- Keep a Notebook With You Everywhere
Good ideas always seem to strike when you least expect it, so always take advantage of one when the time comes. Whether you are in a crowded subway or alone in your bedroom, write down your good idea immediately and embellish it as much as possible. It is usually much easier to return to an idea and get inspired by it later than to try and remember it a few days later with nothing to go off of.

- Read
Reading is one of the best ways to get rid of writer’s block because it unlocks your imagination and helps you get into the flow of writing. When you read often, you tend to pick up a lot of what you read in terms of writing style and structure, which can improve your own writing in the long run. Read something close to the style and structure of what you are trying to write. For example, if you are having trouble blogging, read some other blogs on a similar subject and try to go off of the ideas they present. Reading poetry seems to help for all kinds of writing because it gets you into a deep, meditative state that can help you better express your feelings and ideas.

- Change Your Scenery
It’s difficult to get inspired when you spend all day inside your home or a coffee shop or wherever your usual writing place is. Change up your surroundings by writing in a park, at the beach, or even in a boat in the middle of a lake. The more sensory stimulation, the better for getting rid of writer’s block and feeling inspired again. If you feel more comfortable at home, try decorating your usual writing area with inspiring pieces of art, beautiful photographs, and colored lighting for a transformed mood.

-Write Down Your Dreams
Most of us have incredibly vivid and interesting imaginations that are unlocked mostly during unconscious dreaming. In dreaming, the laws of the natural world are always bending and breaking for the sake of creativity. Take advantage of this wonderful creative period by writing down the images and thoughts that come to you during these phases. They may help you express something you have been trying to say for a while, but can’t quite figure out the words for.

Diane Johnson primarily writes about Grand Canyon University and anything else that interests her. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, and shopping.

In a nutshell, prior preparation is the key to avoid writer’s block.

Writer’s block is an extreme form of stress, close to panic in its ability to interfere with an author’s productivity.

The primary key to writer’s block is to know what you want to write before you sit down and begin writing.

Authors who take the time to prepare a detailed table of contents, and who have a writing process based on the message they want to communicate, seldom are sidelined by writer’s block. To prevent writer’s block, prepare a detailed table of contents for your book, one that provides a roadmap for each chapter.

Likewise, authors who pace themselves, who avoid marathon, last-minute writing under deadline pressure, seldom experience writer’s block. Instead, cultivate the habit of short, daily writing sessions. Short, daily writing sessions keep your mind constantly engaged and energized.

Another preparation technique that takes just a few minutes is to review your your goals for the next day before you go to sleep. A few minutes spent reviewing the ideas you want to develop the next day are often enough to jumpstart your progress when you start writing. While you’re sleeping, your brain will be thinking about your project, organizing your ideas and making connections to facts and stories waiting to be included.

Finally, track your progress. Print out each day’s writing and insert it in a 3-ring binder. As you complete topics, enjoy the pleasure of deleting the topics, or putting “finished” next to them. Progress builds on progress; the more you see progress, the more enthusiastic you’ll be about your writing success as it takes place in short working sessions.

Writer’s block doesn’t have to happen. With a little preparation, it won’t happen to you.

Roger C. Parker is a best-selling author of marketing and design books, with 38 published books under his belt, over 1.6 million books sold in over 37 countries. His Bestsellers include Looking Good in Print: A Guide To Basic Design For Desktop Publishing, Design To Sell, and the Microsoft Office For Dummies Series. Get help writing and publishing your book at http://www.publishedandprofitable.com

