Demolishing Writers Block

Writer's block is a condition created solely by a person's own mind. Yet many people struggle to complete a writing project, or even to get started on something new. The longer they stare at that empty computer screen, the bigger the problem seems to grow in the imagination.

Or maybe a project is already well underway when ideas dry up? Despite brain-storming and way too much caffeine, the way forward feels blocked. Nothing that's written seen right.

If applied, the simple steps outlined in this article will help overcome writers block and even help to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

Has your creative flow slowed to a crawl due to boredom? Set aside the piece you're working on and try something else. You can always come back to the original piece, and meanwhile you might try writing short stories about the characters in your main piece. This is a good way of really getting under the skin of your characters, too, and making them feel more rounded and believable. Write enough short stories, and you've the makings of a collection.

To get creativity flowing, try doing a writing exercise such as the monthly projects we set at Riverside Writers. Members create poems or short stories of any length or genre on a set theme - such as a location, a phrase or object, an opening or ending sentence. Those who have participated in these projects have found their writing has improved, they've written things they might not have otherwise even thought of, and some have gone on to be published. Over time, they also create a portfolio of finished work.

Writing flows easily if a regular routine is maintained. Pick a convenient time to write, something which suits your daily timetable. You might choose to write for one hour a day or you may prefer to set yourself a minimum a words per day. The important aspect of this is that you stick to your routine until it becomes habit. This way, you're programing your brain so that at a certain time of your day you're automatically ready to write. If you have a set routine it's also easier to train your family to respect that time and leave you alone so you can get on with the task of writing.

Don't use research as an excuse not to get on with writing. Get the first draft finished; you can always add facts and details later. Equally, don't let internet browsing become a distraction. I know of one writer who has a computer set up solely for his writing, which he deliberately didn't connect to the internet so he can't be distracted by Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and so on.

Experiment with different approaches to find the one which works for you. Some people feel they need silence to write, others find that music helps to get them into the mood for writing, even choosing different kinds of music to help with this. Some people like a clean, empty workspace, others like to be surrounded with reference books, crystals, plants, post-it notes, bric-a-brac, or have character charts pinned to the walls. There is no right and wrong way with this. Have things to suit yourself.

Switching off the TV and read widely. Even those novels which you don't particularly like can be useful in identifying techniques and approaches. Reading recent material is the main way of developing insight into the current publishing industry.

Learn to look. Every time you leave your home you are surrounded by little events which you can turn to your use in a story. See an old lay weeding her garden? Ask yourself who she might be, what her life may have been, what she does with her life now. The answers needn't be accurate; just let your imagination play with ideas.

Learn to listen. Snippets of overheard conversations, even the mundane, can provide a useful starting point for a story. Listen to the world around you as you do shop for groceries, ride on the train or wait in a Post Office queue. Hear the scowling teenager yammering into her mobile phone about how awful her mum is? Is her mum really that bad, or is it a teen phase? Is the person on the other end of the phone a friend or a councillor, an aunt or a hired assassin? Make it up; it's just a game with ideas, but one which can spark a fresh tale.

Take notes. Keep a list of ideas so they're not forgotten. Perhaps you might try keeping a dream diary as a source of unexpected ideas. Notebooks can be small, so you can easily slip them into a pocket. Write down snippets of conversation, ideas, news, peoples' life stories, historical sites - anything that you can weave into a story at a later date.

The exercises which follow have been designed to help you think get writing. Whether you're a fiction writer or a poet, breaking out of self-imposed limitations can be a very effective way of improving your writing - and having some fun as well.

Why not try your own hand at a few of the projects listed below?

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PROJECT ONE: The Locked Box Grandad's Shed.
What is inside the box? Why was it locked? Who looks inside? What is the story behind the contents?

PROJECT TWO: The Park Bench.
Who sits upon the park bench? Are they waiting for someone, or remembering something, resting or looking for somewhere to sleep?

PROJECT THREE: The Collection.
What sort of collection is it, who collected it and why? Who owns it now, and what happens next?

PROJECT FOUR: Maze.
A grand party in the centre of a maze, or is someone lost in one? What is the secret of the maze?

PROJECT FIVE: "I couldn't live without net curtains," she said.
Use this segment of an overheard conversation to weave a story. Who is speaking, and what are they speaking about? Let your imagination fly.

PROJECT SIX: The Cabin.
While trekking through a remote forest road, you stumble over a cabin. What is it made from, who lives there and why?

PROJECT SEVEN: Through New Eyes.
Using a minor character of the novel you're currently writing, create a short story with them in the main role. How does the story told in the novel look through their eyes? How do they relate to the other characters in your book? Tell a spin-off tale, linked by character.