5 tips to combat writer's block
Every writer at some point reaches that stage in which they are just sitting, with their head in their hands, staring at their screen, watching the cursor blink frustratingly at them. Here are five tips that I find are extremely helpful for combating writer's block.
One: Take a short active break
I often find that when I can't seem to be productive it's because my mind and my body are just not working together. By taking a short active break like going for a walk, vacuuming the house or playing with my dogs, it energises and recentres me.
Two: Dots
Dots (aka planning) are what I like to do when I'm stuck with the next step of a story. I just pop down some dot points, and then I add to those dot points, and then I add to those dots. Before you know it you have a completely planned out scene and it becomes easier to draw it all together.
Three: Play the scene like a movie
This sounds somewhat weird, but play the scene you are trying to write in your head like you would a movie scene. This often helps you to centre your point of the scene and remind yourself of what needs to happen.
Four: Writing sprints
If you have any writer friends, get in touch over messenger or texting and sort out a time to do a couple of 15 or 20 minute sprints. The point of these sprints is to just write whatever comes into your head, no editing, no spell-check. Ignore those squiggly red lines of doom! If you aren't connected with any other writers, or they're in a different timezone to you and are currently asleep while you try to write, try using the Pomodoro Timer app.
Five: Change locations.
As a last resort I have been known to change the location of where I am trying to write. Either I am completely bored of my office space and need new inspiration or my body just wants to spend a little time in a different position. So I can move within my house to a couch or a deck chair or the dining room table or sometimes I even go to the public library or a food-court. To me this is a last resort as it is quite distracting but if the points up above haven't got me anywhere I go and find somewhere new.