1. No one will want to read it anyway.

2. I’m not good enough.

3. I don’t have time to be creative.

4. I have to take care of everybody else first.

5. I’m just too busy to go on book tours.

6. The sun is in my eyes.

7. Starbucks has run out of coffee.

8. I don’t know what to write about.

9. No one will understand me.

10. I don’t think I can handle success.

11. I don’t think I can handle failure.

12. If my parents had encouraged/would encourage me more, I could do this.

13. If my spouse/children/teachers/friends would encourage me more, I could do this.

14. Writers are naval-gazers.

15. I like money too much to become a starving artist.

16. It takes too long to learn to write well.

17. I don’t like criticism.

18. There’s a ballgame on.

19. I don’t like to read.

20. My twitter followers need me to tweet about what I had for lunch.

21. See #1 on the list (it’s worth repeating).

22. The spell-check on my computer is set to British English.

23. I don’t want to have to promote my own book.

24. I don’t really have anything to say.

25. Everybody says I should write a book, but I don’t believe them.

26. See # 7.

27. I want to save on electricity.

28. I can’t find the pencil sharpener I used in 3rd grade.

29. The back of this envelope isn’t big enough.

30. I can’t afford the gasoline to drive to Starbucks.

31. There are no comfortable chairs in my house.

32. It’s too cold.

33. It’s too hot.

34. My facebook friends need me to post something every 5 minutes.

35. I work fulltime.

36. I’m already better than all those bozos writing today.

37. If I can’t have fame and fortune, I don’t want to bother.

38. Writing is the get-rich-slow-or-not-at-all plan.

39. 99% of all writers get their work rejected by publishers.

40. I’ll do it when I have more time to devote to it.

41. I’ll do it when the kids are grown.

42. I’ll do it after my divorce is final.

43. I’ll do it after I am independently wealthy.

44. I’ll do it after I get everything finished with the house.

45. I’ll do it after everybody I want to write about is dead.

46. I need my down time.

47. Most of the writer’s I know are mentally unbalanced.

48. I’m too tired.

49. My neighbors are too loud.

50. Is that a dog barking?

51. I need to go out to get a drink with my neighbors.

52. I have a cut on my finger.

53. My back hurts.

54. My ghostwriter has disappeared.

55. Sarah Palin has already said it all.

56. John Grisholm doesn’t answer my emails.

57. Oprah’s show has ended, so my book won’t be a book club pick.

58. I don’t have anything to wear to the Academy Awards.

59. My cat won’t get off my lap.

60. repeat # 6.

61. I need to wash my car.

62. Somebody’s got to make a living.

63. The coffee shop doesn’t carry my brand of tea.

64. My writer’s group is full of critics.

65. Writer’s conferences are a racket.

66. I have a cramp in my big toe.

67. It’s that time of the month.

68. My bowling team will think I’m a sissy.

69. I won’t have anyone to sit next to at the National Book Awards.

70. I’m shy.

71. I need to make a list of excuses for my blog readers so maybe they’ll laugh and maybe even buy my books.

72. I can’t afford to live in New York City where all the famous writers live.

73. I don’t have time to find an agent.

74. Creativity is over-rated.

75. I’m sleep-deprived.

76. Hemingway killed himself.

77. I don’t have enough self-esteem.

78. I’m a woman.

79. I’m a man.

80. I’m not white.

81. I’m not a person of color.

82. I’m thirsty.

83. Time to eat.

84. I need to see who wins American Idol.

85. I secretly find myself boring and have absolutely nothing to say.

86. Virginia Woolf drowned herself.

87. I don’t want to become an alcoholic.

88. I don’t want to give up drinking.

89. I’m much better than a lot of writers out there; they’ll be jealous.

90. I don’t like competition.

91. The publishing companies only want stories about vampires.

92. No one is getting published these days.

93. I ran out of my medication.

94. If I had had a better childhood, I could do this.

95. My therapist is on vacation for the next two months.

96. I have to write the next great American novel.

97. I’ve never read a great American novel.

98. see # 83 and repeat.

99. I don’t like writers.

100. Is there an app for this?

Now add your own number one excuse for not writing that book, poem, article, screenplay, or other creative endeavor:

101. ——————————

Are there any excuses from the list that you particularly resonate with? We all make excuses. But let’s face it, excuses are boring, and my guess is that you really do have something to say. So why don’t we collectively bury all those excuses in a cyber box in our cyber backyards and get on with it, shall we?

Susan Gabriel is an author of fiction for adults and children. Her latest book, Seeking Sara Summers, is gaining acclaim in diverse circles. More info at http://www.susangabriel.com. Gabriel works and plays in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

This process continues on for an hour or two…until you give up in total frustration.  Writing must not be for you!  I’ve been there.  I’ve felt the pain.  I’ve stared at the blank screen of death.  Nothing came to mind.  Nothing ended up being written down.  All I did was stare.

