Don’t write with your tail between your legs. This 3-word mantra will help you get back to writing with ease.
We’ve all been there: we want to write, but we’re frozen in front of a blank computer screen, unable to type anything. No creativity, no ideas, nada. (This is usually the moment when writers will take up any household chore over putting words on a page.) Writer’s block sometimes feels unsurmountable, but what if I told you there’s a simple, three-word mantra that could help you overcome it?
Get ready to embrace the mantra of “Just Write Anything.”
The Power of “Just Write Anything”
This simple phrase holds the key to unlocking your creativity. Here’s why it works:
a) It removes pressure: Giving yourself permission to write anything lifts the burden of perfection.
b) It starts momentum: Sometimes, you need a little push to get the ideas flowing.
c) It bypasses your inner critic: This mantra silences the voice that says, “My writing is not good enough.” So many cases of writer’s block are caused by a bout of imposter syndrome, and permitting yourself to write can free you from those feelings.
How to Use the Mantra
- Repeat it: Say “Just Write Anything” before you start writing. Yes, you might feel hokey, but no one’s listening. This is a mantra for you.
- Set a timer: Give yourself 5-10 minutes to write without stopping.
- Refrain from editing: Resist the urge to correct or refine as you go. It may feel cringeworthy to leave typos uncorrected or sentences incomplete, but this exercise aims to break through mental barriers, not to write something for public consumption.
What to Write When You’re Writing Anything
- Stream of consciousness: Let your thoughts flow onto the page.
- Describe your surroundings: Write about what you see, hear, or feel.
- Freewrite about your project: Jot down any ideas related to your work, no matter how rough.
Turning “Anything” into Something
Here’s what to do when you’ve broken through writer’s block:
- Review your writing: You might find usable ideas.
- Refine and expand: Take the most promising bits and develop them further.
- Use the activity as a warm-up: If there’s nothing usable here, the activity still provides benefits! Consider this exercise as a way to limber up your writing muscles and cultivate your resilience when you’re feeling stuck next time. (And I hate to say this, but there will be a next time. Writer’s block comes for us all, but the better prepared you are to face it, the quicker you’ll get through it.)
Making the Mantra a Habit
Incorporate “Just Write Anything” into your routine:
- Start each writing session with this exercise.
- Use it whenever you feel like you need more support.
- Gradually increase your “anything” writing time, but don’t let this activity become your primary activity. If you find you’re using this mantra as a way to procrastinate, you may need to revisit your writing goals and decide if there isn’t something else that’s holding you back.
By embracing “Just Write Anything,” you can create without judgment. So, the next time writer’s block looms, arm yourself with this mantra and watch your creativity soar.
Happy writing, DIYBook community!
Barbara Basbanes Richter founded DIYBook, an affordable and easy-to-use book writing program. She also founded In Ink Ghostwriting, a full-service ghostwriting firm helping politicians, pundits, scientists, CEOs, professional athletes, and others get their stories into print.
Under her own byline, Barbara’s writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, The Vineyard Gazette, Humanities, The Sewanee Review, Fine Books & Collections, Literary Features Syndicate, High Country News, Ravishly.com, Westchester Magazine, and other outlets.
Barbara is a fluent French speaker, and her translation from French to English of Mademoiselle de Malepeire was called a “clever, inspiring gem.”
