3 Strategies for Escaping Writer’s Block.
Look, we've all been there. You have an idea you're excited about and then you get stuck. Or a deadline is coming up and you can't seem to figure out the next word. Writer's block sucks.
The best way to escape writer's block - and avoid it altogether - is to be proactive.
Accept that it's going to happen to you at some point and then set up some ways to overcome it when it shows up. I share more in my book PurgaStory: 5 Strategies for Escaping the Hell of Writers’s Block, and I intend to share more in a follow-up, but for now, here’s my top 3 I myself use as a professional writer…
STRATEGY #1: THE OL’ SWITCHEROO
This one sounds crazy, but it works. Instead of focusing all your attention on one project, you purposefully switch back-and-forth between TWO projects. This works best if you have two very different projects going at once. If you get stuck on one, flip over to the other and vice-versa.
I do this one literally all the time, with both my ghostwriting work and creative writing work. Rather than being counter-productive, this is really great for spurring on your creative juices. It's always fun to see how one project can inspire a fresh idea for another!
STRATEGY #2: START IN THE MIDDLE
Most writers tend to put too much pressure on the beginning and the end. Unless you already have a killer idea in mind, don't worry about starting with the first line. You can always start in the "middle." This may not be the literal "middle." It might be the last scene or the climax.
The point is to start with the clearest ideas and flesh them out, even if they're not in the right order. Then build bridges between these points like a game of "connect the dots." This can be really fun and help you come up with new ideas along the way.
My screenplay Golden Girl which won the Stage32 Feature Screenwriting Competition was written this way. I tackled the scenes that were clearest in my mind and then figured out how I needed to connect them. The opening scene actually ended up being one of the last ones I wrote.
STRATEGY #3: THE IDEA BANK
Not all of your great ideas come when you want them to. And that's okay. What's most important is not when they come to you, but to have a way to keep track of them for when you need them. That's the idea behind "The Idea Bank."
All you have to do is create a note or document where you can jot down any idea you have but can't flesh it out yet. Eventually the time will come when you feel stuck and then you can go to your idea bank to take out a "withdrawal." You might be surprised what ideas help get you unstuck in your current project.
Not to harp on about myself too much, but half of my first novel came from my idea bank. I’ve also found ways to repurpose “homeless” ideas to bolster other stories or to flesh out supporting characters.
Remember…keep it simple.
Writing is hard enough. No need to make it harder than it has to be. More often than not, the simplest ideas are the best ideas, the simplest solutions are the best solutions.
You can't totally avoid writer's block. For better or worse, it's part of the writing process! But with these strategies, you can transform frustration into inspiration.
