Adventure Thirteen: On Writer's Block

F*ck writer's block.

Everyone experiences it at some point. Whether you're struggling to write a term paper, trying to articulate your emotions in your journal, or trying to revamp your resume as to impress potential employers, writers block can strike at any moment, and it's difficult to shake.

My mind is constantly racing at what seems like a million miles per second. I find myself constantly writing notes in my phone about things I'd like to write about, things I'd like to dissect and analyze for no other purpose than just to do so. I write them down so the next thought that bombards my brain doesn't completely knock the previous thought from memory.

But even still, even when I commit to writing down brief ideas to later explore and articulate from my noggin through my fingers, I find myself at a loss for words. I find it difficult to translate what I'm thinking into words for others to read and digest. Organizing my thoughts becomes daunting, and I start feeling so discouraged that my motivation completely dwindles.

I've tried nearly every trick in the book to remedy my writer's block; pushing through and accepting that the writing is garbage, taking a break, talking out loud, caffeine, nothing usually helps. And as an aspiring journalist, writer's block is one of the most inconvenient kinds of mental spacing that one can do.

Because I refuse to allow myself to fall victim to it, I've pushed myself to combat it. Taking a break usually helps, so long as I don't get too distracted in the process and completely forget what I was doing. Caffeine sometimes helps, though there is such a thing as too much of a good thing once the coffee jitters set in. The most successful remedy for me, though, has been taking a break from it, but not entirely.

Because I fear my lack of self control when it comes to my attention span, if I keep writing but about a different topic or theme, I still keep my writing juices moving but allow my mental to have time to not think so hard about one given idea. I still get distracted and restless from time to time, but it's been an opportunity to strengthen my concentration skills and work ethic.