Beating Writer’s Block

It’s happened to all of us. The dreaded b l o c k.

It’s the intersection of panic and dread, with a little bit of ack thrown in for good measure. You’ve tried every writing prompt in your Prompt A Day calendar, texted each of your writer buddies for exercises, and Googled multiple variations on “what to write when you’re out of words.”

And nothing helps.

Never fear. We’ve compiled a few tried and true, last-ditch efforts to help you thwart Block Brain.

Change your physical location

Sometimes, for your brain to bust out of its rut, you have to take it on a little field trip. You can do this by going for a walk – which is scientifically proven to help creativity, by the way. Or by taking a shower, which relaxes the body, distracts the brain, and releases dopamine all at once. It’s the trifecta of creativity. Trying something brand new, whether that’s going to a coffee shop you’ve never been or taking a staycation in a hotel you’ve never stayed, or going for a short drive down a road you’ve never traveled. Giving your brain a brand new experience to process can spur new ideas.

Unplug

Yes, you heard me correctly. Disconnect from the internet, the phone, the tv, the video games, all the things. Reduce the noise for an hour, or a day, or a week if you can. Multitasking is a creativity killer, so eliminate the temptation to respond to every notification and scroll every feed for as long as you can.

Fold your laundry (or wash dishes, or mow the yard)

Performing a repetitive task puts your body on autopilot and sets your brain free to roam. And a roaming brain is a creative brain. So fold those socks, knit one and purl two, or polish the silver and see what breakthroughs unfurl.

Get sketchy

Take a pad and pencil to your favorite park, art museum, or even your own backyard, and spend an afternoon sketching. Another idea is to snap photos of random things in your world – pigeons on the sidewalk, cats napping in a sunbeam, or grasshoppers in the flowerbed, then sketch your photos. Observing, thinking, and drawing can spur a new set of thoughts and reflections that can re-inspire your writing.

Do you have any go-to methods for breaking through writer’s block? Have you tried any of the exercises mentioned here? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

As always, happy writing!

When Kelli McKinney and her family aren’t exploring national parks, she can be found sipping cinnamon tea, struggling to keep houseplants alive, or chucking a toy across the backyard for her English Mastiff. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and her graduate degree in radio/tv/film from the University of North Texas. She enjoyed an eclectic-yet-fulfilling career in corporate marketing before wandering off to be a writer. Now, she is a part-time copywriter and blogger, a full-time mom, and a children’s author. JEFF PENNANT’S FIELD GUIDE TO RAISING HAPPY PARENTS is her debut novel. She can be reached through her website for events, visits, and questions at www.kellimckinney.com.