This pain continued until I learned a much easier writing system.  I used to dread writing.  I hated sitting down to write something.  Maybe moving some papers around my desk would be better.  Maybe making a phone call to a friend would help.  Maybe taking a break was what I needed.  You’ve probably experienced some of those same thoughts….where you’d do anything to avoid sitting there with that blank stare on your face.

Writing the first sentence of an article, an ebook, or a book is the most difficult sentence to write.  So don’t start there! That’s one of the secrets.  What you must learn to do is to break up whatever you’re writing into smaller chunks.  If you’re writing an article for example, come up with 3 to 5 points you want to make.  Break up the article into these principles, steps, or points.  Now instead of writing a 500 word article, you’re writing 100 word chunks for each of the steps you’ve created.

Which is easier to think about writing…one full article or simply a two paragraph section?  Obviously it’s easier to write two paragraphs.  Once you’ve decided on the steps or principles your article will contain, you can then begin writing on any individual section.  There is no rule that you have to start in the beginning…and in most cases, that’s the last place you should start.  Pick any of the sections you’ve now created and start there.

Write about point number four if that’s the one which comes the easiest for you.  Then write about step three.  Work on each step or section individually and once they’re all finished…then you come back to the beginning.  As you see your article slowly taking shape, that’s when you’re motivated to continue.  And the more you write, the easier it gets to keep going.

The basics of today’s lesson is that you must not allow yourself to sit there staring.  Do a simple outline of the main points you want to make.  Begin writing on whichever point will be the easiest for you to do.  Take each section individually so you only have to think of doing a paragraph or two at a time.  Often the beginning of the article is the last portion written.

Terry Dean helps business owners Earn More, Work Less, and Enjoy Life. Receive his Special report, “10 Key Strategies for Any Business Owner to Earn More, Work Less, and Enjoy Life” along with “Live the Internet Lifestyle…Retire Young and Wealthy” here: http://www.theterrydean.com

Here is a quote which reflects this sentiment.

“The only journey is the journey within.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Writing can churn up questions and they can start to come into our minds. When this happens, you can turn our ideas off and start tormenting our inner writer.

I encourage you to pause when these “writing distracteos” come into your space. Don’t allow them to keep you from doing what you love….writing. Write on my fellow writers.

A few ways to kick away your writing demons:

1) Celebrate you have began to write. Many people say they want to write a book, but many don’t even start. You have begun so you need to acknowledge this success.

2) Know there are other writers who are here to support, encourage and inspire you along your writing journey. You are not alone.

3) Find ways to keep your writing going. If you get stuck, don’t fret. Perhaps you just need to talk a walk, listen to music or read a book.

4) Embrace what you love—your writing.  Even taking a moment to look up words in a dictionary or thesaurus, can jolt and bring your creative flow back onto the paper.

Don’t let the writing demons to keep you from your writing. Using these tips such as finding support of fellow writers, embrace your writing, and celebrate your success to allow your writing to continue.

Teresa Morrow is an Editor at Large with WE Magazine for Women, monthly blogger at BookBuuzr.com and has a weekly blog column, ‘Social Media Book List’ at Successful Blog.  She owns Key Business Parnters, LLC, a book promotion and social media marketing company for authors and writers.  Teresa is passionate about bringing writers and authors unique message to the world through virtual book tours, social media marketing and blogging. She lives in Bradenton, FL with her husband and daughter and aims to bring her first book to readers in 2011. You can read more about Teresa and her company on her website, Key Business Partners.

How do you break free of this horrible slump and get back to writing?

• Stick to a writing schedule. If you have time set aside to write every single day, this will force you to push past the writer’s block. Make sure that you stick to your schedule as a legitimate appointment, where you will be put on the spot to write for an allotted amount of time. Yes, some of the writing may be absolute nonsense that you want to throw out, but at least you are getting the ball rolling.

