The Slightly Bizarre, Yet Highly Effective Cure for Writer’s Block

Posted on March 1, 2012 by David Cohen

If you write copy or blog, you get writer’s block. And you’ve probably tried various tactics to get over writer’s block. The problem is those tactics don’t work consistently, right?

The cure I’m going to reveal is slightly bizarre, but I can promise you this—it has always worked for one simple reason: it triggers that part of the brain (or heart) that juices the inspiration you experience when you create your best stuff. You know exactly what this inspiration feels like.

Think about the post that felt so good to write, that gave you an adrenaline rush when you hit ‘publish’, and that you proudly watched get the crap shared out of it.

The slightly bizarre, yet highly effective cure for writer’s block

So to get past writer’s block you have to actually start writing again—that means you should stop:

  • Staring at your screen
  • Listening to Dubstep
  • Reading other peoples blogs for ideas
  • Smoking weed for inspiration

    • What you should do: change the context, change the scene.

    The action I’ve taken to cure my writer’s block has worked 100% of the time is people watching—fixating my attention on a person that strikes my interest and creating a story in my mind about them.

    Here’s the process flow I use:

    Grab laptop or legal pad>go to airport or coffee shop>find subject>create story about them in my mind>write story

    I’ve successfully used this tactic at airports like Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Amsterdam’s Schiphol, Heathrow, and Stockholm-Arlanda. And just about at any coffee shop, including Starbucks.

    Sound bizarre? OK. But if you’re not willing to put yourself in an awkward situation, to get weird looks and take risks, you’re not serious about getting past the writer’s block and getting back to the work of creating phenomenal content.

    How to test out this writer’s block cure right now

    You can test this writer’s block cure right now without putting yourself in a potentially awkward situation.

    cure-to-writers-block-davidmcohen.comLook at this picture and study the person—study their expression, clothes, hairstyle, and imagine what they’re thinking. Then create a short but concise story in your mind about who you think they are and what kind of idiosyncrasies they have.

    Once you create a basic story in your mind about this person, put your story on paper. It’ll flow and you’ll cure your writer’s block.

    One last thought here—whether you’re a copywriter, blogger, or you run a Twitter account for your pet Norwegian Lundehund, Squire Norbert Pickles, it’s all about the storytelling—it’s always about storytelling.

    If you try this tactic in the way I’ve outlined, please share your results in the comment section. Thanks.

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    • http://www.facebook.com/fred.barnett1 Fred Barnett

      I use “rotate” around to three different coffee shops. I need to get out of the house, not only for fresh perspective, but for fresh air. Listening in on various conversations can also be inspiring.

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        Ah yes, listening in on conversations. Awesome idea, Fred. Never thought of that one as a writer’s block breaker, but it’s a brilliant idea. The key really is to change the context. Cheers!

    • http://www.facebook.com/fred.barnett1 Fred Barnett

      I use “rotate” around to three different coffee shops. I need to get out of the house, not only for fresh perspective, but for fresh air. Listening in on various conversations can also be inspiring.

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        Ah yes, listening in on conversations. Awesome idea, Fred. Never thought of that one as a writer’s block breaker, but it’s a brilliant idea. The key really is to change the context. Cheers!

    • http://www.facebook.com/fred.barnett1 Fred Barnett

      I use “rotate” around to three different coffee shops. I need to get out of the house, not only for fresh perspective, but for fresh air. Listening in on various conversations can also be inspiring.

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        Ah yes, listening in on conversations. Awesome idea, Fred. Never thought of that one as a writer’s block breaker, but it’s a brilliant idea. The key really is to change the context. Cheers!

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    • Elizabeth Aprile

      I love it! Thanks for writing this. P.S. You didn’t get writer’s block before you wrote this, did you?

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        Nope, I never really get writer’s block. The only time I ever get it is when I’m isolated for whatever reason, but the more I’m around people or traveling or having new experiences with people, the more I find I have to write about.

    • Elizabeth Aprile

      I love it! Thanks for writing this. P.S. You didn’t get writer’s block before you wrote this, did you?

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        Nope, I never really get writer’s block. The only time I ever get it is when I’m isolated for whatever reason, but the more I’m around people or traveling or having new experiences with people, the more I find I have to write about.

    • Elizabeth Aprile

      I love it! Thanks for writing this. P.S. You didn’t get writer’s block before you wrote this, did you?

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        Nope, I never really get writer’s block. The only time I ever get it is when I’m isolated for whatever reason, but the more I’m around people or traveling or having new experiences with people, the more I find I have to write about.

