7 Ways to Overcome Writer's Block

Hack Number 1

Hi, I'm
A.I. ANNIE,
your writing
guide

Story making goes back to prehistoric times when people gathered around the campfire to tell tales of the hunt and mythic folklore. The truth is, some things don't change: everyone has a story to tell. So here are some tried and tested ways to stop writer procrastination.

You Need a Writing Space

a) Create a dedicated writing place and ambience (special music, clothing, photo, pen or shakes a snow globe on your desk). These little rituals help create an environment conducive to keeping your 'butt on chair' for a set period.

b) Gather your writing materials.

c) Study your daily schedule and establish a suitable time slot.

d) Put in place a reward system for yourself.

Hack Number 2

Make a regular date with your writing place.

a) What does that mean? Are we talking about the 'muse?'

b) Well, you can call inspiration whatever you like, but one thing is for certain - the best way is meeting up with yourself on a regular basis.

c) This might sound like the opposite thing to do if you don't like being hemmed in. However, the mind loves patterns and procedures.

d) It you make a regular time, your mind will oblige and keep you on track.

e) Like doing weight training or running a marathon you need to build up your writing muscles without distractions. Afterwards reward yourself.

Hack Number 3

Do at least ten minutes of uninterrupted daily writing.

a) There is conscious writing and writing from the subconscious.

b) Let the subconscious have a say in what you write. Put yourself on automatic pilot and see what happens.

c) Why? Your life's deep themes are usually buried and need to be coaxed to come out. Writing brings them to light.

d) Good writing is driven writing. Get passionate about things that mean something to you.

e) Write in a totally non-judgmental, non critical way, in order to release the power of your subconscious mind.

f) If you are having a problem -- try writing a letter to your subconscious. Detail your issues. Making things crystal clear helps to clear the path.

Hack Number 4

Use a daily prompt to help get started.

a) Prompts come in all shapes and lengths.

b) Prompt 1: Write randomly for 15 minutes. The trick is: 'don't think.' Let your subconscious work for you. Learn to trust the narrator inside.

c) Prompt 2: Choose half a dozen words and challenge yourself to include them in your writing session.

d) In other words, think of writing as the ultimate crossword game.

e) When you're done, underline any good phrases and save them in your journal.

f) Don't worry if what you write comes out rough the first time. The first mission is to simply WRITE IT DOWN.

Hack Number 5

Get more ideas by reading articles or books.

a) Writing inspires more writing.

b) Surf the Net for information, new ideas and quotations by famous people.

c) Feed the hungry tiger of the mind.

d) Be careful not to directly copy other peoples' writing, Use the thesaurus, rephrase, choose synonyms.

e) The main purpose here is to stimulate your imagination.

f) Art is like a dragon composed of different animal parts 'frankensteined' together. What is original is the vision you bring to organising the material.

Hack Number 6

Go over yesterday’s work.

a) Reviewing and editing disarms the terror of the blank page.

b) Count your words to track your daily output.

c) This is good way to motivate yourself and achieve daily, weekly and monthly targets.

d) Word counts are also important to publications, especially when you are trying to sell short works.

e) It is also prudent to keep track of the length of your ms length, say a novel before submitting to an agent or publisher. A first time manuscript would generally be between 75,000 to 80,000 words.

f) If you overshoot, this may give the reader a reason NOT to read your submission.

Hack Number 7

Don’t exhaust your material in one burst.

a) Stop at a point that allows you to pick up where you left off the previous day.

b) Daily writing is like adding links to a chain or knitting the same pattern. The parts need to match to merge with the whole.

c) Writing long-form prose, in particular, requires consistency, so pace yourself.

d) There are times to push harder and other times to step back.

e) If you feeling blocked, take a break from your 'brain-baby' and allow the subconscious to find a solution.

f) Instead, spend 15 minutes NOT writing. Take a walk, meditate, read a book. Refresh.