5 Fun and Easy Fixes to Writer’s Block

Do you prefer to write by hand...

If you’re anything like me, you know that sometimes there comes a time in a writer’s life when the words simply do not flow. But I’ve found a few tricks that help get those ideas coming and get you back on the “write” track.

1. Use your favorite novel as inspiration.

Scan your bookshelves and pick out that well-read, dog-eared paperback with copious amounts of underlining and notes in the margins and open it to your favorite passage. Start by copying those words and sentences that make you giddy every time you read them. After a few lines, or even just a few words or a phrase, close the book and write as yourself. Not only does this help you emulate the writing of your favorite wordsmith, but also it plays off an idea you know you already love. But don’t forget to go back and change the beginning once you’re done. You can “be inspired by” but you definitely don’t want to be caught plagiarizing.

2. Character study your best friend (or your worst enemy).

Great characters make great writing. The people you know have all the characteristics you need to create a well-rounded, three-dimensional character. Sometimes you might pull traits from multiple people rather than mirror just one. But I suggest that you choose someone close to you and treat him or her as your protagonist. Or, if you’d rather, your antagonist. Do a detailed character sketch of someone you know. The closer they are to you, the easier this exercise might be. Try it once with a close friend then try it again with a classmate you’ve only spoken to once or twice.

3. Keep a dream journal.

This works only as well as you can remember your dreams. But I know that I often wake up on the fringes of some whacked out nonsense. Keeping a dream journal, something that you write in every morning as soon as you wake up, might spawn a fantastical novel. I think dreams have the ability to bring out both our darkest desires and our most terrifying fears—basically everything that makes a great novel.

4. “Wouldn’t it be cool/incredible/horrible/devastating if…?”

A great novel usually has, at its center, a question about how life works. If you’re struggling to find a plot or a conflict that captures interest, why don’t you ask yourself some questions? Find an adjective that works for you (I’ve given some examples above) and come up with a list of the most outrageous answers. Maybe you think it would be really cool if you never had to go to sleep. Or it would be devastating if you sat on the subway beside the same guy every day for a year only to find out too late that, if things had gone differently, you’d have married him. The possibilities are endless. Just start free writing.

... or do you use your computer?

5. Go conversation hopping.

A great place to listen to conversations is your local bookstore or café. A grocery store might also reveal some interesting insights into how people act and what they say. One of the best things to do to strengthen your skills at dialogue is to, well, listen to dialogue. If you sit at a corner table with your notebook in your lap, most people aren’t observant enough to notice that you’re writing down everything they say.

Tagged as: Sarah, writer's block, writing, writing exercises