8 Ways to Jostle Your Creativity During a Bout of Writer’s Block

If you have ever tried to Google your way out of writer’s block by searching for ways to outrun this beast, you know how much advice exists and how common an experience it is. The ideas presented here to reconnect with your creativity and get that word count flowing again are not all-inclusive, but they are all things that have worked for me. So, try them this minute or tuck them away for an uninspired day. They’re yours to ponder. 

Change your Setting

Sometimes our writing gets stuck or stale because our environment is a bit stale. Shake things up by taking yourself to the library, a coffee shop, or even a picnic table at the park. 

Pursue Quiet Inspiration 

If we are trying to squeeze our brains for every drop of creativity, but are not refilling the well, then we are likely to hit a wall. Let your brain rest while offering it sources of inspiration - wander around a museum, an art gallery, the quad at a local college, or people-watch at the mall. 

Answer Some Prompts

You can search for writing prompts online or grab a book of prompts that seem unrelated or even goofy. Let yourself write freely without caring what comes out. My favorite prompt books are Thinking About Memoir by Abigail Thomas and Burn After Writing by Sharon Jones. 

Stream of Consciousness

One great way to dislodge some motor stuckness (when typing or handwriting) can be setting a timer for a few minutes and allowing yourself to write in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, even if what comes out is complete nonsense. Writing is writing, and you can do it, even when you feel like you can’t. 

Embrace the SFD

Allow yourself to embrace the shitty first draft. Avoid editing as you write and resist putting on the brakes if what comes out isn’t perfect. Writing is for getting words on the page. Editing is for refining what you’ve got. 

Make a Routine

Just like brushing your teeth and crawling into bed with a book at the end of the day sets the stage for your brain to get ready for sleep, so can put on headphones, silence your phone, and make a cup of tea cue your brain to settle into writing mode. 

Walk Away

If your brain is jammed in “Park” and nothing is moving, walk away from your writing for a bit. Time spent trying to force writing may make things worse by increasing your frustration. Take a break, take a breath, and come back when it feels right.   

Address the Root Cause

Take some time to reflect on why you might be experiencing writer’s block in the first place. Are you stuck because you don’t feel good enough? Are you afraid that what you write might not take off, or that it will? Do you keep getting sidetracked by that unresolved fight you had the other day with your sister? Once you know what is blocking you, it is easier to clear the road. 

About Emily Rose

Emily Rose is a school psychologist by day and a writer by all other hours. She publishes weekly articles on her website, MissMagnoliaSays.com, where she writes about everything from recurrent fever dreams of forgetting to put on pants to navigating the long road of healing through childhood trauma. She has a love of hiking when it’s sunny and curling up with a good book when it’s not.