When I´m having a writer´s block I always promise myself to do anything possible to break the negative spiral. The key is to keep on writing, even though inspiration seems to be stuck, and writing all of a sudden is not only difficult but also feels like the worst choice I ever made.
I have developed 10 journal prompts that I use when the blank page curls up, refuses to cooperate with a sneer and hisses at me for even daring to put myself behind that keyboard or sit with that pencil in my hand.
I hate writer´s block, and I, therefore, use all the means available to me to fight it back as quickly as possible. The goal is to keep on writing, no matter where it takes me.
1) Your life story
You are your own main character in your life. You are also your own worst antagonist. So there lies inspiration for a lifetime. Everybody knows a lot about themselves. To write it down is not an easy task, for you may find that both the gems and the fishy stuff going on are hiding there.
First I make a timeline. Then I choose which year or decade I would like to think about the remains of the day. It calls on memories and past learned lessons. I write about a page with my random thoughts and feelings without editing or doing anything but save it for later reviews. Like a running diary, it is.
2) Your dream life
You may sit and wonder, why is it as if the whole world is against me for I can´t, I can´t, oh hell, I can´t write. Well, get on to it and write about the life of your dreams. Her you truly can expand your thoughts and get it onto that resentful paper who believe it´s a human problem alone. No, I call it diversion of the mindset.
We all have dreams and hopes. No matter how shitty the day has been, write about what you love, what you would love to try before it´s too late for regrets, write your heart out. And learn to love writing again. There are always wants and needs. What to choose is up to you. You are your own boss here.
3) Your loved ones
For better or for worse, the loved ones of your life are a direct inspiration to work with. They are close to you, you get to study people, and you can, if the love is for real and not for appearance, discuss the behavior of other people with them.
My loved ones are my extended family, consisting of family and friends of the rare kind, those that show up in the middle of the night if necessary. They are both my inspiration and my tough critics. Because we are so different and yet so close, they are my solid foundation for everything in my life.
4) Things to be grateful for and why
I´m grateful for many things in my life. Being alive is one of them. The much of everything that I have. I may be living on a tight budget, I may have to carefully work through one day at a time due to my physical and mental troubles, and I may not have lived the perfect life (whatever that might be). But I´m still grateful.
Being content is not to compromise yourself. It is to take charge of your life and adapt to the recurring theme of change as the only believable and relatable character to connect to in life. The reason that I´m grateful for my life is that it is being lived in the present moment. There´s no room for regrets.
5) Positive affirmations about yourself
Yes, you are good enough, yes, may write it to yourself and the whole world as well. It´s time for a positive outlook on things rather than sulking about life´s way of swirling you 360 degrees around when least expected. Be generous with the adjectives. Be kind to yourself, you deserve it.
I write something like, “I´m good at controlling my anxiety.” Or, “I know how to transform a writer´s block into useful tips for others to use.” Always in the present tense here, because the best way to deal with writer´s block is in the moment of the inner battle between you and yourself. Believe in yourself. Then so will others.
6) What other people do
To study other people is easy today. Just go to the local shopping center and watch the deadly sins being released in the sales of the seasons. If you want the stereotypes. But still, there are often many funny and thoughtful fragments of dialog in the notebook after such a journey.
But, more useful, listen to what people actually say. Then watch what they do. And go home and describe with all the senses what you saw, what you heard smelled, tasted, felt. Write about your own feelings about it. And there you have a piece of work to further evolve ideas from.
7) Lessons from past mistakes
Here it aches, it hurts, it itches. I´m riding a roller coaster on the loose, had it not been for my life experience and positive outlook. I chills down my spine to think about my lessons learned in life. I have tried many different things, seen and heard my part of things.
This is like doing shadow work, so it has to be one of the good days without too many side effects of mundane ailments. But when I do write about such things, I focus on the positive outcome of transforming negative events and experiences into useful life guidance for me to trust as well as my gut feelings.
8) Goals and achievements
Goals should be realistic within the sphere you live in. Keep them simple, attainable, and workable. Achievements are what you let them be to you. Outside expectations should not be a shadow in your life, so don´t judge yourself for not achieving the perfect way of life. Perfection is not my goal.
