Mid Week Inspirations- Give Writer’s Block the boot

Hey all I have to start of by saying I’m visiting my good friend and fellow author today Lorraine Nelson talking about my up coming release, Cursed. This is the second stop on my Blog Tour, and there’s a chance to win a wonderful gift basket. http://lorrainenelson.wordpress.com/

And now on to the post : Winks:

I know this is a mid-week inspiration, and the title may have you saying. Hmm how does this fit in with the theme? Well the exact opposite of writer’s block is being inspired, right? Mhmmm :Nods: head. Now you’ve come over to the dark side aka my way of thinking : Muhahaha: Seriously though this is one of those questions I’m asked frequently, and as a writer I am always looking for new tips to keep the muse chatty, so I’m sharing what I’ve learned on my writing journey.

Don’t think for one minute professional writers are immune from writer’s block. I think we all hit the wall and have the moment where our muse decides he/she/them are going to take a vacation for an undetermined amount of time, and bully on us if we’re stuck out in the cold. At least that’s how my muse works. Francesca, yes she has a name, is a sassy gal who does what she wants when she wants, and often plots with my characters to overthrow me, my outline and anything else she can get her hands on. :Winks: Not that I don’t love her to pieces. Without her I’d be lost. When she goes silent and nothing seems to spark me here’s what I do.

First I take a break. Step away from writing, and do the other things I love like, reading, crafting, spending time with the family, watching my favorite shows/movies, and listening to music. If that fails I know it’s an internal thing not burn out or stress related. So I go for a long drive. For me there’s something magical about the open road, good music and having no time frames to follow. I pack up the kids, hit the highway, rock out and usually a spark ignites. If that doesn’t work I talk it out, Brainstorming is still just as amazing as it was back in high school. Get with a trusted friend and hash things out. Bounce ideas of one another , you’d be surprised what might turn up.

One of the major keys to overcoming writers block is to write. Say whaat? I know sounds crazy, but bear with me. You may think you have nothing to say, or that whatever you’re writing down is crap, but it’s something. Words can be edited, drafts rewritten. But if you have nothing that’s what you have to work with… zip, zero, zilch. You see where I’m coming from? One of the best tips I’ve picked up is to remember it’s what you’re working on is your first draft. Things don’t have to be perfect. Just get the words down and come back and revamp it later.

Last but not least, get out. As writers we can find ourselves chained to the desk, so to speak. The world out there is beautiful, alive and full of inspiration just waiting for you. Look around at your surroundings.

I hope some of these tips may have helped you. I’d love to hear any you may have. How do you give Writer’s block the shake?