3 Simple Things to Do to Combat Writer's Block

Writer’s block is never fun, but there are ways to combat it or ensure it rarely, if ever, happens to you. Keep reading for more, then check out today’s writing prompt at the bottom of this post.

1. Read

Reading every single day is the best way to ensure you never, if ever, encounter writer’s block. When reading is part of your daily lifestyle, it’s much easier to make writing part of your daily lifestyle. You will always have narrative voices, styles, and techniques fresh in your mind when you read every day, even if only on a subconscious level. Reading allows you to see and understand characters, scenes, plots, etc., in different and more profound ways, which will offer you great ideas and insights for your own writing. In the words of Stephen King: “You have to read widely, constantly refining (and redefining) your own work as you do so…  If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” 

Read more about how I avoid reading ruts. 

2. Take a Break 

This is a lot harder to do than it seems because it’s counterintuitive. When you’re stuck, staring at that dreaded blinking cursor on the blank digital page in front of you, you want to keep charging ahead, typing random gibberish, then deleting said gibberish, over and over again, even when you keep hitting creative and figurative walls. However, if you’re truly stuck (as in, you’ve been trying to write something for over thirty minutes and can’t come up with a single word that sticks), and you’re starting to get frustrated while you’re writing, the best thing to do is take a break because you don’t want to start dreading or disliking your writing sessions or the entire writing process, as that will obviously start deterring you from looking forward to writing in the future as well as the present. So, when you need to take a break, start with a five-to-ten-minute break first. Just take a few deep breaths, stretch, make a fresh cup of coffee, or something like that. If that doesn’t work, I would suggest taking a break to read something (see number one above) for about an hour, as that might inspire some ideas. And if that still doesn’t work, do something else like go for a walk or phone a friend, or do something else creative like paint or make a meal, with the necessary promise that you will sit down to write the following day, no matter what.  

3. Free Write

When you find yourself stuck while writing, consider writing something else for a few minutes to clear your head or drum up some creative ideas. First, select a topic to write about, then set a timer for five minutes. Once you start the timer, start free writing about the topic you selected without stopping for five minutes, until the timer goes off. As you’re free writing, don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, spelling, or making what you write perfect and amazing. Simply let your ideas flow and allow them to surface in your mind. Not only is this type of writing exercise fun, but it also allows you to enjoy the more liberating and authentic parts of the writing process, as you don’t have to have a particular agenda when you free write. Personally, I find free writing exercises helpful when I am working on my novel or a larger writing project. If there is a character I need to understand more vividly, or a scene I am trying to flesh out, I will often free write about them first. I will write for five minutes about the facial features of a character, for example, until I can see their face in my mind’s eye. Sometimes even free writing about unrelated or random topics for five minutes can spur creative thoughts and techniques. You’d be surprised, for example, how many creative ideas surface when you free write about grass or honey for five minutes before you write an economic or sales report on marketable products. 

What do you think about this topic? What do you do to combat writer’s block? Leave a comment to join this dialogue, then share this post with others so they can join the dialogue too. 

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© All Rights Reserved by K.E. Creighton and Creighton’s Compositions LLC.

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Today’s Writing Prompt