Realistic Writing Slump Remedies Part 2

If part one wasn’t enough for you, I’m back with a second part of “Realistic Writing Slump Remedies” to help stir up some creativity as we move into the winter months. What better time to write than when it’s too cold to go outside, and curl up with some coffee or hot cocoa and create? I have three more writing slump hacks for you based on three additional unrealistic recommendations I have seen before.

Unrealistic: Avoid social media entirely!

Realistic: Limit social media.

This is a bit self-explanatory. In this day and age, all of us are pretty connected to our smartphones and devices. I’m guilty of spending hours watching Instagram reels before bed and wondering why I feel unproductive or I’m so exhausted the next day. The idea of stopping social media use entirely can be intimidating. (Although not the worst idea considering the time-suck it is for me.) Instead, giving yourself a limit for social media use is a nice middle ground. There are even settings within the apps or most phones that allow you to set a time limit for how long you use certain apps. It is up to you to adhere to those limits, but it's important you do not continue to add time otherwise that would defeat the purpose entirely. It’s a bit of a willpower challenge but limiting social media will most likely provide you with more time to be creative or get those other daily tasks out of the way to commit more time to write.

Actually not bad: Create a mood board for your story.

But maybe a little better: Create a Pinterest mood board and/or a Spotify playlist for your story.

This tip comes directly from a post on Nanowrimo’s website about how to get over a writing slump that was personally eye-opening for me. Excuse me while I open Pinterest and get out my glue and scissors. I’ll be busy for the next 3 weeks. However, realistically, it’s a bit hard for me to think of allowing myself time to mood board my story when I have a million other things to do.

Instead, I thought of going the digital route and creating an online mood board through Pinterest! This way, I can make specific folders for characters, settings, moods, and even big plot points. I went down a total rabbit hole and found pictures of what my characters may look like or dress and I can still print them out to inspire me later. In addition, I also created a Spotify playlist specifically for writing. Almost all the songs don’t have lyrics (as lyrics can be distracting when studying or writing) and are songs that I refer to as “vibes.” In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve tricked my brain to get into writing mode whenever I play that playlist because every time I do, somehow, I’m able to knock out multiple chapters in one go!

This is all not to say that mood boarding isn’t a great idea. I just wanted to offer some digital ways that may be more realistic in our busy day-to-day schedules.

Unrealistic: Get a second opinion on your work. / Let a friend read what you’ve written and provide feedback.

Realistic: Read what you’ve written to yourself and reflect.

For some people, this recommendation isn’t entirely unrealistic. However, for someone as sensitive as me and as protective of their work as I am, getting feedback is the last thing I want if I want to get back into the creative mindset. It’s a sure way to lead to me shutting down and possibly never looking back. (I need therapy.) I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to share unfinished work with just anyone. Instead, I found that the best way to get back into the mindset of the story is by rereading what I’ve already written.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but I think the trick is to go into it with a reader’s mindset, rather than a writer’s. This allows me to lose myself in the story and I even find myself thinking, “Wait, did I write this? This is great!” My own eagerness to finish reading the story to find out what happens next is motivation to continue writing and finish the story if for no one else but myself. It’s true that we can be our biggest critics, but I also believe we have the power to be our biggest motivators. If we push ourselves forward, then we’re on a fast track toward success.

Have you tried out any of the remedies we recommended? How have they worked for you? Let us know in the comments. :)

Edited by Rebeca Edwards