Becoming publishable
Writer's Block
There are days when I wake up with my mind racing and more ideas than I know what to do with. There are other days when I can't think of a single thing to write about--I have writer's block.
In a previous article, I explained some ways to generate ideas to write about . This article will focus more on the day you have to write something and nothing is coming. This is particularly a problem when you write a blog or a column.
First, it does help to prepare ahead for such days. I have files on my computer, in each writing folder, labeled Unfinished. These are articles or stories I started but didn't finish, or half-baked ideas I made a file for in case I felt like finishing the project someday. These are great to pull out when you're stuck. Often one of them appeals to me at that moment.
Sign up for some email things that come every day--word of the day, quote of the day, etc. If they're related to the type of thing you write, one of them can be used to spark an idea. For instance, suppose you blog about family life. Sign up for an inspiriational quote about families to be delivered daily. When you have writer's block, make yourself write on whatever quote arrives that morning. If you get a quote about how having dinner together as a family keeps the family strong, write an article on that topic, or a remembrance of family dinners from your childhood, or a how-to of how to make dinner time fun.
Sometimes it helps to get the most important distraction out of the way. I find I write better if I've tidied the kitchen first, simply because it's my least favorite job and knowing it isn't looming keeps me from being distracted. Whether it's answering your email, playing with the baby, or finding out who committed the murder in your current reading, get it out of the way. Set a time limit though, so the distraction doesn't become an excuse to avoid writing. Set a timer and when it goes off, return to your computer.
When you finish your day's writing, start the first few sentences of tomorrow's writing. Leave off in the middle of the sentence. Often it's just a matter of getting the fingers moving on the keyboard so your brain will switch to writing mode. For instance, I write a blog for a foundation providing commentary on scripture. When I finish that day's article, I look ahead and choose the verse I want to write about next. I put the verse into a new document. When I am ready to work again, the verse is there and I have to find something to say about it. Sometimes I jot a sentence or two to remind me why I chose it.
Have news trackers set up for your topics. I can nearly always get an article from today's news.
Just start writing anything at all. Keep a list of teaser words (Just then..., Unfortunately...., No one thought to tell her..., Just around the corner...., the next morning...,). Pick any one of them , type them into the next paragraph of your story, and start writing. You can erase it later. You just need to get those fingers moving.
In the same vein, open a novel in a similar genre, close your eyes, and point to a spot on the page. Grab the first five words in the sentence you're pointing to and put them in your own story. Change the name and start writing. Again, you can remove it later. The trick is to get your fingers moving.
For more help with ideas, read Generating Ideas to Write About.