15 Ways to Banish Writer's Block and overcome the mid-way blues

Writer's block is intimidating, and many authors dread it. Some let it have control over the writing lives, letting it stifle their inspiration and keep them from writing, while others contend that it is a myth or just a mental obstacle, and force themselves to stay disciplined and push through it.  There are problems with both of this. In the first instance, you find writers waylaid by the writer's block and unable to write at all. Too often, these writers give up for a time hoping that when they come back to it later they will magically have the inspiration and drive needed to continue. Unfortunately, this isn't often the reality of the outcome. The writers of the latter mindset, however, power through-- often at the expense of their book. In an effort to keep going they sacrifice quality or occasionally even deviate from the story's heart just so they get those words out.

If you're the first: it's time to take back your power in your writing life.

If you're the second: try viewing the problem from a different angle, one with compassion towards yourself and a willingness to understand what the real issue is and work through things with an open mind.

Whatever side of the fence you fall on, most of us can agree that writer's block is definitely a struggle to face at times, and it can crop up at the most inopportune times--including in the middle of your project when you're supposed to be in the flow. (If you find yourself struggling with a lack of inspiration, check out our master list of ways to get your inspiration back here!). So how do you banish writer's block and overcome those mid-way blues without sabotaging the quality of your content?

First off, do a quick personal check:

• Is there anything outside of writing that is causing me to be distracted? If so, what is it, and what should my response to this be? Sometimes this is as simple as organizing your workspace, or it can be as large as reevaluating your life goals.
• Am I in a healthy place (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually)? This might mean you need to go on a walk for some physical movement, take a nap and rest your brain and body, do some journaling to process thoughts and feelings, or reconnect with God or meditate on Scripture.
• Do I accept that I'm struggling with writer's block and am I willing to do what needs to be done? The last question to ask yourself is one that a lot of people don't want to even answer honestly. It's hard sometimes to admit you're in the middle of a writer's block, because it can project a lot of negative thinking into your mind. Before you let that happen, remember: there is nothing to be ashamed of, and if you want to win in your writing journey you need to be both honest and gracious with yourself. Just the act of allowing yourself to admit you are not having an easy go can be enough to relieve you of the pressure of perfection and help you be able to focus on what you can do to fix the problem. Perfection is a hard master, so make the commitment to patience and progress instead.

Now that you are at the place where you are ready to tackle writer's block head on, it's time to look at our favorite tactics to truly overcome it and keep writing with your best effort.

• Remind yourself how much you love your project. Sometimes discouragement can cloud our passion for something. If this is a project you love and are excited about, take a moment to think about the reasons why this is important to you and how much you love it. Sometimes writing these thoughts down can help you refocus with more energy, and occasionally it will help reveal a piece you've been missing that will give you the inspiration to continue.
• Immerse yourself in your world. Taking some time to revisit your world is always a great way to get your mind back in the game and over that writer's block. Whether you review your world building notes, check over some historical research you've collected, look at your mood board, or brainstorm some more setting/world details, it's a great way to get you out of your own head and into your book again.
• Reconnect with your characters. Ultimately a book is telling your character's story, so if you are struggling with writer's block, there may be some elements to your character's tale that you are missing. It's important to be not only familiar with your characters, but friendly. Listen to who they are and what they are trying to say, and allow them to speak without being smothered by the words on the page.
• Try some word crawls. If you haven't heard of word crawls, it's something you need to check out right now. The beauty of word crawls is that it's a way to get you writing, but at your own pace. Sometimes writer's block is simply that you are having a hard time translating your ideas from your head to the page, and with a word crawl, it makes it easier.
• Set small word count goals within your larger ones. Writer's block can often come from overwhelm, so if you are looking at your project and see only the giant number goal instead of the story you need to write, think about breaking up your larger objective into smaller steps. This can relieve some of the pressure and help you focus more on the writing for the novel itself, rather than just to get words done.
• Reread a portion of your story. Rereading parts of your story can be an intimidating thing to do if you're not very confident in your abilities, but while there are bound to be some cringing with your first drafts, it can also be, surprisingly, a serious motivator. Not only do you get to see the parts where you did it right, but it also is a great refresher for how to continue your novel based on what's already been written.
• Go over your notes and outline. Especially if you are a planner or a pantser-planner mix, it can be eye-opening to go back to your notes and your outline and just study them for a bit. It helps you reconnect with your original vision, which can allow you to correct where you've gone off track or even tweak major story points based on how inspiration is hitting you now. Even if you're a die-hard pantser, reviewing the notes you do have can really help you focus.
• Relocate to a different writing environment. Sometimes writer's block is simply a matter of boredom. The best part about this, though, is it is an insanely easy fix. If you're getting distracted by your current environment, or you just find that you're struggling to feel inspired, move locations. It can be to a different part of your house or a totally new location-- the trick is just to shake up your environment a bit so that your writer's block disappears.
• Get in the mood with your novel's music playlist. If you already have a playlist, take some time to just listen to it and get in the mood. You'd be surprised how much it can affect your writing. If you haven't created a music playlist, stop for a few minutes and make one. Take into consideration your time period, settings, character, and the mood of the book, and craft an inspiring playlist that will always help get you ready to write.
• Revisit your writing routines, or create new ones. Take time to get back to your writing routines if you've forgotten them, or if you feel like your current routines just aren't cutting it, make some new ones!
• Tell a friend your story and get some accountability to continue. Simply sharing your story idea and the passion you have for it is often enough to get you out of writer's block and back to the computer, but the double benefit of sharing with a friend is that it creates an element of accountability that can help propel you forward.
• Do a dramatic reading of some scenes (out loud!). Performing parts of your novel with a dramatic flair is one of the craziest but most effective ways to get through you writer's block. The act of getting into character in of itself is inspiring and can help you connect with your characters, but it can also open up new trains of thought you didn't have before.
• Freewrite your character's thoughts. Step into your character's shoes and freewrite as if you are them. This helps you take a step back from the plot line while still driving you forward to a better understanding of your characters, while also getting you in the flow of producing words. If you're not really sure how to freewrite, or you want some ideas, check out our post all about it here!
• Challenge someone to a word war. If your writer's block comes down to you're simply not motivated and feeling a bit lazy, it's time to grab a writing friend and challenge them to a word war. The competition helps get you focused on doing what you're supposed to be doing, and the accountability is a great way to keep you going.
• Change the color or font of your document or text. Last but not least, this tip is extremely random but ridiculously effective. If you have the story in your head but you're struggling to formulate sentences, or that blank screen is just really intimidating you: change the color and font of your document. This flips some switches in your brain that allows you to look at your project with fresh eyes, which in turn allows you to get things out better. It's a weird tip, but it's one that's tried and true.

So there you have it! You're now well-equipped to fight your writer's block and win!

Let me know in the comments what kind of experience you've had with writer's block and what your usual response to it is.

Stay fearless!