That Vague Little Thing Called Writer's Block

What happens when you just can't write... Ick. Such an awful realization. For us Seat-of-the-pantsers, it's like a death sentence. Plotters usually have an easier time getting back into the swing of things.

So what do you do? We live for writing. It's the very air we breathe sometimes. When that air is gone, life seems pretty empty. But somewhere out there, a solution has to be waiting.

Well, here's my ideas... the things that I do. Considering that I'm a Seat-of-the-pants writer, I can't promise that these things will help a Plotter.

1. Often, we are inspired by seeing things around us and since Writer's Block stems from lack of inspiration or motivation, one of the counters to Writer's Block, is getting excited about a new story or an old one. Try watching a movie that has a similar or completely different plot. Sometimes different can give you new ideas. Or read a book. Same idea. And if the story is historical or themed... Go to a location that relates to the setting. Seeing my setting always gets me excited to start telling a story. Museums help too. They get the wheels in my head turning
2. Other times, Writer's Block means you have no motivation to write whatsoever. That's a dreadful place to be. The best thing I can say, is sit down at your computer and type until you get yourself into a rhythm. Do some editing on old work. Just force yourself to focus. Eventually writing will become habit and the words will come a little easier. 
3. Something else that helps... Move away from your current project and work on something else. I always have 2 stories that I work on simultaneously. One that is my primary project, and another that I use when I get Writer's Block. Working on something fresh takes my mind of wherever I got stuck on and gets it going. Eventually, the old project becomes appealing again. 

Well... that's what I do. If you have any other tips for Writer's Block, comment with your solution below. Let's ban together to defeat that vague little thing called Writer's Block!

Emily

Test Time!

What makes books good or bad? Oftentimes, even we (writers) can’t really tell exactly what makes a book a winner. Sure, we know if there is an exciting plot, excellent imagery, or beautiful, poetic writing. But sometimes we can’t tell exactly what made this book appealing to us—and why it appealed to the people who published it. And if we can’t tell that for ourselves, how will we know how to make our own books or stories winners? I’m the type of girl who has a hard time putting down a book—even if it’s really mundane. I just can’t stand the thought of not finishing something. That has been to my determent, because I haven’t come to realize what it is in the book that makes me not want to keep reading. I just read on, no matter what. So I’ve started an exercise. When I go to the library, I head to my favorite section (definitely the Christian Historical Fiction) and I pick out three books. Two of them are books that I definitely want to read (usually ones that friends recommend or that I have a steadfast trust in the author). Then, for the third one, I pick a random book that I’ve never heard of. I read this book until 45 pages (I found out that this is usually the farthest point a bored reader will read to until they finally put it down). After that, I stop, and I write a paragraph in a designated notebook about why or why not I want to continue with this book. Is it a successful plot? Has the story engaged me from the beginning? Have the characters’ voices engaged me from the beginning? After I write my paragraph, I can use the pros I found in my own stories, and I can make sure not to use any of the cons I found, too. It’s a great exercise—and I’ve even found a few new favorite authors!