Those Wordless Days

As someone who mostly writes based on community prompts, I can confidently say that writer's block is very real, In fact, if you have been writing for a while, chances are you have experienced it more than once.

For me, writer's block usually happens when my mind is simply not connecting with the prompt I am supposed to write about.

It is a strange feeling seriously, You sit down with your phone or laptop, ready to write, you read the prompt once, twice, maybe even up to three times, you know you need to write something, but your brain is just there looking at you like, You are on your own today.

Nothing comes.
You have no ideas.
No opening paragraph.
Not even one sentence.

The funny thing is that sometimes this happens immediately after writing a really good post the previous day , you look at that post and wonder, "Wasn't I the same person that wrote this yesterday?"

Then suddenly today, your mind feels completely empty, I think one reason this happens to me is because I mostly participate in community prompts, not every topic naturally interests me the same way there are prompts that immediately spark ideas in my head, the moment I read them, I already know what angle I want to take and what experiences I want to share.

Those posts usually flow very easily, then there are other prompts where I read the topic and just stare at the screen.

Not because the topic is bad,
but because my mind is really not just in it, and honestly, that is usually when writer's block just shows up.

I have noticed that forcing it rarely works at all , like the more I sit there trying to try to squeeze ideas out of my head, that is the more frustrated I become, and before I know it, I have spent thirty minutes staring at a blank page without even writing anything meaningful at all

These days, when that happens, I simply step away for a while
Sometimes I go for a walk.
Sometimes I listen to music.
Sometimes I just leave the topic completely and come back later.

Surprisingly, that is often when ideas start appearing, it is almost like my brain works better when I'm not actively trying to force it.

Another thing I have learned is that writer's block doesn't mean you have suddenly become a bad writer, i think that is a mistake many writers make,
When the words are not flowing it is easy to start doubting yourself, you begin wondering if you have lost your creativity or if you have run out of things to say, most times that is not true, Your mind simply needs a break or a different perspective.

I have experienced writers block many times to know that it eventually passes, one day you are struggling to write a paragraph and then the next day you are writing hundreds of words without even noticing how fast you are, That is how creativity works sometimes, so yes I definitely experience writers block especially when I can not connect with a community 's prompt but I have learned not to panic when it happens.

Instead of fighting it, I try to give myself some breathing space and trust that the ideas will come eventually, and so far, they always do, Maybe not immediately, but sooner or later, the empty apartment in my head starts getting furniture again.

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