Beating Writer's Block

One question that arises regularly on my forum is how to combat writer's block. Recently a new member asked about this, so here's a revised and expanded version of my reply.

First of all, if you're 'blocked' on a particular writing project, sometimes the best thing you can do is leave it for a while. Work on something else instead, or do something completely different. With longer projects especially, it's easy to get to a point where you can't see the wood for the trees, and sometimes you need to take a step back to view your project with a sense of perspective. Often then you will see a way forward that might not have been apparent before.

Personally I find that I come up with some of my best writing ideas while mowing the lawn (we do have quite a large garden, admittedly!). Other things that might help include going for a long walk, taking a shower, going for a swim, playing squash or tennis, doing some gardening, working on your car or bike, doing some DIY, and so on. Perhaps the best sort of activities are those that keep your body active but don't require all your mental resources.

Another tip for beating writer's block would be to plan all your writing projects in advance. Break each project into small steps and set yourself deadlines for completing each one. Writing a full-length book or screenplay can appear daunting when viewed in its entirety, but if you break the task into a number of smaller steps, it suddenly looks a lot more achievable.

If you simply sit down to write a 100,000 word novel, for example, it's hardly surprising if the sheer scale of the task causes you to experience writer's block. Divide this into 100 steps of 1,000 words each, however, or even 200 of 500 words, and the task appears a lot more do-able. It's then just a matter of completing one step after another, until eventually the book is finished.

Dare I mention it, my course Write Any Book in Under 28 Days includes my unique five-step method for outlining and writing any book. This has been applied by many hundreds of purchasers to complete fiction and non-fiction books of their own...

Finally, it's worth mentioning that my publishers and sponsors WCCL produce an audio CD which is designed to help writers combat writer's block. It uses the power of 'binaural beats' to encourage the brain to resonate with the frequencies most commonly associated with the creative state. You have to listen to it through headphones to get the full benefit of the binaural effect.

I'd understand if you're a little bit sceptical about this, but it is based on proven scientific principles, and WCCL have received many testimonials from people who have found the CD helpful. I reviewed the Writer's Block CD on my blog a while ago. You can read my review by clicking here if you wish.