• Be kind to yourself. If you have been getting nowhere on your writing project for several days, cut yourself a little bit of slack. Most often, the root of your writer’s block is because you want to write the very best piece of literature – and who doesn’t? – although that may not be your first attempt every time. You need to understand that sometimes your writing will not be as good as you hope, but you can always go back and revise, edit, and revise again until it is up to par!

• Focus on writing as your job. Instead of seeing it as an art where you have to wait for the creative moment to strike you, consider writing to be your job, and stick to it. When you see writing as a job, you will be motivated to continue to put the words on the paper, edit with an objective eye, and potentially change a portion of the story if it just doesn’t make sense.

• Give yourself some downtime. Many writers can attest to the fact that your mind gets a serious workout when you are writing all day long. You may feel sleepy, grumpy, and irritable, so it is definitely a must to take some time off before your next project. Even if it is just an afternoon, give your mind a little bit of time to decompress so that you can think of fresh ideas for your next project.

Writer’s block can definitely ruin your day, but it doesn’t have to when you use these handy tips to keep the words flowing on your next project!

For a great selection of Bunn coffee filters, check out Bethany Ramos‘ website, The Coffee Bump

Whether you are a new writer or an article writing and marketing expert like me, there comes a time when you just stare at the blank white screen with your hands ready at the keyboard – but they’re not typing. The dreadful writer’s block is stopping the words from flowing as they should.

It is frustrating to be stuck especially when you know when you write and submit articles online you will get more website traffic, prospects and profits. So, you start pulling your hair out and grinding your teeth.

See, I know exactly how you feel. There were many times that I wanted to throw my laptop and my desktop right out the window. I know what it is like to try to force yourself to “work through it”, and when you sit down to write you are numb and feel like your brain is composed of concrete.

I also know that the longer you stay in this state the more discouraged you get, which makes it even harder to write. That’s why I am going to help you get out of that dark, cold, gloomy corner and see the light so you can start writing articles faster.

7 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block and Banish It Forever

1. Use instant article writing templates — You want to use article templates that literally guide you through the article writing process. For example, my 40+ Instant Article Writing Templates Kit, is filled with worksheets and ideas. All you have to do is enter the information that the template asks for – where it asks for it. Not only will you generate article ideas, but you’ll be able to organize your ideas in a way that gets your prospects to read your articles from top to bottom.

2. Host a teleseminar – Greg Ivers of Church Loan Services, an article marketing coaching client of mine, has the hardest time putting the information inside his head into words. No matter how much time I spent with him – he just wasn’t getting it like many small business owners. However, he has no problem speaking about his expertise. So, using Instant Teleseminars, I’m having him do a teleseminar recording that he can use as a lead generation device. He’s then going to use the recording to create a number of articles to promote his free audio program.

3. Keep a digital or analog notebook with you 24/7 — They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Coming up with compelling ideas to write about is sometimes the hardest challenge of all. But, if you have an “idea pad” with you at all times, you can build a reserve of good topics to draw upon as you need them. You’re working proactively to prevent writer’s block.

4. Start writing without constraints– Consider this: Have you ever been blocked while playing Frisbee? Eating doughnuts? Dancing naked in your living room? Those are joyful things and there’s nothing at stake. If you fail, who cares? Nobody. If there are no rules, and no judgment, psychological blocks are impossible. So, start writing without constraints. Deliberately write badly, but write.

5. Write about how it feels not to be able to write. It’s sneaky, but, it works. The voices in our heads are always saying something, so get it down. Imagine yourself as a recording device, writing down the radio broadcast of some other person who happens to live in your head. Eventually your mind will hit thoughts on the topic itself and, presto, you’re on your way.

6. Make Lists – List making is never as threatening as “writing”, so go there first! As far as I know, there is no shopping list block, is there? For example, when I created this list article, I kicked my list around for awhile. I made changes. I did lots of moving and shuffling. Then once it reached critical mass, I put in a document and created my article.

7. Keep writer’s block away by writing daily — Just like someone who is out of shape could not run a mile in a respectable amount of time, someone who doesn’t write frequently will not be able to write high quality articles fast. You have to train your body to run, just like you must train your brain to write. And, you become a faster runner and writer through repeated practice and perseverance.

