5 tips to combat writer's block

Whether you believe in writer’s block or not, here are some tips I’ve personally tried and have had success with.

Sleep on it.

Shutting down your brain and allowing yourself to tap into that sub consciousness has worked for me several times. Laying in the silence, semi sleeping, letting my brain’s creativity run wild has actually made me jump out of bed to write down the new idea or break through that I needed. Give it a try, especially if you need a short break from your manuscript, not a walk away for a week break but the kinda break where there’s a deadline and you need to be unstuck quickly.

Go for a hike.

Being a big outdoor person, this one is my personal favourite. There has always been something about the forest and the element of simplicity and serenity that gets all those creative juices flowing. The hustle and bustle from everyday life dissipates and things become easier to plot and write. I have created entire plots to stories just by walking through the the woods with my kids! Which brings me to my next point.

Reach out to others.

Asking a friend, critic partner, life partner or even your kids for opinions is always an easy way to expand your brain power. I have come across many great revelations just listening to the wild imaginations from children and then obviously tweaking things for the adult versions. Fresh perspectives always spark something new.

Explore it out on paper.

Draw a good old fashioned brainstorm bubble. You know the ones you were forced to use in school. I’m a very visual person so sometimes this is helpful. Mapping out where I am and where I want the manuscript to go can help me see things differently and get the creativity flowing again. Especially if its a piece of work you’ve stepped away from for a period of time.

Shut down the distractions.

Living in a world where technology is at our fingertips all the time is very distracting. So when you are already experiencing writer’s block it is so easy to grab the phone, check Twitter and the next thing you know you’ve been down a rabbit hole watching Tik Toks for an hour. So when I’m stuck I like to shut down all the distractions and try to clear the brain fog, keeping those words flowing.

That‘s all from me. I hope that one of these tips is helpful to you at some point and you can break through that writer’s block!