    • http://www.eacsoft.com/ Web design Brisbane

      Thanks mate!! I think this might help me would it work for writing content for a site about web design and SEO aimed at profesionals because I’m not sure if story telling is right for that kind of thing . What about writing for a quantity surveyor. you know what I bet it would work but it’s risky..
      I will try..not now though writers block is too fun….goes of to surf the net

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        I believe there is a way to incorporate story telling into any message, to any audience, about any topic. Facts, figures, and technical details are somewhat adequate ways of communicating a message, but they can always be personalized through a story you tell about yourself or about somebody else who is just like the person/audience you are talking to.

        Facts and technical details are very linear, but our minds aren’t quite wired that way, which is why we can relate to stories and internalize them much better. You can do it man!

    • http://www.eacsoft.com/ Web design Brisbane

      Thanks mate!! I think this might help me would it work for writing content for a site about web design and SEO aimed at profesionals because I’m not sure if story telling is right for that kind of thing . What about writing for a quantity surveyor. you know what I bet it would work but it’s risky..
      I will try..not now though writers block is too fun….goes of to surf the net

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        I believe there is a way to incorporate story telling into any message, to any audience, about any topic. Facts, figures, and technical details are somewhat adequate ways of communicating a message, but they can always be personalized through a story you tell about yourself or about somebody else who is just like the person/audience you are talking to.

        Facts and technical details are very linear, but our minds aren’t quite wired that way, which is why we can relate to stories and internalize them much better. You can do it man!

    • http://www.eacsoft.com/ Web design Brisbane

      Thanks mate!! I think this might help me would it work for writing content for a site about web design and SEO aimed at profesionals because I’m not sure if story telling is right for that kind of thing . What about writing for a quantity surveyor. you know what I bet it would work but it’s risky..
      I will try..not now though writers block is too fun….goes of to surf the net

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        I believe there is a way to incorporate story telling into any message, to any audience, about any topic. Facts, figures, and technical details are somewhat adequate ways of communicating a message, but they can always be personalized through a story you tell about yourself or about somebody else who is just like the person/audience you are talking to.

        Facts and technical details are very linear, but our minds aren’t quite wired that way, which is why we can relate to stories and internalize them much better. You can do it man!

    • Vincent Tuckwood

      David – movement has always acted as a spur to my writing (my second novel, Karaoke Criminals, was mostly written in Heathrow departure lounge, or over the Atlantic). That said, I also found value in identifying the root causes of the self-talk that underpinned my own block – when I coach writers now, that’s one of the major aha! moments I see time and again – when people realize it’s both the writer AND writing that’s blocked. Keep up the great work, Vince.

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        Great insights, Vince. Have you ever written a post about how your travel inspired your second novel? I’d like to hear more about that, sounds like a fascinating story. Thanks for sharing.

    • Vincent Tuckwood

      David – movement has always acted as a spur to my writing (my second novel, Karaoke Criminals, was mostly written in Heathrow departure lounge, or over the Atlantic). That said, I also found value in identifying the root causes of the self-talk that underpinned my own block – when I coach writers now, that’s one of the major aha! moments I see time and again – when people realize it’s both the writer AND writing that’s blocked. Keep up the great work, Vince.

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        Great insights, Vince. Have you ever written a post about how your travel inspired your second novel? I’d like to hear more about that, sounds like a fascinating story. Thanks for sharing.

    • Vincent Tuckwood

      David – movement has always acted as a spur to my writing (my second novel, Karaoke Criminals, was mostly written in Heathrow departure lounge, or over the Atlantic). That said, I also found value in identifying the root causes of the self-talk that underpinned my own block – when I coach writers now, that’s one of the major aha! moments I see time and again – when people realize it’s both the writer AND writing that’s blocked. Keep up the great work, Vince.

      • http://www.davidmcohen.com/ David Cohen

        Great insights, Vince. Have you ever written a post about how your travel inspired your second novel? I’d like to hear more about that, sounds like a fascinating story. Thanks for sharing.

    • http://twitter.com/FASTscreenplay FAST Screenplay

      “Change context, change the scene” is a great tip. But writer’s block is much simpler than that. Writer’s block is nothing more than the writer’s inner critic judging work (or even ideas) before you’ve reached that phase of the writing process. After teaching this stuff ofr over a decade, I finally created a video to cure writer’s block once and for all. It’s called (appropriately) the Writer’s Block instant Cure. You’ll never have writer’s block again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcKtcXbjwD4