How can I be more productive and overcome writers block?

Hi Alz, thank you for your question regarding how you can be productive and overcome writers' block. As a writer that struggles with this myself, I can understand how frustrating this can be. In your question, you also ask about "bitter experiences" in your family and how to move past this, which is likely a separate issue so I will consider that as well.

You ask how you can be productive and imply you want to write every day. At the moment, you say you can't write anything. The trick is to build things up slowly, develop your confidence and also your ability to focus. You can try short bursts of stream of consciousness writing - where you write whatever comes into your head for a set period of time. Don't judge it or think about what you're writing - just put your pen to the page, or type away at your computer, letting your mind wander and expressing whatever comes up. This can be a very therapeutic form of meditation and can spark creativity. Another method is to begin a reflective journal. You don't have to write huge amounts. Bullet journals are very popular with busy people. This is where you simply make a few notes, like bullet points, about what is happening for you, thoughts in your head, things you've observed, funny stories, things that have made you think, words you like... even something as simple as going to get a coffee or noticing some trees can turn into a creative paragraph. You may also find it helpful to write down your dreams as this can give interesting ideas and also help you become more self aware. Keep a small notebook with you and jot down ideas or interesting things. This is a great, low-pressure way of sparking creativity which then can turn into a more sustained writing practice.

It's also important to consider what may be holding you back from writing. Virginia Woolf said that "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction". I don't know if you're a woman or want to write fiction, but what Woolf is essentially saying is that you must be reasonably able to survive without financial instability, and you must have your own space where you can shut yourself off from other problems and responsibilities. She is talking about a life where you develop the ability to handle stress, and the ability to set good boundaries. This plays into the latter part of your question. If you are feeling really stressed, anxious, and down about yourself, writing can be a good escape as it's a creative endeavor that allows you to enter another world. However, if you're writing to try to become famous or make yourself feel better about who you are, you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself and maybe taking some of the joy away from writing. Like all creative projects, writing without joy will just fizzle out, because you won't be able to motivate yourself. Take the pressure off yourself by focusing on the process of writing, on the fun of creating characters and interesting new worlds, rather than focusing on publishing, other people's receptions, or anything external to the story.

You say that you've had bitter experiences and people have hurt you. You state that people have taken advantage of you. It's hard to comment on this without knowing more of the specifics, but oftentimes, this can happen if you have low self-worth and you allow yourself to be placed in situations that may be exploitative. It's very important for mental health to develop good boundaries and understand that you don't have to put up with ill treatment. You imply that this is more something that happened in the past and you've been left with bad memories which you want to let go of. It may be worthwhile talking to a therapist who can help you process all this. It seems there is a lot of anger within you for the things that have happened to you in the past, and speaking about it to someone you trust could help dispel some of that and allow you to understand yourself better. If you are finding yourself troubled with repetitive thoughts about past events, allow your mind to move into a place of acceptance rather than anger and bitterness by turning your mind away from thoughts that no longer serve you. You can't change what has happened in the past, but you can learn from it and understand how important it is to stand up for better treatment in the future.

I hope this answer is helpful to you and I wish you the best of luck for your future,

Eleanor