by Jean Sidden

Created on: May 20, 2010

Writer's block once was perceived as the most dreaded territory for any author. The writer who is blocked is often portrayed as a tormented soul on the verge of insanity. In truth, writer's block can be quite manageable and there are some effective ways to get over it.

1)  Take A Break:  If you have reached an impasse and have nothing to offer what you are currently working on, walk away and do something else. There's nothing like shifting gears and doing something completely different to open up the creative pathways and allow some new ideas to flow. Don't frustrate yourself pounding away at writer's block. Recognize it for what it is and take the time to let it work itself out on its own.

2)  Start another project:  If you're experiencing writer's block working on one project, put it down and start writing something else. You may jolt some creativity from the new work that will help you find your way back to the other work. Exercising your flexibility in writing is a wonderful way to make yourself more productive and open to creative discovery.

3)  Find Some Creative Inspiration:  Go to a film or a play and absorb someone else's story and writing. Have an afternoon in a museum and reflect on how the art speaks to your own work. Go to the library and look through art books and magazines to find a visual stimulus. Listen to music and allow it to resonate with what you are working on. Often we can find ideas and creative inspiration from existing works of art that someone else created. Becoming familiar with all the art forms is an excellent way to discover a path into your own work.

4)  Keep writing:  Some writers manage to find their way out of writer's block by continuing to write. Let your writing go to free form and write whatever comes to mind. Allow your brain to unwind and relax while continuing to write the first thing you come up with. Look at what's in your environment and write a story about inanimate objects or your pets. Use an exercise like this to keep yourself in a writing frame of mind until you feel the flow of new ideas taking place.

5)  Go Back To Nature:  The natural world is a wonderful place to find quiet contemplation. Take a long walk in a natural setting. Find some place that's isolated from your normal world and allow yourself to clear you mind completely and meditate. Sometimes when we wipe the slate clean a fresh idea and inspiration comes marching through out of nowhere. There's no better place to find enough peace for that process to happen than out in the natural world.

Try not to be afraid of your writer's block. No one can possibly be expected to continuously come up with brilliant creative ideas. Recognize writer's block as a natural occurrence and allow it to work itself out in its own time.

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