So, pick up my article writing templates at StartWritingArticlesFaster.com and put these ideas to use. You’ll be amazed how fast ideas will start racing to your mind.

Article marketing expert Eric Gruber created online marketplace opportunities for authors, small business owners, speakers and internet marketers who want more website traffic, prospects and profits. Now you can get started with writing and marketing your business with articles, by getting 3 free article templates that will help you write articles faster. Get it now at: http://www.trymyfreearticletemplates.com

A Humble Little Post About how to Kiss Your Writer’s Block Goodbye
(And Maybe Punch it in the Crotch on the way out)

I’ll always remember it. Late in the spring of ’82 when I was young and the world was spread before me like something that spreads before you when you’re young.

So I walked into the O.R. and said, “Scalpel.” The lady (I think it was probably a nurse, but who can say when everyone’s wearing a mask – it could have been some desperado in a pink outfit) handed me a scalpel. “I’m making the first incision,” I said. Then I started with the bone saw. “Oooh, look,” was my next comment. “It’s his brain.”

I poked it, and laughed HI-lariously when the fellow kicked a nearby bedpan. Another poke and he shouted “Fruity tooty love your booty!”

At this point several armed officers escorted me out of the room. But in spite of the fact that I was in prison for a while (turns out there are rules about doing brain surgery when you are not, in fact, a doctor of any kind), I’ll always have those great memories. The guy I operated on probably won’t, but that’s a risk I was willing to take.

“Wait, wait, WAIT! What the heck does this have to do with being a writer and avoiding writer’s block?” I hear you say.

To which I answer: everything, suckah.

Here’s the big secret about writer’s block: writer’s block usually doesn’t mean a writer has nothing in him or her to write; rather it usually means they do have something to write, but there’s some kind of internal crap filter that keeps them from writing it. As though there’s a part of most writers that insists that every single sentence be an appropriate calling card for the Nobel Prize for Literature. Or at least a Hugo or something.

But that’s just dumb. Not everything you write will be perfect. And it’s not supposed to be perfect. That’s what God invented re-writes for.*

So wait, now you agree I may have a point, but still aren’t getting the whole brain surgery connection. Well, it’s simple, my fine young friend.** The point of the brain surgery example is to illustrate a simple fact about writing: unless you are in charge of correspondence between hostile states, it is very likely that no matter how bad a writer you are, no one will die.

Person who does brain surgery without adequate preparation = bad (and probably dead brain surgery patient). Person who engages in writing without adequate preparation = fine-and-dandy-because-how-the-heck-else-are-you-going-to-get-good-at-it? So the stakes are low and you can write without worrying about killing someone. Takes a load off, don’t it?

And that leads to this question: You want to know how to avoid writer’s block? Answer: Just WRITE. Accept the fact some of what you write will not be fit for wiping Charley Manson’s behind. When you accept that, you can also accept that you’ll be able to go back and fix it later (thus making what you write fit for wiping the hinies of really important folks like the President or Oprah or other people who run the world).

And when you start to write with this attitude, an odd thing happens: you start to get good. You start to get fast. You start to be a writer who knows you can sit down at a moment’s notice and bang out something that resembles a good piece of work.

Example: I recently optioned a screenplay, and was asked to do some rewrites on it. I netted several tens of THOUSANDS of dollars. Total time to write the script: three days. Total time to do the rewrites: two days.

That’s a good earnings ratio.

Or how about this: I wrote a book called Billy: Messenger of Powers (which, BTW, you can get at smashwords.com or at Amazon.com). The book is pretty good: it’s currently the Highest-Rated book out of many thousands at smashwords.com, and has gotten great reviews from dozens of folks. All this to say (aside from being a really subtle way of pimping one of my books) is that the book does not stink. It is even possible to call it “good.”

It is over 180,000 words. That’s well over 400 pages in paperback format.

I wrote it – including rewrites – in a month. Because I just let myself write, and let myself enjoy it.

Writing is NOT brain surgery. It is NOT nuclear weapons testing. It is WRITING. It is something that anyone and everyone can do. And along with that fact, it is also something that anyone and everyone WILL get good at.

If they practice.

If they recognize “writer’s block” for what it really is: they’re own insecurity getting in the way of a good first draft.

