To each is own, foremost. So the following advice of course is what works for me and hopefully for you too.
Writers block is the beginning of your personal death in creativity. It is like cutting my wrist and watching them bleed as I try to figure out my disconnect. The feeling of being helpless to your own imagination is devastating and you have to find a way out. There is no need for art to be pushed to the side as you find nothing of interest to capture. We’re inspired everyday, it is up to us to take the initiative and make that inspiration actionable.
For me writing is something I do every day regardless of imagination. I write on this blog a few times a week. I write in a journal when I need to vent or figure myself out. I write-up reports for work and my publishing process that I am learning. Most importantly I am writing an amazing science fiction series that I want to blow everybody away with. So having an imagination and keeping it active is vital to my goal.
First you have to figure out why you are having problems writing. I notice normally I get writers block when I miss something in my story. Another common factor is stress.
The next step is taking initiative. If stress is the cause then the obvious conclusion is to minimize it. Ultimately there is no limit for what kind of stress a person has and the ways in which it can be eliminated. So if it is stress I ask myself is it manageable or will it be reconciled at a later date (perhaps you are changing jobs or have exams in school, etc.) If it is something that is coming to an end due to particular events in our life then you just have to ride it out. If it is ongoing stress then I try to manage my life. Starting with organization I list all the things that are bothering me then I go to my calendar and pick days for me to focus on those issues. If I have it written down to focus on at a later date I can momentarily ease my mind. This helps also prevent future stress. Other ways of course is to take a day off and get some me time.
If however stress is only caused because of writers block you need to take a deeper look. There is not a day that goes by that I am not running through the past events of my book leading to my present to see if there is a gap. Usually I get writers block when there is a gap in my story. Perhaps unsusceptible to the reader but I know it’s there because they are my characters. Their choices are at a standstill when parts of the past are unexplained or unexplored. Afterall, the reader doesn’t know the intimate details of my character, only the personality that came from the details I created about my characters past life.
Another free and easy way to overcome my block is exploring my dreams. Dreams are important, perhaps not the whole of the dream but the pieces of it. When I wake up I try to write down anything interesting and then later look to see if I can expand on it in my books. Dreams have to be the most creative view for our minds to explore so why shouldn’t we utilize them for more than what they are.
Car rides are a huge help for me as well. I have an hour drive to work and an hour drive back from work. Being alone I allow my mind to wander into my characters life, while I’m listening to music and obeying the law, I usually have a brilliant idea that I can use. Most the time I find answers to issues I have had in my book that become so obvious.
Ultimately, no matter where I am, what I am doing, and who I am talking too….my mind is living in a fantasy land owned by my characters and I try my best to jot down notes when an idea hits. I’ve stated in other blogs that you never know when creativity will spark and you have to be prepared. One small idea while you are driving could be your writers block fix, the only issue is if you forget to record or write it down. Poof***
Writer Daze 