Intro to 19 Tricks to Shatter Writer's Block

Includes tip #1

I recently finished my first novel, The Distance and the Weight, and it’s out to prospective agents. I’m at work on a second novel, and I also write short stories and some poetry.

I worked on the first novel for years, more years than I want to admit. Why? Two reasons: First, I work a full-time job and can only write on weekends or in the evenings. Second, at various times over the years, I’ve found it hard to get to work on the book, for a lot of different reasons, most of which can be lumped under the term “writer’s block.”

What is writer’s block? It can manifest in many forms. Writer’s block can be a lack of ideas. It can be a lack of motivation. It can be confusion about how to proceed. In its uglier forms, it can be doubt about your skills or the value of your ideas, fear that you’re not a real writer or not as good as those writers you admire.

Whatever it is, there are tested and proven techniques that can get you out of your head and get your words onto the page.

So, though I don’t have a novel published yet, I do have a wealth of tricks for smashing writer’s block, and I want to share these tricks with other writers. My tricks are developed for fiction writers, but most of them can help you no matter what you’re writing, including poetry, memoir, song lyrics, a screenplay, a business presentation, or even a school paper.

Here’s the first of my 19 Tricks to Shatter Writer’s Block. New ones will arrive weekly in your inbox.

Tip #1

Make a Date with Yourself

Often what you think is writer’s block is really too many competing commitments. You have to make writing a priority. Put it on your calendar. Start small: 30 minutes before breakfast every day or before you go to bed each night. Write in the evening instead of watching an hour of TV. Do whatever you can manage to do regularly. The key is consistency.