Feeling blocked?

We thought we'd do something different this month, and look at the problem of writer's block. Many of us suffer from the evil blockage at one time or another.  Sometimes before we even start, sometimes when we’re in the middle of something.

There are writers who claim never to have suffered from it. We don’t like them.  You could try writing a story about one of them, the smug so-and-so, and invent some horrible fate that befalls them as a result of never suffering from writer’s block…

Alternatively you could try one of the exercises below (probably better for your karma).

Talk to Imaginary People
This one assumes you already have a hero and/or villain – or at least a character.  What do they think about your story?  Do they like it there?  How do they feel about whether you carry on with it, or not; whether you finish it, or even start it, or not?  What do they think if you go watch "I’m a Celebrity Why Should You Care" instead?  Let them tell you in their own words.

Take Baby Steps
Set yourself a tiny goal.  Really tiny.  100 words a day, for a week.  A good legal typist can do that in under two minutes.  They don’t have to be good words, they just have to be there. Add them to your work in progress or start something new.  If you like, you can start something new every day – so long as you also finish it.  Unfinished projects are inclined to make you feel bad about yourself, which is often a major component of writers’ block.

Change the Scenery
Take your laptop, notebook and pen or whatever, and go somewhere you’ve never written before; somewhere you wouldn’t normally consider a writing space.  Go to the café at a museum or art gallery – or sit on one of the gallery benches.  At least when you’re stuck you’ll have something interesting to look at.  Go to the pub and write.  Take a long bus journey.  If you live somewhere with a tube – subway for you Americans – sit on it till the end of the line and write.  (Note: depending on where you live, flashing a nice laptop on public transport may be unwise.) (Further note: if you do this on the Circle line, you might be there forever.  Remember to get off at some point). 

If you’re stuck at home, just try a different room, chair, sitting position, or writing implement. We've found writing in bed first thing in the morning (with the appropriate caffeine beverage) to be productive.

Why Me? Why This?
Take another look at your story.  Why this story?  Do you love it, or do you just think this is the one you should be writing?  Too many of us believe that anything worth doing has to be hard, tough, and miserable.  Yet the writing that’s fun to do is the writing that’s fun to read – and we don’t just mean comedy.  Remember the things that first made you want to write.  What makes you go, ooh, yeah, cool?  Whether it’s 15th century funerary ritual, 21st century car racing, the idea of everlasting love or lots of muscly people swinging swords, if it makes you feel excited, that’s what you should be writing about.

Take a Break
Finally, there are things in life that are more important than writing. (Housework is not one of them.) Sometimes things happen that take up all of your time/concentration/energy. If something huge is happening in your life, you may need time off to deal with it.

And sometimes you just need time to "refill the well". If you've been holed away writing for months on end, you might just have run out of stuff to write about.
If you are sitting down to write regularly, and you absolutely, positively can not write (and it's making you feel awful), try giving yourself a week off from writing, no guilt attached.  The no guilt attached is the crucial bit. Think of it as a material-gathering exercise. Spend your writing time doing something else that you enjoy, or learn something new and fun, or do some web surfing or random research, or catch up with friends and family. Enjoy yourself!

Picture Seeds

Use one or more of the pictures below as a starting point and write for 15 minutes.

Picture Seeds

Use one or more of the pictures below as a starting point and write for 15 minutes