Even the greatest writers suffer from the dreaded writer’s block once in a while. There are probably a million different tricks people have tried in order to break through and get the words flowing again. Some work better than others, and some don’t work at all for certain people. Sometimes we even find our most trusted methods don’t work. We get stuck in a slump for a while then, all of a sudden, the dam breaks and we can’t stop the flow of words that issues forth.
If you’ve found this blog in a desperate search for a way to break your own block, then I hope the following list will hold at least one wedge that will put a crack in it. Here are ten tricks I use to try and get over my own writer’s block:
- Re-read the Story from the Beginning: Sometimes I find that all I have to do is re-read, and when I get to that spot where I think I can’t write any further, the words keep going after I’ve read the last one.
- Work on Something Different: If I just can’t get things going again, I’ll search my mood and find another piece that suits it better. I have several different works that I keep close at hand for when I need the shift gears for a few days. I’ll eventually go back to the blocked piece and wonder why I was stuck in the first place, though sometimes not until I get stuck on the other one.
- Free-Writing and Random Prompts: The beauty of free-writing is that it clears out all the congestion that builds up while I’m concentrating 100% on one piece and those little thoughts I have that might lend well to something new get left stuck in my head for a later date. Another bonus is that writing those ideas down prevents me from forgetting them, and I can sometimes go back to those ideas and pull them for use in another story. I also free write about whatever may be bothering me, from current events to the weather. The point in free writing is to just write whatever comes out, even if it doesn’t make sense. Prompts, on the other hand, are a more creative cousin of free-writing. I generally do a simple topic prompt (i.e.: A junk shop; Bad news; An old letter; The reading of the will) and write for 15 minutes. Sometimes that’s all it takes, and sometimes the prompt starts something more.
- Blog: That’s right: Blogging is a great way to break up that block! Pick a topic, write about it, share it with people. It gets your mind off the story you are stuck on and lets you get back to it with fresh eyes later (even when you’re writing a blog about ways to get over writer’s block!).
- Read a Book, Watch a Movie, Catch Up on You Favorite Show: Sometimes your brain is just too over-loaded to think on its own anymore, and needs a little outside stimulus. If your current project was inspired by an episode of your favorite show, watch a few more episodes. If it was inspired by a movie, put it in the DVD player! Sometimes getting back to the mind-set you were in when you started the piece in the first place will do the trick! Also, you might just need to think about something completely different and get caught up in someone else’s story for a bit.
- Cook: I like to cook and bake. It’s fun and rewarding even when I’m not stuck with my writing, but when I am stuck, it’s another way for me to forget the problem for a little while, and sometimes I find that, once the cookies are in the oven, I’m ready to pick up my pen again!
- Exercise: Go for a walk, do some yoga, get the blood flowing to your brain. Think about nothing for a while. It really does help.
- Have a Cup of Tea: Sometimes getting away for the amount of time it takes for me to boil the kettle, choose from my giant selection of teas and prepare the perfect cup is just enough time for my brain to recharge and I’m ready to go again!
- Listen to Music: Dance like a crazy person, sing along! Sometimes you just need to break the silence for a while.
- Clean: Or do some other unlikeable task. You might find that you trick yourself into writing as a method of procrastinating on that task.
If all else fails, my advise to you is: Don’t let it get you down. Everyone gets stuck once in a while. I find that I’ll get blocked for days. I’ll be grumpy and depressed, trying every trick in the book to get passed it, then all of a sudden, a new idea hatches and I can’t stop! I think of that type of writer’s block as the broodieness before something new forces its way to the surface. In the mean time, I read plenty of books, drink a lot of tea and dance…badly.
Ink on My Hands 