When you’re stuck on what to write.
If you’ve ever spent time writing, you’ve likely faced the difficulty of not knowing what to write. Writers block; that inability to put words down onto paper when you sit down with such good intentions to write. It happens.
Fortunately, writers block is not forever.
There are a few things I use to beat writers block when it happens. While some of these may be cliche, and others may seem simplistic, they are nevertheless ways to get a stubborn mind back into gear and get those creative juices flowing again.
Write - you cannot beat writers block if you avoid writing. There’s simply no way around it. If you want to put words down, you have to sit down and write them, no matter the struggle. Try to get at least a page down, without worrying about how long it takes, and then leave it. Oftentimes this simple act will kick-start the creative process, and you’ll continue writing past that one page.
Location - find a place that is easy to write in. Set yourself up for success. For some, that may mean a busy coffee shop; for others, a quiet room with no music. Give your mind what it needs to be creative.
Time - for some people, timing is crucial. We tend to underestimate the power of habits, and they apply to writing as well as any other part of life. Do you write every night from 9 - 11? If so, choosing to write at 11am may not help you to beat writers block. Habits can be changed, but when facing writers block, sticking with what has worked in the past can be a helpful strategy.
Wait - this is the biggest one for me! If I don’t feel like writing, or I can’t decide where to go next with the story, I don’t write. Sometimes this means leaving the story for a few hours, sometimes it means leaving it for a week. Regardless, there is no shame in waiting for your creativity to recharge itself. Our minds are active in so many different ways throughout an average day; if writing needs to take a backseat for a few days, so be it. Letting yourself have those days is perfectly acceptable.
Hopefully these ideas offer a taste of what you can do to beat writers block when it happens, for it will happen at some point. Writers, let me know in the comments what strategies you use to get those creative juices flowing!