If they, in a word… write.

So what are you sitting around reading this for? Go write something!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michaelbrent Collings is a lawyer, screenwriter, black-belt martial artist, father, husband, and has a killer backhand on the badminton court. He is, in a word (wait, that’s several words!), a guy going through some serious personality issues.

In addition to Billy: Messenger of Powers, Michaelbrent has also written the amazon.com suspense-thriller RUN and the sci-fi epic Celestia. He’s also written screenplays, several fairy tales, a couple of nonfiction books, and dozens of articles on a variety of subjects. He even has a blog at http://whoisbillyjones.com/mylittlethoughts/ that lets you delve into the inner creakings of a warped mind.

* Unless you don’t believe in God, in which case I guess you’re just going to burn in Hell, where you will have writer’s block forever and also will probably have to sit next to me while I smack my chewing gum very loudly.

**You may in fact be a cruddy old coot, but since we’ve never met I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Just like you’re going to imagine me with a thick head of hair.

Some are inspired to start writing for the first time. Others are inspired to finish something for the first time. Some, like me, find that writing at breakneck speed produces a lower quality of work that doesn’t reflect what is normally produced when writing within your own timing.

There are ways to make speed writing more effective. The overall goal, is to produce more in a shorter period of time. If you keep this up, who knows, speed writing may become a habit.

Prepare for it

When you set out to write a novel in a short period of time, outlining is your friend. Take a few weeks to write a detailed outline of the story. It will help to work out most of the kinks before you even sit down to write. Create character profiles of the main characters and review outline before the start of your writing marathon.

Plan it

If you are going to focus on spitting out as many words as possible a day, then plan it. Block out your writing time for the month. Figure out when you are most productive. Is it in the morning, at night or midday? Make a rule – no sleep unless you have kicked out a minimum of a certain amount of words. Make sure you schedule extra time for working out of corners or temporary writer’s blocks. Make your schedule somewhat flexible so that you don’t get burned out and give up.

Write it

With a printout of your outline next to you and a bullet list of your character profile – start the race. Follow your outline. If you want to go rogue, go ahead, write until the roadblock. If you reach a road block – write anything, take some time off to think on it, then re-work your outline and get back to it. Whatever you do – don’t stop writing. Remember, you will always have to edit it.

Don’t look back

Whatever you do, don’t read over what you’ve written until you are finished. That is an easy way to get distracted. Remember, you’ll have to edit the thing many times before your piece of art is perfected. Just write forward, don’t make corrections, don’t read over it, just push forward and write.

by: LM Preston, author of The Pack and Explorer X – Alpha, www.lmpreston.com and http://lmpreston.blogspot.com

It’s tough to tie down and be clear about what it really is, simply because every writer’s experience of writer’s block is a little different.

But the end result is the same…one day we are writing well and productively. And the next day we come to a grinding halt.

Writer’s block can slow down or halt our writing progress for a couple of hours, a couple of days or for even longer.

So what’s the answer? How do we deal with it?

I won’t pretend to have the answer for everyone in every situation, but I do know of two major issues that can severely reduce our productivity as writers.

First, ask yourself whether you really WANT to be writing whatever it is you’re working on when you grind to a halt.

When we write on projects that simply don’t appeal to us, our subconscious minds have a powerful and infuriating ability to sabotage even our best efforts.

If you don’t truly want to be working on whatever it is you are writing when you’re struck by writer’s block, it may be time to step back and make some tough choices about the kinds of writing projects you should be choosing.

The second major cause of writer’s block or procrastination is when you don’t prepare for your writing task.

Whatever the projects I’m working on, I plan a structure or outline in advance. I gather together any reference materials I might need. I set aside a time for writing.

In other words, I get ready and allocate a block of time.

This means that when I start writing I can simply follow the outline from beginning to end. I don’t have to pause and wonder about what is coming next. Nor do I have to stop and do research mid-way through the writing phase.

If you confine yourself to taking on writing projects that really appeal to you, and you prepare thoroughly before you start writing, you should find yourself free of writer’s block most of the time.

For more help in putting writer’s block behind you, follow the Writing Rituals method…