Ideas To Combat Writers' Block

Think upside down

To think upside down is to look at your problem from a new angle. Changing your perspective can allow you to see clearly and find solutions that were hiding in the shadows of standard perception.

Debonair art thief and criminal genius Neal Caffrey, star of White Collar, can teach us something pertinent about creative thinking. He illustrates in the show that by simply turning someone’s signature upside down it becomes nothing more than a pattern of lines and swirls. This allows him to perfectly recreate the signature upside down by bypassing the part of his brain that controls writing and considering it instead as a drawing.

You can apply this principle to your writing by considering it from a previously untapped perception. If you're a fiction writer, consider your story from the perspective of a background character who hasn’t previously been given a voice. For nonfiction writers try considering how someone of opposing views might respond to your points and use that to strengthen your writing and clarify your main ideas.

To help you through your writing roadblock I present my best tips for increasing creative thought and productivity:

Change your writing tool

If you have been staring at that empty computer screen or blank page for an hour, switch to a new device and refresh your perspective on the material.

Free write anything and everything you think for five minutes straight

If the blank page in front of you is killing that creative buzz then put something on it! You don’t have to keep it in your story, it doesn’t even have to be related. Write everything that comes into your mind for five minutes and you might be surprised how much you can come up with when you stop worrying about if it’s good enough to write down.

Don’t start at the beginning

I find I often know where I want a story to lead before I’m certain of exactly how it will begin. If you’re stuck on a beginning, start in the middle! Begin writing wherever your ideas take off and your opening may even reveal itself as your story takes form.

Get out of your head for a while

Do the dishes, fold your laundry, have a shower, whatever activities you normally find your mind wandering as you do. If you’re like me and your inner child likes a good stretch you could build something with LEGO or pull out another old toy that can occupy your hands and allow your mind to wander freely. Taking your mind away from your work and allowing your hands to stay busy opens you up to the flow of new ideas.

Watching something new on tv can also help to open up your mind and potentially spark some great new ideas that you can incorporate into your project.

Personally, I have found that it helps to have something on the tv in the background that doesn’t necessarily relate to my subject but has the right “vibe” or tone that I’m going for in my writing. It helps distract the background track of your mind that often tends to wander into inner critic territory and helps you stay focused on the feeling you want your writing to convey.

Create Visual Stimulation

If you are used to working with words and mental images, change it up! Create a collage, sketch out your ideas along with your notes, surround yourself with visual stimulation that inspires you. Creating a visual representation of your ideas not only offers continual stimulation but the act of creating with your hands can open your imagination to further inspiration.

Educate To Create

Read something educational about writing or story plotting techniques.

The act of thinking through your writing process differently can spark new ideas that will help you jump back into your groove. Educational videos work the same way if you prefer a video/audio style learning tool. Just make sure to have something nearby to write in when those new ideas start flowing!

A book that helps me get my creative juices going when I’m stuck is “mastering plot twists” by Jane K. Cleland. The process of rethinking my story through technical planning helps me create new ideas and get words on the paper. Pouring out my basic story ideas and creating the recommended charts leads me to a mindset where I can see the story begin to unfold naturally. When you're stuck the act of getting all your mental clutter out and organizing it can help you see how many ideas you have floating around.

Research your topic

Even for fantasy writing a little research can be a great way to reboot your creative thinking. Look into the history or the lore of your topic, check out some pictures of physical locations that fit your project and maybe something will spark your next big idea.

Get to know your characters

If you're stuck on deciding how a certain scene should play out try making a more detailed thought map of your characters personas. Getting to know your characters better might help you to see how they would react honestly to your scenario. There are a bunch of great apps and guides online to help you map out character personas if you struggle with detailed planning.

I hope some of these tips will help jump-start your creative thinking! If anything in this article sparked your creative fire please click that little heart and share it with your fellow writers. We’re in this together, teamwork makes the dream work!