I Have Nothing to Write

It seems that all writers at some point have the problem of not having something to write. Though it seems a simple enough problem, there is actually much to say on the subject.

If you're having this problem, the first thing you need to know is why you have nothing to write. It could be a simple case of writer's block. The best explanation of writer's block I've heard is that your mind is being hypernegative. It's not that you don't come up with ideas, but that you shoot all of them down, believing they are no good. If this is your problem, the best cure is to put yourself in a state of boredom. Do something repetitive and mind-numbing. Sometimes your job covers that perfectly. Sometimes it's a matter of going outside and staring at clouds. Or maybe if you are lying in bed and you're in that state between being awake and going to sleep (we actually start to dream before we fall unconscious). Any of these tasks promote daydreaming (or regular dreaming), which leads to much thought generation. It also tends to be a frame of mind free of negativity, where you can explore ideas without worrying about "good" and "bad". If you find an idea that you really like or that you really want to explore, keep on it. Just write it down so you don't forget. Now you have something to write and you're writing.

Maybe you don't have writer's block. Maybe you're just in a dry spell. Where writer's block is "I can't think of anything good," dry spells are "I can't think of anything." Dry spells are frustrating because your conscious mind has nothing and your unconscious mind isn't telling you what it's doing. But despite that, the number one thing to do is have faith. Even if your mind doesn't have any water it's always drilling for a new source. One day, you will have an idea, which is usually followed by several more and then you will barely be able to get everything down (do try to, though). If you are lacking in faith, the methods for dealing with writer's block are still very effective in trying to speed up the process.

A lot of writers think they don't have anything to say. Usually, the more accurate problem is that they have nothing they want to say. Writers tend to be very personal and very private. I think that's what drives us to write. It's like communicating with people without having to actually be around other people. Even still, writing is never easy. Sometimes we have to write about the things that hurt, the painful moments, the events that scarred us for life. Sometimes we have to say the stuff that we swore we would never tell another soul. Sometimes we have to write the things that might make your family disown you. Interestingly enough, when you write these things, you might find out that people won't hate you and won't judge you. If you write about real reality, the nitty gritty truth, people will respect your courage and honesty. The only people who could be offended by the truth are the people who can't handle it. And, frankly, you don't need those people.

Some people will never feel comfortable with the secrets they keep. Though I will always recommend telling them, I can understand that some things you may just refuse. I know that I have trust issues, so I never talk about myself. And yet, I still have found much to write about. I tend to write to explore ideas. I'll start with a premise like, "what would happen if I couldn't use my legs", then I would write the story starting with me waking up in the hospital without my legs. There is a lot to consider with such a scenario. How would I get around? What hobbies could I no longer do? How different is the world when you're always sitting down? Would I look at my new life with sorrow or would I crack jokes about it? Would I even think my life was worth living anymore? This is a very serious subject, which means very serious questions need to be asked and answered. You can also choose to write comedy in the same way, though. "What would happen if I could press a button that casted magic, but I couldn't choose what spells it did?" There are infinite amounts of wacky situations that could come from it, including a story of trying to resist the temptation to press the button, hoping for the magical jackpot to occur.

If you have nothing to write, then stop writing and start finding things to write. If you have nothing you want to write, that's your problem and you either need to get over it or hang up your pen forever. If you're a writer, I advise against that last part. If you're not a writer, I still advise against it.