Songwriting: Some Approaches to Help Beat the Dreaded “BLOCK”
Writer’s block. Creative block. Block hole sun.
Whatever you want to call it, we’ve all felt it. Staring at a blank, mocking page, or flashing cursor on a screen. Despair. Frustration. Angst.
It’s so common, that there’s not a writer or a creative anywhere that hasn’t experienced some variation of this dreaded condition. You may even be suffering from it right now, and that’s why you’re here.
Well, there is hope. That’s the good news. But first, before we get into that, let’s understand what writer’s block is.
Writer's block is the inability to produce new work or ideas, often due to stress, lack of inspiration, or self-doubt, making it difficult to continue writing.
According to some, writer’s block has origins as far back as 5000 years ago. Say what? No, really. Since the advent of writing emerged, there has been some variation of its nemesis lurking over the writer’s shoulder, goading and chiding you in a Gollum voice.
But why is it there? Reality is, that writer’s block can manifest for several irrational reasons. Pressure to create, fear of judgment, or lack of inspiration… these are some big ones. Anyone who has felt this knows exactly how difficult it can be to shake that filthy hobbit off your shoulder.
What to do about it
So what can be done?
The main thing to remember: it happens to all of us. And there’s no shame in it. Some might even say it’s an essential part of the creative process. So, breathe. Bask in the glory of your fallible humanity.
Then, take a walk. Change your environment. Maybe set your writing area up somewhere else to change things around. Meditate. Bark at your dog. Do something to press reset on your current state.
Consider some freewriting exercises. Stream of consciousness with no agenda, no rhyming scheme, no framework. Write about everything that pops into your head. There may be a lot of nonsense, but some of it may blend in with what you can use. You might be surprised.
Hit the archives. Going back over material you’ve written in the past can serve as inspiration. Bob Dylan used to rearrange sections of things he’d written and try them out in different orders. Sometimes reading lines from past poems, stories, or songs you’ve written can help dislodge the block.
Listen to music you love, or read writers you admire. This is part and parcel of inspiration, and of course, you don’t want to copy someone you love outright, but sometimes immersing yourself in their work can jog something loose.
Listen to music very quietly. This is a weird one. But I have found that if I’m working on a song, and I hum and scat dummy lyrics with the arrangement, then I turn the song down considerably and listen to it, sometimes my brain will make connections and words or turns of phrases that fit. It doesn’t always work, but when it does it’s pretty cool.
Keep in mind that writer’s block is a temporary hurdle. It’s there to offset those times when the creativity is bursting out of you like Mount Vesuvius. As with anything in life, there’s a balance. It’s important to stick with your craft and give that evil Gollum the middle finger. But not for keepsies.
Kevin Rogers Cobus is a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist with over 30 years of gigging and recording experience. He plays in the indie rock band Shoemaker Levee.