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Like the rest of the world, I spent the last few months with limited contact with my community. My kids are attending school online, I am working remotely, and our summer travels are limited to trips to the grocery store and bike rides at the park.
During this time, I have not written much. In fact, I found it challenging just to read. Usually I read twice a day, but I didn't for the first two months of my isolation. I returned to reading in slow steps, but eventually, the newspaper and I got reacquainted and books and I found each other again. After my anxiety about the new routine passed, the writing started to return. It didn’t arrive as an explosion of creativity, though that would have been wonderful. It came back in trickles. The return of writing reminded me to take it easy when reengaging, and I had to take the advice I had given dozens of writing students in the past: start small to start writing. Reengaging with writing after time away from the page can bring the dreaded writer’s block: the feeling of not knowing where to start. Every writer has experienced writer’s block at some point, and it’s no fun. But writers can take some simple steps to overcome writer’s block and start writing again. Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.
4 Ways to Overcome Writer's Block and Start Writing Again
1. Six-Word Memoir The six-word memoir is just what it sounds like: It's a personal story told with just six words. The legend goes that a journalist challenged Hemingway to tell a poignant story with just six words, and in typical Hemingway style, he accepted and wrote: Baby shoes for sale. Never worn. Those six words give you a sense of the story. You get tone, character, situation. A whole story can be told with just six words, and many have been; in fact, there are now collections of six-word memoirs. If you're ready to start writing, try a six-word memoir to start. You can think of the overarching theme of your life and write a six-word memoir about that, or you can focus on a smaller story and capture a single event in one line. Here are a few examples: Things didn’t turn out as expected. Single girl, ginger cat, vintage guitar. She said yes then ran away. I should have taken a left.
2. Collect Snapshots
When you start writing again, you don’t have to tackle a novel. Starting out small tends to be best for getting back into a creative routine. Take time to collect snapshots rather than whole stories. Composing a small scene, a conversation, or a description of a setting can go a long way toward reigniting your creative energy. Here are a few ways you can collect snapshots:
3. 50-Word Stories
Limiting the amount of space for a story can be helpful in getting a story down on paper, whereas an open-ended story can take ages to write. A 50-word story must be exactly 50 words (not 49, not 51) and can be useful for helping writers focus on the value of each word. 50 words may sound limiting, but the limit can help a writer get started and allow for a short creative burst, which can help to establish a writing routine. Here are a couple of prompts to use when writing a 50-word story:
4. "What If" Questions
Many great novels, stories, and films began with a writer asking a "what if" question. I recently read a vampire trilogy. The author said she wondered what types of jobs vampires would need to have considering their long lives. That question served as the inspiration for her trilogy (as it turns out vampires become research scientists and medical doctors). Create a list of five "what if" questions that are interesting to you. Here are some "what if" questions to get you started:
You can see how asking a "what if" question can spark some interesting ideas. This kind of thinking can open up new avenues for your stories, poetry, or essays. Asking "what if?" encourages risk-taking in writing and engages the creative mind in a different way. Every writer spends time away from the page. People get sick, work takes too much time, other priorities creep in and take precedence over our schedules—and writing falls to the wayside. After that downtime, it can be challenging to get back into the swing of things. Writer's block looms large. Using these simple techniques, writers can re-establish their writing practices and get back to writing. Related Blog Posts
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During the last two months, I haven’t written a word.
I've had several slow-moving projects in the works: a novel about a person who receives postcards from the afterlife (it’s not as weird as it sounds), my memoir written for my kids, a how-to-dress book for my daughter, memory books of the toys my kids played with and their funny antics, and a series of short stories that I have been sending out to magazines. But since the pandemic’s beginning, I haven’t had the energy to write. I have always been a highly productive person and typically work from the moment I wake up until just before bed. Watching a lot of TV or goofing off has never been part of my routine. I’m the gal who grabs a cup of coffee and goes straight to my computer. So, why can’t I write? Like most adults, I have been through many emergency situations—illness, loss of income, and heartbreak—but the pandemic has hit me differently. After taking time to reflect on this experience, I identified a few adjustments that have helped me get back into the swing of writing.
