A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a friend who was suffering from writer’s block, I was going to send an email full of advice and tips and then I thought – why not blog it.
The best advice I have discovered in the past year and a half is to not blame the block on yourself – but rather the sticky keys of your laptop, by doing this you can kid your brain and get the ideas pumping again.
We all know what Writer’s Block feels like and we all suffer from the stalemate from time to time, including best selling authors, you are in good company. Sometimes the best thing to do is walk away from writing for a while, give yourself a day or two off from writing, or take a walk, get out of the house, you may discover a source of inspiration out in the real world.
Writer’s Block can leave you feeling lethargic so here are some ideas to try if you do not want to leave the house.
1) Try a writing exercise.
2) Think about some major life changes that you have experienced, what if they had turned out differently? Write the outcome.
3) Use favourite/ well known book characters and write them into different scenes.
4) Write your anxieties down, what is happening inside your creative/ writing mind.
5) Talk to other writers.
6) Try working on a different project. I tend to have 2 or 3 simultaneous projects timetabled at any one time, this prevents boredom and blocks, although in poetry writer’s block is slightly different and tends to centre around ideas.
7) Assess your writing space, perhaps change or tidy your environment to declutter your mind.
8) Think about why you write to begin with. (Or next time you are having a positive writing day write down some observations to read next time you are feeling empty!) Are you writing what you love? It can be really hard to finish projects otherwise.
Tangents and detours happen in writing, accept them.
Try to silence your inner critic – don’t let those gremlins tell you your writing is worthless.
Remember the power of re-writes, just work on getting your 1st draft out.
Just keep going.
Try to look at your manuscript from different angles.
Touch base with HOW writing makes you FEEL – why you are a writer to begin with.
awritersfountain 