A Plateau?
Everyone will go through a plateau, mind block, loss of interest and a bad phase in general at some point of their lives. Writers especially suffer from this condition quiet often, and to some it can be a crisis especially when a deadline is just around the corner.
Writer’s block is often caused by stress over time, whether it is a deadline they need to meet or the feeling that time is just being wasted while waiting for words to pour out. No one likes to be put in a corner now! We can also have a plateau in thoughts because of the fear that our work might not be good enough, might not inspire others or be valued by readers. We often seek perfectionism when doing anything, as it is a human nature. And the fear of not producing a great piece of writing may cause any writer to be lost for words.
And as I am sure all writers go through this phase, I am also sure they all ask themselves what do we do to overcome this? I can tell you a bunch of stuff you have read millions of times like watch TV or go for a walk. I can also tell you to wind down and relax and wait to be inspired. You may have read a hundred articles about how to overcome writer’s block and they will all give you the same answers. But I choose to be different always, and in this I will give you a different answer. My solution for what you are going through is to WRITE! Yes. Even though you have nothing to write, no words are racing to your mind, my advice to you is write anyway. As a wise man once said, ‘practice makes perfect’. And he knew better.
Patience is the key to everything. When a fat woman decides to lose weight, she will not see a result tomorrow or the day after. But if she is patient and persistent, she will eventually see the weight shed off. The same goes for a student who keeps failing and decides he will not fail again. Unless he studies and continues on that path he will keep on failing. The same goes for you, my fellow writers, if you wish to succeed in beating the plateau, you must persist and be patient and continue writing until the words just pour out.
Whether you are a writer, translator, editor or proofreader, words are what you play with. And to get better at a game you need to play time and time again!!
