For every day that you have written a great song, we’re willing to bet there are ten where you have struggled with writer’s block, where the only thing you’ve created are far too many cups of tea or coffee. These days needn’t be part of your writing cycle, though. To help turn those tricky days around, we’ve put together some tips to help you learn a more productive daily routine; one that works for you, helping you to develop methods to get you unstuck, out of a rut and keep the good days (and songs) going. 

1. Change the way you start

One of the best ways to stir up your creativity and to keep you writing is to change the way you ease into it. For starters, write on a new instrument - one you don't play that often. If you always write songs on a guitar, why don’t you dig out your old keyboard that’s gathering dust and see where it takes you instead? This will help get things flowing again and once you have something you can work with you can always take it back to your more comfortable instrument – if you so choose. 

Likewise, if you're in the studio writing with a producer (or, even if you are the producer) and you have got stuck, why not try and take it back to the basics and get on the guitar or piano and break the track down, bit by bit. Or, work with some new sounds and get excited by them instead.  

Another way to help you write is to try writing with someone else. And if you do that all the time, then write with someone new. The key is to mix things up. Like starting with a chord progression, a lyric or vice versa. Another way to mix things up, is to build up a track before writing a top line to it (melody and lyric) then try this the other way around and start with a top line. Find your own new ways of starting and, most importantly, constantly change things up. 

2. Change your environment

Alongside changing how you go about writing, another rather simple way to keep you writing is to change where you write. For instance, go into another room. Don't ask us why but sometimes it can be just enough to get you unstuck. 

Otherwise, get outside for a bit and use your body. Sometimes we get way too into our heads and this can actually become quite inhibiting when we are trying to feel free and creative. Go for a walk/a run/a dance and allow your mind to stop thinking about what you have been trying to write. You don't have to be in the studio or sitting still to get ideas, actually it can sometimes be helpful not to be.

What are you looking at? Staring at the same blank wall or screen can become maddening if you have got well and truly stuck. Take 5 and read a book, or magazine, look at something that you find beautiful or inspiring. Or even put a film on with the volume off. (I am not suggesting you start watching the latest episode of your series here, it should be something which makes you feel motivated and creative). You might be surprised at how much these little adjustments can help shake up your thoughts and perspective on what you have been writing.

3. Write something bad

Today I am going to write a bad song. That is my aim. That is all I am going to try to do, whatever comes out, the first thing that comes out, about whatever first pops into my head. It will be really terrible and that will be great because that is what I set out to do, to write a really terrible song.

Right, so once you have thoroughly convinced yourself of this, go with it and see what happens…sometimes taking the pressure off can work like magic. And if not, there is always tomorrow. Either way, good or bad, you’re writing – pressure free. 

4. Multi-task

Work on more than one idea at a time. This may sound like bad practice and we don't necessarily advise this for the less experienced writer, but we have found this a really helpful way of working and know many other writers who do the same thing too. Have you ever spent hours beavering away at something, trying to crack that chorus, only to have some time away from it, listen with fresh ears and suddenly, effortlessly, as if, without thinking, the song glides into place? Variety and perspective really are the key here; by switching between ideas we often find it can leave the critical, over-thinking part of the brain behind, meaning you approach each idea with a fresh energy and momentum.

A large part of finding the writing methods that work best for you is knowing how you work best in general, what suits your personality and what you need to feel productive. For some people this method may feel a little unstructured and scatty for example, but for others it can be a great way of not over thinking things and just playing around, which brings us to our last tip to keep you writing. 

5. Don’t grow up

One of the best things about doing creative work is it gives you the opportunity to maintain an element of play and childishness in your everyday life. You don't really have to grow up. You are free to explore and lose yourself in something. So, don't take it too seriously. It can still be important to you, profound, significant and at the same time fun. 

So, there you have it. If you find yourself on one of your bad, unproductive days where the only thing created is a good cup of coffee (or tea) then follow these above pointers to help you write, and, most importantly, keep writing. While creativity can be a hard to maintain, you can certainly help it along. 

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash