a whole week, I didn’t write a single good sentence. I felt like a fake. I thought,
“Maybe I’m not ready for this.”
But then, I tried a few silly experiments. And guess what? They worked. If you are stuck in the mud right now, here is how I got moving again.
You don’t need to be a genius to beat writer’s block. You just need to be a little bit sneaky with your own brain.
1. The “Garbage Draft” Rule
This is my favourite trick. The reason we get stuck is that we want to be perfect. We want the first sentence to be Shakespeare.
Stop that.
Give yourself permission to write garbage. meaningful, terrible, messy words.
- Try this: Open a blank page and tell yourself, “I am going to write the worst paragraph in history.”
- Why it works: It takes the pressure off. Once you start typing anything, the good words usually start to flow behind the bad ones. You can always edit later. You can’t edit a blank page.
2. Change Your Environment
Have you noticed that your best ideas come when you are driving, showering or washing dishes? (Maybe pooping 💩)
That is because your brain relaxes when you are doing something boring. If you are staring at your computer and feeling stressed, stand up.
- Go for a 10-minute walk.
- Fold some laundry.
- Water the plants. Don’t take your phone. Let your mind wander. The words will often come back when you stop chasing them.
3. Talk to Your Phone
Sometimes, typing feels too formal. It feels like “work.” But talking? Talking is easy. We talk to our friends all day.
If you know what you want to say but can’t type it, open the Voice Memo app on your phone.
- Pretend you are calling a friend.
- Say: “Hey, so I’m trying to write this blog post about [something you love] and the main point is…”
- Record yourself yapping for 3 minutes.
- Listen to it and type out what you said. Boom. You have a draft.
4. Switch to “Comic Sans”
This sounds like a joke, but I promise it is real science (well, sort of).
We usually write in serious fonts like Arial or Times New Roman. They look professional. They look like a textbook.
- Try this: Change your font to Comic Sans or something silly and colourful. (my blog is an example for that)
- Why it works: It looks childish and fun. Your brain thinks, “Oh, this isn’t serious work, this is play.” It tricks you into relaxing. You can change it back to a “serious” font when you are done.
5. Stop Writing the Intro
Introductions are the hardest part. Trying to write a catchy first line can take hours.
So, skip it.
Start in the middle. If you are writing a list of tips, write Tip #3 first. Write the conclusion. Write the funny story that happens in the middle.
Write the Introduction last. By the time you finish the rest of the post, you will know exactly how to introduce it.
Be Kind to Yourself
The week my words stopped coming, I was mean to myself. I told myself I was lazy.
But I wasn’t lazy. I was just stuck.
If you are blocking right now, don’t be angry. Close the laptop. Go eat a cookie. Read a book you love. Remind yourself that you are a human being, not a typewriter.
The words will come back. They always do.
Now, go write something terrible. (I dare you.)
