SEVEN TIPS FOR UNLOCKING WRITER'S BLOCK

In my last blog post, I outlined several reasons why a writer may struggle with writer's block. Now I want you to shift your focus and offer some constructive suggestions for unlocking writers block and creating your best work yet.

Here are seven tips for going from stuck to full speed ahead!

1. Get Rested and Healthy
There is no negotiation on this one. Never underestimate the effect your physical health has on your mental ability to create. Think of rest as the fuel that propels your creative engine. When your body and mind are functioning smoothly, your writing will reflect it.

2. Let Go of Some Activities
We say we don't have time, but the truth is we've scheduled too many things into our lives. The first thing I would recommend you look at is your TV watching schedule. That is the easiest place to claim more time for the time bank. For you, it may be something entirely different. Whatever it is, pare it back so you have more time to focus on your writing (or like mentioned above, resting).

3. Revisit Your Outline
Sometimes you need to take a step back, read through your outline, and look through your characters. Look at the forest, not just the trees. When you do this, you may realize that your writer's block is a warning sign that you're going in the wrong direction. You may need to deepen your characters or invest additional time in your story structure, not just hitting daily word counts.

4. Meet New People
At the heart of every story is people. If your story is blocked, you may need to broaden your understanding of people. The best thing you can do is get to know interesting people. Talk to them, hear their stories, and hang on to each detail. They will give you a well of knowledge from which to draw.

5. Do New Things
Recently, I visited a city I've never been to before and had some great experiences. I drove an ATV (quad) for the first time, wrecked it in a stream, watched a comedy from the early nineties, and got caught in my vehicle at a red-light dancing "The Robot." I have a deeper appreciation of life than before I went on my vacation.  You don't necessarily need to travel, but wherever you are, be expanding your horizons by doing new things. 

6. Keep Writing
When you are struggling with writer's block, the last thing you want to do is write. But that's exactly what I'm suggesting. Writing anything. Write recipes for a cookbook. Write poems that don't make any sense. Write short stories in a genre you despise. Even if you have to crack open somebody else's work and copy it down verbatim, write it out. Put one word in front of the next. Don't give up. The writer's block will go away, and you will find yourself pounding the keys again.

7. Consider Collaborating
Writing is a solitary affair, but you always have the option of working with somebody else. My nature is to balk at this kind of partnership, but thought-sharing can be invaluable. I just started a collaboration with a friend (not because of writer's block), and I've found it to be a terrific learning experience. Note: be choosy with this option. Only pick somebody that you can work with and trust.

Writer's block is a multi-faceted problem and may require a multi-pronged approach. But whatever the cause, once you come out from under that cloud, you may even look back and be thankful for the writer's block. Why? In retrospect, you may find that the dynamite that knocked the log-jam free shaped you into a better writer. 

Have your own story about writer's block, share below!

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