20 Tips To Beat Writer's Block

Image by itconnect.uw.edu

Writer’s block can be a monster. For this, we have compiled 20 tips that will give you the strength to conquer it.

1. Have A Vision
Before starting a session, try to formulate a general idea for your song and what it needs. Having a plan will help generate ideas and help propel your song in the right direction.

2. Find Inspiration
Inspiration can be found anywhere. Go to a local show. Call up an old friend. Listen to a song that touches you. Writer’s block can be discouraging, but finding things to inspire you will re-ignite the drive.

3. Change Up Your Sounds
Constantly using with the same sounds can make the writing process grow flat and indistinct. Tinkering with different sounds and tonal sources, whether it be a physical instrument or a new sample library, can make a tune refreshing and more engaging to work with.

4. Discover New Music
Listening to different forms of music not only broadens your perspective, but it gives you the chance to acknowledge what you like about a certain piece of music. Without copying a certain style, try to understand why certain elements of a song spoke to you.

5. Take A Step Back
Sometimes you need to just take a break. Stepping away from a project you’re stuck on will clear your head and purify your creative juices. Not only this, but spending too much time on a project can remove your objectivity, a trait that’s vital to the songwriting process.

6. Just Do It
In the wise words of Shia Labeouf, just do it. Get in there and write something. You might end up hating what you made, but all that matters is that you pushed through and created something. The mere process of making music will get the wheels moving and keep your ideas flowing.

7. Don’t Be A Perfectionist
Perhaps the struggle keeping you from making progress is not writer’s block, but an excessive drive to make it “just right.” Don’t get stuck in the never-ending cycle of perfectionism, because “perfect” simply does not exist in the world of music.

8. Get Weird
It’s easy to get stuck in your comfort zone. Following the same routines will leave you feeling bored, uninspired, and blocked. Experiment. Switch up your game. Recognizing the freedom you have to create will liberate you from writer’s block.

9. Consult Another Musician
Other musicians may have their own remedies for writer’s block that work best for them. As you won’t meet one person that’s never been sick in their life, you won’t meet a musician who’s never felt writer’s block. Chat with a fellow artist and ask them how they push forward.

10. Find Your Message
How does the song make you feel when writing it? Is there something in particular that inspired you during the beginning? With almost any song, there is an emotion or underlying idea that fuels the composition. Think about the vibe you want your song to unleash and build from there.

11. Meditate
Meditation is proven to increase focus and alleviate mental distractions. Having a clear mind when writing music is essential and meditation helps with this. Initially not the most easiest of tasks, it can be a resourceful tool for combating writer’s block.

12. Relocate
We all need a change of environment sometimes. Constantly being in the same place can lead to apathy, stagnating our creative flow. Hit a coffee shop. Find a comfortable place outdoors. Heck, find a different room to work in. There are plenty of options for switching up your atmosphere.

13. Collaborate With Others
Working with other artists helps you explore new dimensions to your own artistry. Every musician is unique and can perhaps offer a foreign ingredient you’ve so desperately been searching for. Not only this, but collaboration can help inspire your own confidence and creativity.

14. Exercise
Go on a walk. Do some pushups. Run around in circles if you want (be careful while in public). Jokes aside, exercise supports the flow of oxygen to the brain, boosting concentration and a clear mind. In addition to this, it boosts your mood and quality of sleep, both of which are conducive to successful writing.

15. Caffeine
While it’s important not to overdo it, caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea are great for stimulating the brain and getting your creative juices flowing. The next time you are struggling with writer’s block, relax and make yourself a warm beverage of your preference.

16. Work On A Different Project
Spending too much time on one project can the tune to grow stale. If you notice this happening, put the project on the backburner and work on something else. Whether you revisit an old track or start a new one, you will most-likely come back with a new perspective and new ideas.

17. Sleep
There’s no need to point out the importance of sleep. We know how hard it can be to concentrate and function, let alone write a song, after a sleepless night. If you find yourself becoming sleep deprived, grab some extra zzz’s. You’ll thank yourself later.

18. The Best Time To Write
For many, there is a time of day in which our flow is strongest. Some people find themselves to be most productive in the morning, whereas others prefer to work late into the night. Perhaps a subconscious motivator, sticking to a designated time can be helpful for staying in the zone.

19. Start At The Chorus
When you distinguish the various elements that make the chorus climactic, it will help you see their respective role throughout the arrangement. Not only this, but this strategy can help illuminate the tracks that you may be cluttering your arrangement.

20. Have Fun
Many of our best ideas, from melodies to entire songs, come during those spur-of-the-moment jam sessions. Why is this? Because you’re having a great time, making music for the moment and nothing else. If you’re not having fun, ideas will not resonate with you. Writing will get rigorous, however, it’s important to enjoy yourself to keep the fire going.

We hope you found these tips to be helpful. Let us know how you beat writer’s block.