BEAT THE BLOCK-TIPS TO DEFEAT WRITER'S BLOCK

Most writer’s will, at some point during their careers, suffer from sporadic bouts of writer’s block. And for many, particularly those who look on writing as a hobby, it can be classed as nothing more than a frustration that a few days away from the keyboard will easily cure.However, for those who depend upon their writing to earn a crust, feed the family and pay the mortgage it can lead to despair and lots of writers try to avoid the demon, when it bites, by exercising, drinking copious amounts of coffee and even house-cleaning.But like anything in life, the best way to overcome a problem is to face it head on. To quote the title of a well known book, ‘Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.’ And in any case, procrastination can often only end up making matters worse.It’s hard to pin down the exact origin of writer’s block but some of the most common causes are; fear, anxiety, the end of a project, the beginning of a new project or a change of lifestyle.Luckily I rarely, not never, suffer from the dreaded writer’s block. But on those occasions that I do, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that usually help me to defeat the gremlin which I hope readers of this blog will find useful.Keep a DiaryMost writers keep a diary - I have two. In one I keep an account of my daily life, whilst in the other I jot down details of my writing day. Keep diaries up to date by filling them in every day and don’t worry if your writing appears dull, it’s a diary not a work of art.When writer’s block strikes my diaries have proved to be a source of some much needed inspiration. In fact I’ve had a couple of articles published that started out as nothing more that a few lines scribbled in one of my diaries.Have a ScheduleThe English writer, Graham Greene, celebrated for penning 30 novels including, Brighton Rock, The Quiet American and Our Man in Havana, famously wrote 500 words per day - no more, no less - every morning.Find a time that suits you and make that your writing time. Set yourself a minimum word count and stick to it. It might be hard going at first but when your body turns up to write at the same time every day, eventually, your mind will follow.Read! Read! Read!Reading should be high on the list of priorities for those wishing to succeed in the writing business. In other words, when you’re not writing you should be reading. I usually read between 4 - 6 hours per day.Read magazines, books, newspapers - anything you can get your hands on. The more varied your reading material is the more ideas you’re likely to come up with.Of course if you’re sole intention is to pen the next best selling horror or thriller novel you should immerse yourself in your chosen genre.Keep a Notebook Ideas for articles and stories will, invariably, come when you least expect them. Keep a notebook and pen or pencil with you at all times. Jot down the idea, a few words will suffice, then you can expand it when you have the time.Recently I’ve started using a small, hand-held tape-recorder for moments such as this. They’re really handy, but make sure to pack some spare batteries if you decide to use one.Finally, enjoy your writing. Naturally we all want to get published and earn an few extra quid, but if you set out with that as your one and only goal and you don’t succeed, a few rejections will see your writing become laboured and it will show in your work, which will lead to more rejections and an increasing spiral of frustration.Coincidentally, this post was written on one of those occasions when I sat down, stared at the blank screen and said to myself, “What I am going to write about today?”So if you are struggling to get words on paper perhaps the best advice is to just sit down and write. It doesn’t matter what you write - just do it!