This might come as a shock, but writing with a deadline can really suck. The mind can sometimes be like this:
Creative inspiration can be a tough pill to forcefully shove down your gullet. I would imagine that even people who write giga-tons of copy every single day will occasionally run into this problem as well. There are lots of exercises people do to get over the hump that is commonly known as writer’s block.
Some examples that often come up are:
- actually exercising like going for a jog
- taking some time away to do something else like reading
- distracting yourself by eating a quick snack
- simply writing through it or getting literally anything on paper
There is a running trend behind all these activities. Well, a couple actually.
But, first and foremost, it has to do with taking your mind off the deadline. Sometimes your mind just doesn’t like the feeling of squeezed in the proverbial vice that is forced creative output. In retaliation, it will shut down and absolutely refuse to do anything helpful. To get around this, sometimes you have to con your mind into thinking that it has all the freedom in the world and then, like magic, the juice of creativity will begin to flow once again.
(Obligatory.)
That being said, there is no tried and true sets of methods to do this. There is a pretty good chance that none of the previously aforementioned activities will help you specifically meet that deadline. At the risk of collective eyerolls, it boils down to you finding what works best for you. As you get to know yourself as a writer and take time to reflect on your writing habits, you tend to learn naturally what works best for you.
(Yeah, I said it.)
For example, when looking at myself, I know that, if I don’t just sit myself down and just start writing, I will get easily distracted. Wikipedia rabbit holing and endless YouTube playlists are my jam. So, unless I force myself to write, I simply won’t ever start. And, even if it is total garbage or something I’m not even supposed to be writing, it often sparks new thoughts and ideas that I didn’t have before.
But, I am not you. Unless this is me reading this. Then, yes, I am you. Or am I?
#existentalismcrisisincoming