Writer's Block

For the first time in a long time, I got to talk to another writer. I didn't have to drive hundreds of miles, book a flight or pay a fee to attend a writer's conference. All I had to do was walk across the street.

It turns out my neighbor is an author. She aspsires to finish her first novel and publish it. The first question she asked...'What do you do about writer's block?'

Now this is a question writers get all the time. Different things work for different people. For me, the answer is probably the one thing no one wants to hear. You have to walk away from the project you're working on for a little while. It sounds crazy, but I have learned that distancing yourself from a troublesome project is often the only way to have that eureka moment you're waiting for.

I'm not saying that you have to leave the project for a year or 10, but a few weeks to a few months can work wonders. Instead of trying to force yourself to find the words that will move you from that one tough line to the end of the text, just take a break. A hiatus comes with several options.

One: You can push that book or story that's giving you trouble aside and work on a new one. I love this option and this is usually my method of choice. My mind is always overflowing with ideas clamoring for attention and it doesn't hurt to dive into the imagination and entertain myself with something new.

Two: Entertain yourself with someone else's brainchild. This means watching a movie, reading a book or listening to music. Sometimes, you need to see others work to know what you do and don't want in yours. Maybe there is a word or phrase you hear or an image you see that gives you that spark of genius.

Three: Go on an actual vacation. If you can afford it and even if you can't, do something that has nothing to do with writing. You can go to the park, go hiking, or go to the beach. You can even go shopping. And just because you're shopping doesn't mean you have to buy a truck load of things you don't need. A simple trip to the grocery store can get you focusing on something other than that character you can't flesh out or that chapter you can't finish.

The point I'm trying to make is that there is no shame in saying 'I don't know what I'm doing right now'. You're not giving up. You're taking a break. Writing is hard work and even authors needs vacation time.