How I handle writers block....

It happens to us all from time to time, we're steaming through a manuscript then *bam* suddenly the words just will not come....

Writers block is possibly the most frustrating thing ever! What's the best way to get back on form? Well here are a few little things that work for me.....

1. Going for a walk! 

I often find that once I get some distance between myself and the blank page I've been starting at for too long and decide to go out to get some fresh air, the characters just naturally start chatting to me again. For some bizarre reason, my characters are never more alive in my head than when I'm out walking and can't write anything down! (but that's where a phone a voice notes come in handy!) Maybe it's the exercise that gets things flowing again or it could even just be the change of scenery, but it always works!

2. Cleaning!

Yes, I know I sound like Mrs Hinch here, but I have noticed that whenever I'm doing mundane tasks like washing the dishes or vacuuming the house my imagination seems to come alive! I'm sure it's probably just my mind's way of escaping the boredom of housework but I've come up with some incredible ideas whilst doing my day to day jobs and I also find a tidy house also really helps me to focus! Tidy house, tidy mind....

3. Music!

I can't write with any background noise so listening to music whilst I write is a big no, but I do find that taking time out to chill and listen to music helps with creativity. Sometimes the concept of a song I'm listening to will spark my imagination and give me an idea on how to progress a scene, other times just one particular line of a lyric will grab my attention and influence a characters actions. I don't know how it helps, all I do know is know is that music has come to the rescue on so many occasions and inspired me out of a black hole of nothingness and back into the ability to write!

4. A bath!

If all else fails I find that a long hot soak in the bath works miracles for me! I think us writers tend to have so much creativity going on that on occasion we just simply need to clear our heads and unwind in order to let things play out properly in our imagination. Writers block can simply be a case of overwhelm and once our minds have had time to process all of the ideas and thoughts that are spinning around we can get back to work!

5. Reverse psychology!

Turning my attention to a different manuscript that I've been working on, editing something else or dedicating that day to writing a a blog post instead of my current novel are all sure fire ways to make my current novel start begging for my attention again! It's almost like reverse psychology, when I want to write it, it doesn't want to play but the minute I turn to something else it decides to cooperate again! I think sometimes we're just putting too much pressure on ourselves to hit a deadline or word count goal and when we take that pressure away by turning our attention to something else it reduces our anxiety suddenly the flow comes back.

6. Skipping forward!

If nothing is working and it's been days of not getting anywhere, I eventually get to a point where I decide to just skip forward and write the next scene. I'm not much of a plotter but I usually have an idea where at least the next few chapters are going and so I cut my losses and move on, then come back and fill in the plot hole later. I used to get annoyed with leaving plot holes and think that I wasn't writing properly but with experience I have found that they have their uses in the editing stages! I can't tell you how many times a handy gap has saved my ass because I needed to find somewhere to insert some major backstory I'd overlooked in my first draft.

7. Rewrite.!

Yes. I said that dreaded word. I know it isn't something any of us like to do but sometimes it's necessary to be brutal and just realise that for whatever reason the scene before the current one has left us completely road blocked and we need to get rid of it. I try not to beat myself up or get annoyed when this happens, even though throwing away work can be frustrating. I have come to realise that sometimes it is better to just cut my losses and do a complete rewrite on the problematic scene than waste any more time agonising over how to force it to work. It's very difficult to make the decision to go back to the drawing board and start the scene again but if the block is prolonged it might be your only option. This has never not solved the problem for me, but it's still not a decision I take lightly. I always keep a copy of the old chapter too, just in case I have a revelation at a later date as to how I could have made it work!