Writers Block and How to Stop It
The bane of all creativity - Writer’s Block. All artists get it whether you do music, art, or write stories. It’s the same thing every time. There you are ready to attack the day, write a song or two, get some recording done, and maybe even get a video done and uploaded (for once)! In reality, you spend the day eating junk food with crumpled papers and eraser shavings all around you. I know I’ve been through many days like those. And it’s hard trying to get through it! It gotten so bad sometimes that I just wanna quit music forever, the world has had enough of it already and all the good songs have already been sung. So the big question is, how do you get out of Writer’s Block? Well, continue on after the break to find out...
1. Have a playlist of songs specifically for when you have Writer’s Block.
Sometimes it helps to just sit back, relax, and surround yourself with good music. Don’t worry about your own songs at the moment, just let the inspiration flow. It’ll seem hard at first since you’ll still be “in the zone”, and thinking of all the ways your song went wrong, but after a while, you should be relaxed enough to write and stay positive.
2. Stay Positive.
This is a hard one, especially for me. But it’s essential. 'Cause, if you have a million verses and not a single chorus (or vice versa) the pressure and stress of not having a full song can really weigh you down. But hey, One of those choruses has got to fit a verse, right? And if you’ve written that many verses technically you’ve written a lot of songs. Just stay upbeat and positive. One day you’ll get it. I just know you will.
3. Try a new location.
There was this one time I was writing a song, "Wish upon a Star” to be exact, and it was great! The verses and chorus were a from a burst of inspiration and they worked really well together. I played it over and over and over getting it down and in my head. I refined the verses to exactly how I wanted them to be, and the message is exactly what I wanted and liked! It was perfect! Except for one thing. It had no bridge. I know not all songs need a bridge, but this one did. I tried and tried and tried, but that flash of light was gone, and I just could write a good bridge that fit the song. I normally write my songs in my studio (a small walk-in closet I claimed), but one evening, right before sunset, I took my guitar down to the park. There I was all alone. I played a few of my songs, then decided to work on the new one. It just all came together. A change in location and feel is just what I need to finish my song.
4. Don’t overthink it.
Sometimes we get so caught up in metaphors and adjectives that we forget what really makes a song good. Which is not just lyrics alone, but everything working together to make a song. The melody, the harmony, the instruments, the structure! It’s hard to have one without the others, and if you do you really have to compensate for the lack of it. A Capella has TONS of harmony to make up for lost instruments and some solo singers have extra instruments to compensate for the lack of vocal harmony. Also, there’s no certain type of song, it’s all just music! So if you can’t write a super emotional piece then don’t! write a silly song with nonsense words and focus on the music behind it! And remember, not everything has to be a hit.
5. Have fun!
I know that seems pretty basic (and cliche. Though honestly, what on this list isn’t!), but it is the 100% truth! You can’t let anyone pressure you into your music and everything must come from the heart. (Wow. What have I been doing...) If you do find yourself getting pressured to a point of depression then take the day off, do some of your favorite things, play songs for fun, or even just forget music at all until you bounce back. And if music is really what you wanna do, then you will always bounce back.
So yeah, five tips on what to do when you have writers' block. Or six...
6. Completely avoid it and write an article about what to do when you have Writer’s Block.
You caught me. I’m in the middle of a nasty spell right now. Hopefully, it’ll lift its curse soon.
Writer’s Block is no fun, writing this article was though.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed this post. Hopefully, there will be more where this came from. And make sure to hit it up in the comments how you deal with Writer’s Block! We’d love to hear from you!
Happy writing/singing/listening!!
1. Have a playlist of songs specifically for when you have Writer’s Block.
Sometimes it helps to just sit back, relax, and surround yourself with good music. Don’t worry about your own songs at the moment, just let the inspiration flow. It’ll seem hard at first since you’ll still be “in the zone”, and thinking of all the ways your song went wrong, but after a while, you should be relaxed enough to write and stay positive.
2. Stay Positive.
This is a hard one, especially for me. But it’s essential. 'Cause, if you have a million verses and not a single chorus (or vice versa) the pressure and stress of not having a full song can really weigh you down. But hey, One of those choruses has got to fit a verse, right? And if you’ve written that many verses technically you’ve written a lot of songs. Just stay upbeat and positive. One day you’ll get it. I just know you will.
3. Try a new location.
There was this one time I was writing a song, "Wish upon a Star” to be exact, and it was great! The verses and chorus were a from a burst of inspiration and they worked really well together. I played it over and over and over getting it down and in my head. I refined the verses to exactly how I wanted them to be, and the message is exactly what I wanted and liked! It was perfect! Except for one thing. It had no bridge. I know not all songs need a bridge, but this one did. I tried and tried and tried, but that flash of light was gone, and I just could write a good bridge that fit the song. I normally write my songs in my studio (a small walk-in closet I claimed), but one evening, right before sunset, I took my guitar down to the park. There I was all alone. I played a few of my songs, then decided to work on the new one. It just all came together. A change in location and feel is just what I need to finish my song.
4. Don’t overthink it.
Sometimes we get so caught up in metaphors and adjectives that we forget what really makes a song good. Which is not just lyrics alone, but everything working together to make a song. The melody, the harmony, the instruments, the structure! It’s hard to have one without the others, and if you do you really have to compensate for the lack of it. A Capella has TONS of harmony to make up for lost instruments and some solo singers have extra instruments to compensate for the lack of vocal harmony. Also, there’s no certain type of song, it’s all just music! So if you can’t write a super emotional piece then don’t! write a silly song with nonsense words and focus on the music behind it! And remember, not everything has to be a hit.
5. Have fun!
I know that seems pretty basic (and cliche. Though honestly, what on this list isn’t!), but it is the 100% truth! You can’t let anyone pressure you into your music and everything must come from the heart. (Wow. What have I been doing...) If you do find yourself getting pressured to a point of depression then take the day off, do some of your favorite things, play songs for fun, or even just forget music at all until you bounce back. And if music is really what you wanna do, then you will always bounce back.
So yeah, five tips on what to do when you have writers' block. Or six...
6. Completely avoid it and write an article about what to do when you have Writer’s Block.
You caught me. I’m in the middle of a nasty spell right now. Hopefully, it’ll lift its curse soon.
Writer’s Block is no fun, writing this article was though.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed this post. Hopefully, there will be more where this came from. And make sure to hit it up in the comments how you deal with Writer’s Block! We’d love to hear from you!
Happy writing/singing/listening!!
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