Writer's Block...and Dealing With It

If you're a writer, you know what I"m talking about about.  Writer's block, it happens to all of us.  That moment when, after so much hard work on a book or story, you find yourself clueless as to how to continue.  So what can you do about it?

I've written two full-length novels, one of which is published at this time, a (sort-of) short story, due to be published within the next month, and five illustrated rhyming picture books, one of which is published so far.  And yes, I get writer's block too.

It's frustrating, aggravating, and can make you want to pull your hair out.  I find myself asking why, after beig able to write over one-hundred pages on a story, do I suddenly draw a blank?  I have no idea.  It happens. The real question is, what to do about it.

Well, I don't know what works for everyone, as I can only write about what helps me.  If my husband is around, I usually talk it out with him. Sometimes, in fact, frequently that's all it takes. Talking it out makes everything clearer, and it also brings to light any "plot holes" that I might need to address, or characters or situations that I could explore more deeply.  Just talking usually makes the wheels of  my brain start turning again and I leap the hurdle of writer's block.

If my husband isn't available, I call a friend I trust, and if I can't reach one of those, sometimes checking my Twitter feed, leaving the house for an hour, or watching a little television will spark an idea.  Or maybe I have an idea for a different story, and that distracts me enough that I can't focus on the one I'm writing.  I have a notebook in which I write such ideas.  I find that once I commit them to paper, I can let them go and focus on the story at hand.

The most important thing though is for me to remember that it will pass.  If I let myself get stressed out about not being able to write, I find that the problem only perpetuate itself.  Whereas, if I remind myself that it will eventually pass, just maybe not as quickly as I would like, it does leave, and I can get back to my passion!