Dealing with Writer's Block

 My hands hung over the keyboard, aching to type something down. Something. Anything. I racked my brain for help, but no one answered my call. I was alone. I was stuck. I needed to get out. I tried another go at it; I urged my fingers to write a sentence, just even a word. They leaned in toward the keys, almost touching the square black tiles. They got closer... But then my fingers stopped. They hit an invisible force field. It was resisting against me from any further writing. 

 --

Ahh. Good old writer's block.

I have gotten a few bad cases of it along with a lot of my other writer friends I know.

No matter how hard I try, there's no inspiration that comes when I need it most. Nada. Zilch. Null. Nothing. 

So how did I eventually climb out of that deep dark hole?

Here's four tips that helped me get back into writing after having my brain run out of thoughts.

1. Find Your Writing Time

When does your mind feel most awake? Are you more of an early bird, or a night owl? In between?

I'm a night owl. My mind flows with ideas after the sun goes down and I'm dressed in my cozy pajamas. I'm done with the day and can let my imagination take ahold of me. It is a way to let myself relax as I'm getting ready to head in for the night. 

During the day, however, I can hardly stay focused. There are people to talk to and places to see; how in the world can I let my writings run free? (See what I did there? Semi-unintentional rhyming) My mind constantly wanders without permission. Finish school... Email a friend... Oh look! A new text!... *stares off into oblivion while daydreaming*... I wonder what's for lunch... What's that on my ceiling?... Time to practice piano... PINTEREST... I'm hungry... 

I'm not saying that doesn't happen at night... But for some reason it happens way more often in the day. But, figure out what is best for you. It seriously helps inspiration strike.

2. Discover Inspiration 

If the inspiration won't come to you... Then go find it! *puts on explorer's hat and hiking boots* Even though Pinterest can be a huge distraction for me, it can also be a huge help for writing reasons. There are three things that Pinterest mainly helps me with. 

  - Characters -- There are tons of character pictures out there on Pinterest. I've found spitting images of three out of the four of my main characters. I print the images out and paste them over my computer on my wall. It helps to look at their face and try to envision what they'd say next. 



This is so true for me. Lol

 - Scene/images -- Random pictures can often strike inspiration also. Pinterest has a lot of these. An old beaten down bridge, a ominous forest, an evil castle, or remains of a battlefield. Either these pictures fit scenes I have already written, or inspire me to write new ones with the inspiration in mind. 

- Writing Quotes -- Sometimes I'm so desperate for inspiration, I look for inspirational writing pins. With these I also like to add to my little writing corner beside my characters. They often remind me how every word adds up to the finished product of your book.

3. Interact with Other Writers

When I first started writing, I felt like the only young writer that existed in the world. That's not true. In reality, there are tons of teen writers out there. There's one website where I met a lot of my Christian writer friends on: http://goteenwriters.blogspot.com/. They provide lots of writing help and occasionally hold fun contests.
Find a friend that can keep you accountable.  My writer friends have kept me encouraged through the hard parts of writing, and have pushed me to keep chugging away when the track was broken.

4. WRITE!

I know this is a horrible tip. But seriously, how are you going to make any progress when you refuse to write from lack of, "inspiration." I love this quote on the right side >>>
It's so true. Every single word you write counts and adds to the finished product of your book. Describe what your characters are seeing, and let them speak their mind. Stay encouraged and happy writing!

- Katie

What helps you get out of the writer's block pit? Comment below!