Overcoming Writer’s Block
It’s no shame to suffer from writer’s block. Most good writers face it at some point. Writer’s block is not necessarily a lack of ideas—you may have a dozen brilliant ideas for a story or poem, but you just can’t get past the first paragraph—or the first word. Or maybe your novel has been flowing along beautifully; and then about halfway through, your mind goes blank. You have no idea what to write next, and your inspiration seems to have died completely.
This month, we asked several professional writers to share their tips for moving past writer’s block. So the next time your creativity stalls, try one or two of these suggestions.
Dawn Watkins—author of the novels Shield, Medallion, Zoli’s Legacy, and Jenny Wren, as well as several picture books including The Cranky Blue Crab, Very Like a Star, and Pocket Change.
When I have writer’s block, I:
> Do something that requires a mix of physical and mental work, like cleaning out the closet.
> Read something excellent that has moved me before.
> Go outside and closely observe something natural, like an anthill or the change of light.
Eileen Berry—author of the children’s books Benjamin's Sling, Haiku on Your Shoe, Looking For Home, and Buttercup Hill, as well as numerous short stories and poems.
When I have writer’s block, I:
> Do more research on the topic.
> Get up and do something completely different but let the back of my mind keep working on the idea. It’s surprising how often my best ideas come all on their own when I’m not sitting there actively looking for them.
> Sit and try out all different kinds of lines (if I’m writing a poem), make lists of words or images I’d like to use in the poem, or try to rewrite the same thought a bunch of different ways. If it’s a rhyming poem, I try to express a thought in different rhyme schemes. Sometimes I even look at a rhyming dictionary on the internet—it hardly ever helps, but it does keep me thinking about language and the sounds of words, and it makes me laugh thinking about how silly the poem would sound if I forced some of those rhymes in. :)
Kim Stegall—author of the picture books Mumsi Meets a Lion and Rodney Robbins and the Rainy-Day Pond, as well as a variety of non-fiction articles.
When I have writer’s block, I:
> Just start writing something! If I’m writing on an assigned topic, sometimes I begin by restating what it is that I’m writing about.
> Look back through my writing notes or journal—sometimes an old idea will jump out at me in a new way.
> Read, read, read—I find that reading magazine articles, novels, or children’s books revitalizes my creative juices.
Nancy Lohr—author of the children’s books Songbird and Pelts and Promises, as well as numerous articles about books and reading.
When I have writer’s block, I:
> Sit down at my computer. If I don't put myself where I can write, I've made it easy not to write. But if I'm there noodling around with words, it is like verbal throat clearing that gets me moving again. (Note: I delete the throat clearing after I'm back on track.)
> Start several pages back in the current manuscript and read out loud. This helps me hear the story line and the voice I am writing in. This often gets my writing juices flowing again.
> Go back to the original outline, even if this is as simple as a single line for the beginning, middle, and end. As I start fleshing out the outline, perhaps moving things around or deleting things that aren't working, I can get past whatever has stopped me. AND when I delete from this outline or even from the manuscript, I copy the deleted text into a separate file that I call "scraps.doc." I have an easier time revising when I move something rather than deleting it out right. Then if it really is a nicely turned phrase, it's all ready to use in another spot.
Rebecca Kenney—author of the teen novel The Silent and the children’s book Where I Belong, as well as several articles about education and publishing.
When I have writer’s block, I:
> Like to take a walk and listen to music on my iPod. This works whether I’m writing fiction or nonfiction—it frees my thoughts.
> Watch an episode of a favorite TV show or do some online research about something in my story.
> Move to a different part of the story. If I get stuck in Chapter 3, I move on to Chapter 5, or even Chapter 20. I write whatever piece of the story I feel like writing at the moment. When I write, it’s like the story already exists, written in invisible ink—and I’m just uncovering parts of it until I have the whole thing.