I prefer the simple, yet complicated, unconventional life. My goals are to evolve as a writer and as a witch, as a human being. My achievements in life have been and are to do my best in whatever I do and never give up. There are no trophies in my collection of past memories.
9) Rewrite a piece of your work (and kill your darlings)
This is something I want to do from time to time when the black cat hits the road and the writer´s block lurks behind my left shoulder where there is a panorama view to my muse. Who is eagerly defending the writer´s right to originality and creating darlings to keep, because they fit in and to change is difficult.
Well, you need to do the editing part sometime, anyway. So instead of allowing the block to enter your mind and existence, you rewrite your last piece of work. Or something you have postponed a couple of times already. I will use proofreading marks to trace my progress here. So I won´t regret pressing delete later on.
10) Lists, lists, lists
If nothing else helps, then making lists is a never-ending thing I turn to when facing a writer´s block. I have done it as long as I can remember. The joy of getting through all the items on the list. The hours of work behind that only I feel in my body, mind and soul.
The grocery list, the books to read list, the psychological thrillers to watch in the evenings, switching to the laid back afternoons … only fantasy sets the limits here. Then add working your own way through the list to the to do´s for a writer´s block.
To do´s for writer´s block
All I know is that there is only one guideline to fight back a period with the feeling of writer´s block brooding over your workspace, over your life, over everything. And that is to keep writing, no matter what. Be flexible enough to remember the breaks away from the pen and the keyboard.
But keep also s somewhat strict schedule of writing according to your known and learned habits. When I read about writing, I try to learn new tricks, to form my writing habits into something positive that I can work with on a daily basis.
I get up in the morning around eight or nine a.m., have a cup of coffee, and walk the dog for his morning ritual outside. Morning medicine, a checkup on things around me, and a fresh pot of coffee ready for me to dig in. If nothing needs to be done around eleven a.m. I open my laptop and begin to write almost instantly.
Typically to research for this or that element for my novel, I use about half an hour to warm up my fingers, hands, and eyes before the writing session. I love to write in hand, but my osteoarthritis sets strict limits, so I reserve the good days for the special notes, the words of the moment that inspire, and my many ideas.
I then write and read the next four to six hours every day. Dedicated time need not be as long as mine, but the more practice the better. Given also that I have my two blog deadlines every Monday and Friday, I have something to do with my writing along with writing my novel.
So the best advice I can give is to dedicate time and hard work to fight a writer´s block. Number two is to tire yourself out by writing about something you love and know about, the journal prompts of your choice. I have listed mine as examples, you know yourself best and may have other preferences.
Next Monday I´ll try to write parts of my blog post as if seen through s movie camera. I like writing best when it takes me to unknown places, such as describing the five senses and show in the difficult task of creating decent dialog.
And I enjoy reading the most when the writer captures my mind and allows me to feel my own way through the novel. Then a novel and its characters are unforgettable to me. To write like that is a major goal to me, because it is difficult, it is scary, and it is a choice of mine.
Try to do something you are afraid of doing. Write, when you don´t feel that you are capable to do it. Tell me not, but show me what aches, what hurts, and what itches. One of my side effects of prescription medicine is that I feel physically restless a lot, and I shake a bit as well. Quirks, like a silly walk.
But it is an advantage when listening to feel-good music and beautiful songs about the human ways of life. Then a shake here, a spasm there, is quite alright. I sit and dance at the same time. And it creates great tension in muscles and joints. So it hurts physically, too, to write at certain times.
Not today, though. Today. I have already fought the black cat of writer´s block by writing about it. Well. go away and stay away, please. Let my muse sit in silence and help me write a novel worth reading. As I Will It, So Mote It Be.
On Friday, we´re getting close to Halloween. Who knows what´s going to happen ? I don´t yet. But I will find out, and so will you, dear reader. On purpose, I haven´t decided beforehand what part of witchcraft to write about. I would like to let my creativity on the loose and see where it takes me.
Remember that writer´s block is an insider job. It is something we create out of inner doubts that need to be handled in the moment of point of no return.
The Northern Witch' s Blog 