Tools
Here are some links to some useful writing tools:
Writers Super Center
http://www.writerssupercenter.com/storycraft/index.htm
Visual Thesaurus
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/
Final Draft
http://www.finaldraft.com/
TIPS
1. Walk Away
Walk away from the keyboard. I know you may think that’s wrong, but it can often work wonders. You see, the brain never stops processing information. Even when you are not actively thinking about something, your brain continues to work on the problem. Walk away and take a short break, grab yourself a cup of coffee or a soda, take a bathroom break, or do some other activity that doesn’t require you to think about your writing for several minutes. Often you’ll find that when you come back and sit down to write again, your brain has solved your writer’s block on its own.
2. Work On Something Else
When taking a break doesn’t work, and if you have the time, put the writing aside and work on something else you need to finish that is not related. This works about the same as the suggestion above, but takes it a bit further by actually redirecting your thoughts to another activity. Later, you can come back to your writing and see if the thoughts flow better.
3. Read Something
If you need to write about something in particular, read something that pertains to what you want to write about. Reading what others have said might inspire some spark in you and get the creative juices flowing.
4. Write Something
Okay, so you’re asking, “I have writer’s block and you’re telling me to write something?” Of Course! I mean, you don’t have to write the piece that you are stuck on, but write something, anything. Jot down some personal notes; write the first thing that comes to mind. If you do poetry, write a poem. If you blog, go write in your blog. If you subscribe to newsgroups, go post something. Answer some emails you’ve been putting off. What may be getting you stuck isn’t the writing itself, but perhaps you are stuck on that one piece. If you can get yourself into the writing frame of mind by writing something else, you might find that the writing will flow again when you go back to the piece on which you were stuck.
5. Outline
Sometimes when I get stuck and don’t know where to go or how to start, making a brief outline of what I want to say, and then moving things on the outline around into some sort of order can help the writing flow by giving it a direction.
6. Sleep
Write when you are well rested! Get a good night’s sleep, wake up refreshed, and come to the writing again rested and prepared to write. Sometimes, we can be so tired, or have so many things going through our minds that writing is the last thing we want to do. Now, this doesn’t work for everyone, especially people who get stuck inside their heads, so if this doesn’t work for you, try number 7.
7. Write Tired
Keep in mind these are suggestions only. Write at the end of the day, when you are so exhausted that your mind isn’t interfering with your thought flow. Don’t worry about what you have written, or if there are typos or editing errors. You can come back and fix the errors later. The point of breaking writer’s block isn’t to get you to write perfectly - it’s to get you to write at all! Let it just flow from you naturally, and then come back in the morning or the next day when you are rested and then you can make it perfect.
8. Talking
Talk to someone about your writing. Call a friend or family member, chat with someone from one of your writer’s groups. Tell them you are writing something but have become stuck and you need some inspiration, and then, let them inspire you!
9. Research
This falls into the same line as reading about your topic, but takes it a step further. Go to the library, post some questions in your blog, and get some feedback. When you are confident you know a lot about your topic, writing becomes so much easier. Fill your mind with so much information about your selected topic that you are just bursting from too much information and you just compelled to write about it.
10. Write How You Feel
As a last resort, write about having writer’s block. Seriously! Write about why you feel stuck. What is it that seems to be keeping you from writing? Free associate and write about it. When you get down to the reasons why you have writer’s block, you can address the problem and correct it.