Adjust the Schedule
During the last couple of months, my mind has been racing, and that distracts me from my work, my writing, and my routine. I didn’t realize this until talking to a friend. When she described her difficulty sleeping, I realized I wasn't the only one. I changed my schedule right away and it made all the difference. By getting up earlier and sticking to a schedule, I was able to focus better. Switch Up the Sense of Control Admittedly, I can be a bit controlling (my husband would probably say a bit of a control freak). When the pandemic started, I think my initial fear was about my lack of control: everything was out of my hands. But I have been staying home, wearing a mask, and limiting my trips, and that has added significantly to my confidence and given me a greater sense of control. Now, the limited travel doesn’t bother me at all, and my production has been increasing over time.
Show Some Gratitude
Though I am not the best at showing gratitude, when I have recognized the blessings in my life, I am better able to focus on the tasks at hand. All of my problems are of the first-world, middle-class variety. I am working from home on a new computer with reliable internet. We have enough computers that every person in our home has one of their own to use, so no one is forced to share. We have food, jobs, and our health. Life is pretty good. Get Dirty I think every person I’ve talked to in the last month is gardening. Even the people who don’t like gardens are starting a plot of vegetables or a window box of flowers. It seems like, as we are all longing for our former normalcy, we are returning to simple activities like gardening. Getting into the garden gives us something to look forward to, something to nurture, and a healthy dose of vitamin D every time we put in the work.
Take In New Information
Like many people, I spent the first two weeks of the pandemic watching Netflix. I think I was binge-watching The West Wing (a well-written political drama if you want to see good-quality character development and a quick-paced plot with never-ending complications). But after a couple of weeks, I couldn’t sit that long and had to seek out other ways of filling my brain with information. Though I couldn’t read for the first few weeks that turned around for me and when it did, reading afforded me a huge relief. I added the paper delivery to my digital newspaper subscription, and thank goodness I did, because I am back to spending Sunday morning reading the paper for two hours, which is a joy in itself. I came back to reading but only connected with the lighter stuff at first. No research, no economics, no professional journals. I started with a couple of my kids’ middle grade novels and a nonfiction series the kids like. Then I re-read On Writing by Stephen King for probably the fourth or fifth time. It’s one of those books that I come back to because I get a new idea each time I read it. Reading came back slowly, but when it did, it provided the soothing herbal tea remedy that I needed to get myself back on track.
Let Go to Move On
The cracks in the system reveal deeper truths. Though the lockdown has been incredibly challenging for millions across the country, its effects reach across every demographic, and even healthy, employed people feel the struggle. I think that for me, letting go of my desire to live in the pre-pandemic manner helped me reconnect with a new routine, and that helped me get back to writing again. I am not yet writing in the same way that I was before the pandemic started, but I am finally writing. The writing is slow, it lacks style, and it comes out in ribbons rather than whole cloth, but it is coming. Whether we'll return to our pre-pandemic lives anytime soon, I have no idea. I do know that what is ahead of us will take an incredible amount of bravery, camaraderie, and community. And for writers, if we are able to put words on the page, we are more likely to address what is coming with grace rather than fear. I am certain that in the coming months, I will continue to grow and learn, but for right now, I am out of the woods. I am reading again and writing a little bit. The biggest takeaway of my experience is that if I can put just a few elements in place—a consistent schedule, gratitude, reading, and so on—then I can reconnect with the writing and get the words on the page. Related Blog Posts
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For the last 20 years, I have taught writing. Over this time, I have talked a lot about the writing process, a series of steps writers take to create a piece of writing in a manageable amount of time. It generally follows these steps: brainstorm, outline, draft, edit, and publish.
The writing process can help a person get from an idea to a completed essay, but it doesn’t take a writer through the day-to-day work of being a writer.
