Writer’s block

Like any aspiring writer, I’ve run into my share of writer’s block. I’ve found several general cures for it.

1. Edit. Maybe your brain needs a break. Edit some other part of the story. This can give you a chance to refresh.
2. Skip. Write a note or a comment and move further down the story. You may find you didn’t need the part that you were blocking on, or that a solution suggests itself from the part of story you develop. I’ll often use ALL CAPITALS or a C++ comment \ (my husband’s idea) to delimit a block of incomplete text. I’ll deleted the comments when I’ve addressed them.
3. Write. Write something else. It can be another story, a study of a character, or an outline for more of what you’re writing.
4. Read. Do some of your background research. For example, with the civil war romance I’m working on, I needed to know things like: the names of the railroad companies, what is the difference between Southern and Northern track gauges, or was HIHI still a laugh in American Morse code.
5. Exercise. (Exorcise?) Go do something else that isn’t connected with writing.

Author: Amelia

A mild-mannered professor of computer science in real-life, I remove my glasses in the evening to become, well, a mild-mannered author in my alternate reality. I mostly write sweet romantic fiction, although with an occasional science-fiction or paranormal angle thrown in. I have interests in history, mathematics (D'oh), and cryptography. I'm also something of an Anglophile, and know that country pretty well. In addition to writing, research, and more writing, I volunteer with the scouts. I'm something of a nature-nut, enjoying long walks in the country with almost ultra-light gear, boating, and identifying wildlife. View all posts by Amelia