Ways to combat writer's block!

[Guest]

There seems to be quite a few people in these writers' Community asking for ways to combat writer's block so I thought I'd share something that works for me.

Keep in mind that I generally "write in my head", sort of dictating the scene to silently myself then writing it down later.

If I'm stuck on a scene, going for a drive almost always breaks through that block. Some of my best work has come to me on the long drive I have to make from my farm to town. There's no traffic, so I can split my attention this way without worrying about being distracted from my driving.

[Sol]

I replay scenes in my head when I go to bed, take a shower, do chores. I even talk aloud to myself a lot, especially if I'm having issues on a particularly bad/frustrating section.

[Roni]

One of my blocks came from a dream, another by stepping into an elevator, another on a train.

[Hope]

I’m training for a half marathon. My best ideas always come while I’m running.

I ran for an hour and 36 minutes yesterday and came up with an amazing twist for my story.

Don't miss: How can I overcome writer's block?

[Joseph]

I’ve mentally taken characters to coffee to discuss their situation.

“Sarah. You…. Turned yourself into a bird.”

“Yeahhhhh, I guess I did. Cuz I’ve got to FLY under the radar! Ehh? Ehh?”

“You plan to get back into a humanoid body?”

“Frig, that would take a while, and there’s a lot I need to get done right now.”

“As a bird”

[Rebekah]

Driving can definitely help. For me, it's the boring daily production meeting at work. For most of the last week I've been trying to picture what kind of alien the other supervisors would be if we were on a starship instead of an office.

If I do get called on, or if my boss is in this group, I accidentally let my mind wander for a moment.

Explore these too: How do you get past writers block?

[Sarah]

Read Thunder and Lightning by Natalie Goldberg. She has some useful perspectives.

[Zane]

Walks help, read last page written also before you sit to write will also, and when it starts flowing just go with it. Keep it going.

[David]

Find swimming and cycling help. Also take a pen and note pad with me. A little booze afterwards can help. Scribble down your ideas and snippets. Come back to them a day or so later.

Don't be afraid to write down anything that comes into your head. You can use it, organise it or discard it later.

Also, check out: What do people do to break down writer's block?

[Barbara]

Walking for me, or swimming.