The title may sound grandiloquent, exaggerated, even full of expectations, however, it will be a kind of small list with some considerations on how to overcome the so-called "writer's block".

There are many writers who say they have suffered from this.

There are countless quotes from renowned authors who say they have experienced the terror of the blank page, however, I come, humbly, to contradict all of them, because that is why we are here, to continue writing.

Let`s get to it, here are 5 tips to overcome the writer's block:

1.- Understand that the blockade is a myth

The blocking of the writer is a bad idea that we have set for us, as in the movie Inception, have you seen it ?, that is, an idea that has been planted by the Great Confederation of Counter-Writers so that we do not write.

And what is worse: that idea has penetrated deep and there have been many writers who have suffered from it, so much that it has been massively reproduced.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, the writer's block is a myth.

Some will tell me, “but I have suffered WB”, ah, of course, it is because you are infected with the virus.

The problem with what is called "writer's block" is that it is a complex and the complexes are very attached to us.

That complex, in part, is fueled by another false idea of the writer: to believe that he needs time to write better. As if every day that passes is a guarantee that he will write something with higher quality and that`s false, the only guarantee of getting to write better is not that the time passes, but that the time passes while he writes (and reads a lot in the process).

So the solution to overcome the blockage is to write, yes, to write without hesitation, even if they are automatic writing exercises, like the surrealists, writing without meaning, but writing.

This exercise ends up being very valuable because it is a way to cleanse the mind, the psyche is powerful and rewards us by throwing us wonders.

Then there is the task of ordering all those ideas and that is part of the writing exercise: to order our thoughts.

2.- Writing is learned by writing (every day)

I know it sounds a bit odious and repetitive, however, as the Venezuelan writer Rod Medina says that "reading is learned by reading," because in the same way the writer's block is overcome: writing.

This second section should be accompanied by the following: write by hand. Keep notebooks with you, sketch ideas, what comes to mind and what is more important: copy what happens around, the world is full of life, events.

Says the Venezuelan writer Gabriel Jiménez Emán, in the case of the story: that fiction extracts from reality its greatest truth.

3.- Consume a lot, A LOT of culture

Catalan writer and poet Joan Brossa said something like this: a good painting can solve a poem and a play can solve a painting ... so breaking the blockage implies filling that blank page that is drawn in the mind.

Filling it with meaning! That's why you have to consume a lot, A LOT of culture. Watch movies, create your plots, transform them, change them, take advantage of them.

Play videogames for a while, imagine you build your own, what would it be ?, Try a sketch, make a review of the latest version that you did not like and when you least expect it, you realize you're writing.

4.- Keep a diary

This connects with the 2. Keep a diary and notes of EVERYTHING that happens.

Seriously, write it all down. At the end of the day read it and you will see how everything makes sense.

When I say write EVERYTHING, I do not exaggerate. What is not copied, is forgotten, memory is not enough, we are not so self-centered, we can not give such a task to our memory no matter how good it is.

The Colombian poet Jaime Jaramillo Escobar says: what is not written down goes to the rings of Saturn.

For practice: my diary of blackoutpoetry

5.- Make mental maps

Writing is difficult, for all of us. I myself have half my life writing and it's still hard to start an article, a text, as simple as it seems.

In my work, social life, I am surrounded by writers and not only writers but creators of different disciplines and all admit it: creating has its difficulties.

Why does it seem difficult ?, because it is working with a type of language, in this case: words, and oh my the language is so capricious!. So I recommend to make mental maps of the ideas you have, as simple as they may seem.

Language is a technology that we invent to communicate, so the mental map will relate better to our mind, which thinks in images.

Remember that when things pass through your head, they pass as images, so I invite you to try with mental maps, on the Internet there are many models.

Then you will have to describe in words what each outline of the map means and there you will notice that you are writing again. We are only missing the core exercise of writing, as we have said previously: to order language, thought.

Advice off the list:

In my particular case, it has been useful, in addition to the ones I have mentioned, an exercise that will seem strange, however, when practiced, it will be fun and therapeutic.

Writing about the blockade, about that terror of the blank page. Make an essay, a poem, write as a diary or write a letter to the blockade, or write a story about a writer, a writer who has a writing block. It worked for me very well.

This is just a small list of tips, which are neither all nor definitive. So I will try to continue sharing this type of advice on writing and creation. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow

@hipertextual

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All images are originals of the author.