Things To Do When You Get Writer's Block

It has happened to everyone. You were plugging along on your story and everything seemed fine and then you hit that point where everything stops. What happens next? Where are the characters to go? Yes, it is that stupid thing called Writer's Block.

Is there an easy cure? I wish there was! Still you have to find a way to get over that block because you have deadlines to meet.

In most cases, this comes from one of two things. The first is maybe you have plotted out your story like I am always promoting here on the blog. All I can say is "Sucks to be you! I warned you!" Of course even with plotting, there will be days when you know what is supposed to happen next but the words are just not there.

This can be because you have been pushing yourself on your writing. If you have been so deep into the story, you have only been focused on those words on the page happening right at that moment. New chapter? Now what! In other cases, you are probably overthinking things. You are trying too hard to make the story 100% perfect on the first pass through.

So, here are some solutions I know many of my writers use:

• Stop that book for a minute and go plot out an future story. Please understand I am not saying to take months off. We're talking hours to no more than a day.
• Talk to someone about the story. Simply talking it out might be all it takes. 
• Clean the house. Yes, getting completely away from the story is sometimes the best method for figuring out something that will work.
• Just type something. If you know where the story is going, just types something and move on. You can always go back and fix that single scene later. Think of it in Bridge terms (talking the game here). You need transportation to get to that next card. The same thing happens with writing. Maybe that next scene will give you a clue of what to put in that prior scene.
• Scream and yell... OK, it might not really help but why not!

Let me know what some of your ideas are.