2 techniques to get rid of writers block while your in the middle of a writing project!

Today we’re busting through writer’s block! When the word count monster is looming and you’re behind deadline, losing your creative energy can be a confidence killer. Even when you’re writing on your own schedule, coming up blank can steal all the joy from doing the thing you love.

And for many writers, the pandemic threw order and organization right out the window. Talk about compounding stresses.

Over the span of a few months, the entire world had to figure out how to adjust the way we live. And that is no small ask. Social Distancing—it sounds so depressing!—seemed simple: Stay home, limit contact with other people, go about life as usual.

But even for those of us who already worked from home, life was nowhere near the same. And the COVID-19 pandemic changed some very fundamental elements of our lives. Whether your challenges are centered on family or finances or mental and emotional health—or some scary combination of these—your writing process may have needed to adapt too. And maybe it still does, in other ways.

Even if you’re thriving in your creative energy right now, an infusion of new ideas can boost your mental clarity.

So here are my two tips for finding new and exciting inspiration. And you might think, “Geez, these are so basic”, but that’s the point. Sometimes we have to strip ourselves down to the absolute foundations to find and nurture the spark within. Give these techniques a try, then reply to this email and let me know how they worked for you. (Seriously! I want to know!)

Psst! Grab a pen to jot down your stream of thoughts!

Technique #1: Use your frustrations as your inciting event

What is the one thing that is bugging the hell out of you right now? Write that down.

Then start to dig deeper. Why is that thing so frustrating? What personal freedom is it limiting? What are you denied because of its restrictions? Why do you so badly want/need/crave the thing you can’t have? What very basic core need is going unfilled?

Now create a character profile based on these observations and let it guide your character’s journey. See if you can purge your own angst by pouring it onto the page as someone else’s struggle.

Technique #2: Escape to your ideal fantasy world

If escape is your jam—and I feel you, because ghosting my own troubles is a huge part of the reason I read romance (and fiction in general)—digging into your own angst might actually make things worse. So close your eyes and imagine yourself in the one place/situation that will bring you peace and balance.

Where did you go? What are you doing? Look around your mental landscape and take notes. What color is the sky? What sounds do you hear on the breeze? Who’s standing beside you? What’s their emotional state?

Sometimes we need to start from a place of happiness before we start delving into conflict and all the other little gems that bring spice and substance to a story.

Since you anchored your story in a character’s happy place, you may have trouble spinning a compelling journey with all of the necessary beats. Don’t panic. This story is inside you, same as every other book that you’ve poured, cried, pounded, and bled into your keyboard. You just need to dig deep and explore who your new main character is at their core. Your fantasy happy place might be where your characters need to end up, or it might be the paradise they have to accept losing during their journey. Or maybe it's the thing they're fighting to preserve. Ask yourself, why?

Which technique worked for you?

Both techniques above are variations on the same idea—starting with a basic concept and digging deeper into a character's GMCs and Core Values. But how you get there (and where you start) can make make or break your mindset. We’re all built differently, and our brains work in their own unique ways. But sometimes you need to shake things up to tempt your muse out of hiding.

How did the tips above work for you? Which was the most effective? What did you do differently, and why do you think it worked? ​

Keep writing and learning, and never be afraid to fail forward!