Writer's Block

I have read countless posts on various social media platforms, asking how writers stay focused, motivated and work through “writer’s block.” I have struggled with these classic writer’s moments many times. Here is a list of some of the ways I have worked through them.

Get up

If you are having trouble thinking of what words to put down on your paper or to type up next and you find yourself staring at the page, hoping the words will magically appear, do not just sit there. Get Up! There are always things that we put off doing in the house, this is the time to do them. Getting some of those never-ending chores done will help you feel better, it will get the juices flowing, the blood pumping and your brain thinking. Not only that, but you will be surprised at how good it will make you feel that you got some things done around the house. It will help you feel less, in limbo, and more accomplished.

Go Outside

Get some fresh air. Soak up the rays and vitamins. Being in the sun releases all those great feelings and makes you feel happier, calmer and helps to clear your mind. You might just find that a few minutes in the sun gets your brain moving again the way you want it to. You can sit and relax, take a walk, go for a jog, or work in the garden. Maybe have a writing area outside where you can go and write out in the open, rather than at your desk or in a room. If I hit a spot where I am struggling to continue, I often take a paper and pen outside and write in the open air. Then I will come back in sometime later and type up what I wrote outside, this helps me go over what just happened in my story, and I often find this kicks my brain into gear and I am able to continue on.

Write

I know, this one seems a bit contradictory. I do not mean force the words out and into the book. Instead, keep a journal, write a blog, brainstorm your book ideas. I have kept a journal for many years, I do not write in it every day, sometimes I go months without writing in it, but when I do, I have found that it really helps to clear my mind and unclutter my thoughts. Blogs are fantastic and so much fun. They really get you into the writing mode. I write my blogs about all kinds of topics and always enjoy them. Lastly, brainstorming gets your thoughts in order. You can write down important moments in your book, develop a timeline or simply write down different moments you want to happen in the novel you are working on. This assists me every time! I occasionally have a difficult time finding the fillers or how to word a moment and that causes me to freeze. I will then go back and reread what should be happening in my book at that moment or I brainstorm and jot down what I would like to happen next. This helps to combine the scenes and helps the different events in your book flow.

Fidget or Fiddle

If you had told me a year ago that this would help, I probably would not have thought twice about it or even considered how true it is and how much it really can help. Let me inform you though, there is definite truth to it. For Christmas, my kids got “Thinking Puddy”, they are little cans of puddy that come in all different colors. I was a preschool teacher for many years and have had my fair share of dealings with slime and puddy and most of those incidents involved a lot of messes. This specific puddy my kids were gifted though was wonderful! Of course, my three-year-old was only allowed to use it under my supervision, which often was when she was calming down and getting ready for a nap and I was writing. She would sit next to me and play with the puddy. I found myself doing the same since it was sitting on my desk. Low and behold, I ended up buying a couple cans for myself!! When I would get stuck on a part of my book, I would start rolling the puddy around in my hands and I would be typing again within minutes.

Talk about it

You are your story’s biggest fan, you are the creator of the world, characters, and events in it. Chances are you feel passionate and

excited about it, though do not worry much if these feelings of enthusiasm dissipate from time to time, that happens to the best of writers. Something that may encourage you though, is to simply talk about your book and your ideas with someone. Make sure you have a notebook handy to jot down any ideas you might gain from the discussion. Whether you are talking with a friend, spouse, or relative, it will likely get you thrilled again about your book, it will give you new ideas or help elaborate on old ones. Talking is a great way to bring back that motivation.

Research

No matter what genre your book is, there is always research you can do. Write down different research points you find. Be prepared for new ideas to strike during your research. If you are unsure of what to investigate, think of smaller aspects of your book, not just the larger picture. You are sure to find something. This is a fantastic way to motivate and encourage the writer as well has aid in discovering new ideas that are likely to push you past that dreaded writer’s block. I write Historical fiction so of course I never run out of topics to research, but say you write fantasy, maybe you could research types of weapons, armor, or folklore. There will always be topics to branch out on and learn more about or discover. From clothing to climate, location, medicine, transportation, government, food and drink, or beliefs and culture. If you are stuck, pick a few parts of your story to explore, you will be surprised at how much this can help.