Writer's Block

Hey guys, I know I've touched on the subject of writer's block before, but I thought I would come back to it today.  I subscribe to the blog I Heart Planners and got a link talking about writer's block, which can be found here.  It talks mostly about writing blog posts, which I do sometimes need tips on how to do, but I was thinking it might be a nice refresher on what to do with writer's block overall.  Not all of us are blog writers and are trying to work on a piece of fiction or non fiction as the case may be.

One of them is one that I've always believed to be true.  That is to make sure that you're working on the right project.  Writer's block might not be you, it might be the project.  Now, this should be a last resort because sometimes it might be more a change of plot needed.  Or a change of character.  It might be less that you need to give up the project entirely and simply make a change.

Another one is to write in batch.  Now, she's talking about writing blog posts, so the idea is, when you have time / ideas, to sit down and write down several posts in a row.  You then schedule when they go out and it's a technique a lot of blog writers use.  I know I use it, because I'm really not up and aware at 7 am to deal with blog posts (hi, night owl), and it works out well.  I batch write my blog posts on the weekends or Monday, depending on how it's going.  You can do this with writing a novel by making sure you don't stop yourself.  Instead of creating a new document to write the next chapter in, hit "insert page" and put chapter x before you continue writing.  It'll help for you to go until you really feel that you cannot write anymore.  You'll know when you get there because your wrists hurt and you feel mentally exhausted.  Sometimes physically as well with wanting a nap.  I don't recommend pushing past that and it goes to the next point.

Taking a break - either a five minute walk or a 20 minute nap or even doing the dishes.  Stepping back and doing something mindless can help to spark where you're going to go next.  It's said that great ideas come when you're in the shower - which I can vouch as true - and it happens during times when you're doing something that you don't really have to think too hard about.  I recommend keeping a notebook with you at all times to make sure that you remember the great idea that you had.  But yes, taking a break is the best.

The last point I want to talk about, which is the main point of the linked article, is turning off your internal editor.  It's hard to do and it takes practice, but it goes to the core of writing.  You write, you edit, you re-write, you re-edit until you reach a polished project that you're willing to send out.  Having your internal editor pop up during the writing process makes writing your project all that much harder.  Some of the ways to help is to turn off seeing mistakes in spelling and basic grammar in the program you're using to write.  Another way is to give yourself a personal challenge of writing without touching the backspace button at all.  You can set a timer and make sure that your fingers don't leave the keyboard during that time.  I will say that it does get easier and easier to turn off your internal editor while writing but you do need to practice.  You know, that butt in chair thing.

Well, I hope this helps with banishing writer's block.  Do you have ways that help you bash the block?  Feel free to leave them below or contact me via Facebook or Twitter.  Until next time, keep on writing!