Break Through Your Writer's Block Today

Writer's block is the scourge of every writer. It can strike when you least expect; whether it's when you're trying to think of a short story idea, or you're in the middle of a writing project without a clue about how to proceed. The worst part about writer's block is that it destroys a writer's self-confidence and snowballs to the point where it can affect a writer's career.

The good news is that writer's block is an easy affliction to cure, even if you're thrown into the depths of its gripping hold. Here are a few easy and surefire ways to get over your writer's block today without going crazy.

The well has dried up before you begin to write

This first scenario often plays out with beginning writers, but can affect every writer at all different levels. You want to write a piece of short fiction, for example, but you are totally void of any ideas that would make a good story. What should you do?

You can come up with at least 100 ideas in a matter of minutes by using this technique. Simply ask yourself "What if?" and then fill in the blank. Throw a character into a life and death situation and see how he/she gets out alive. Place a character in an unlikely setting and see what happens. The possibilities are endless.

Write down all of your "What if" scenarios and chose one that excites you. And the best part about using this technique (it can be used for short fiction and novels equally well) is that once you have your "What if" idea, it is the basic idea on which your story is built. That means that characters can change, settings can vary and all sorts of different variables can be changed - but you still have your basic idea which will serve as a "guidepost" for the rest of your story.

You get stuck in the middle of a project

This type of writer's block is a little more tricky because you are already committed to a particular idea and have already written something down, thus limiting your possibilities (unless you wish to start over, which is always an option with every piece of writing).

So how do you overcome writer's block in the middle of a project? I found the easiest way to accomplish this is to start writing, but take the work in a totally different direction. This means that you can switch scenes, write about a different character, add some more dialogue, it's totally up to you. The point is that something at that point in the story where you become blocked is keeping you from moving forward, so by taking it in a different direction, you are essentially overcoming the block.

Another way to overcome writer's block in the middle of a story is to set it aside and let it "sit" for a day or two. During that time, work on something totally unrelated. This will give you a chance to "recharge" and when you do get back to work on the story, you will be able to approach it from a fresh perspective.

Best way to beat writer's block is prevention

Of course, not getting writer's block in the first place is always ideal. There are several methods for preventing this very frustrating obstacle to your writing. A very effective method is called free writing. This is where you sit down for a pre-determined length of time (i.e. 15 - 30 minutes) and do nothing but write. It doesn't matter what you are writing. If you have nothing to write about, then write about that. The point is to keep writing for that specific length of time.

Set a timer so you know when your time is up and try to rid yourself of any distractions (disconnect the telephone, etc). This will help quiet down your inner editor, helping to prevent writer's block. Even if you don't do free writing like I have described, just doing a lot of writing often helps as well.

Remember, writer's block is only temporary and can always be overcome. With a little effort, creativity and maybe some extra time, you'll be back to writing before you know it.