Writers do a lot more than follow a series of super-organized steps to polish an essay. We live our lives, we go to work, we find love, we appreciate the outdoors, we fall down, and we strive to achieve life goals. In between all of these life events, we write.
But what happens when life falls apart? What happens when we don’t feel like writing? How about when we have nothing to say? What about those days when the words aren’t coming to us, when we have the dreaded "writer's block"? What do we do then? Subscribe to the Writer's ListGet the writer's blog delivered to your email. Attain an effortless writing process with tips and tricks that support your love of writing. Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.
I think there is a writer’s cycle that more closely mimics the reality of the writing life. It goes something like this:
First, you collect information. This includes reading, observing, and engaging with life. Next, you practice. This includes attending classes, writing in a writer’s notebook, and doing practice prompts. Finally, you write, edit, rewrite, and revise each piece until it is publishable.
In the years that I have worked with writers, I have heard many people disappointed at themselves for not writing all the time. I actually think not writing at times is OK. It's part of the greater process that writers go through.
We don’t always have something to say. We don’t always have something worthy of a story or an essay. But we do always have a place within the writer’s cycle, and we can engage wholeheartedly with another part of the process. Reading hones our writing skills. It puts us in touch with professional writers, it gives us published pieces to evaluate and understand, and it connects us to literary works. Observing and engaging with life allows us opportunities to see situations from different viewpoints, think about how characters would react in different scenarios, and better connect our writing to how real people interact.
As writers, we improve through practice. Every time we take a class, we learn something new. Every time we drop an idea in our writers’ notebooks or write a practice prompt, we play with ideas without feeling obligated to complete a story for a publication.
Once we have collected and practiced, we write. And in those moments when we have something to say, on those days that the words are flowing and the story is laid out before us, we can collect our thoughts on paper. Those are the situations where we can write, edit, and revise until we produce quality writing that connects to other people, which speaks to our readers. So, if today the words aren’t coming to you, read a book. If you don’t feel inspired to write, go out and observe the world. If you feel cooped up or bored or lonely, take a writing class and do some practice prompts. And when the words have built up in your creative bank, you will be ready to write. Related Blog Posts
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Not long ago, I heard someone say that the only people who like to cross country ski are people who love the daily grind. These are people who understand what it takes to get up early, work hard, take on underwhelming projects, and push through when it would be easier to take a break. I loved the idea, partially because I love to cross country ski and partially because it reminded me of why I love to write.
I have run across so many writers, and they’re each such wonderfully unique people. Some write for a short period of time, and some stick with it for life. I have met writers who scribbled a handful of letters to pass on to their grandkids and felt totally satisfied, and I have known others who struggled with never-ending novel series that took years to complete.
What I have observed about writers generally is that they like to work hard. They like to dig into a complicated story, a wild poem, or a new idea and wrestle with the words until something new emerges from the page. They like to get their hands dirty and don’t really mind struggling with a character that starts out cardboard flat and ends up walking and talking with as much complexity as the eccentric guy down the street.
Writers love to get out into the world. Yes, ours is a solitary hobby. We sit by ourselves, tapping away at the keys alone, and oftentimes use devices to block out the noise of life happening around us. But writers must delve into the truths of life to be able to write about them. Writers listen to conversations, they watch the way people move, and they taste the subtle differences in dishes. All these observations are deep dives into life, which writers do so that they can capture life experiences to put into stories. Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.
Writers tend to think about writing all the time. They read more books because they are involved in learning on an ongoing basis. They tend to have a high interest level in a variety of topics. Who else would want to know when to plant roses, how long a body takes to decompose in the desert, and the physicality it takes to ride a bicycle from Seattle to Portland? These are normal questions for writers to ponder and research. In fact, sometimes a writer will research a question for hours just to write a single line in a story.
Writers think about writing all the time. Many carry a writer’s notebook to capture ideas that come to mind in the middle of the day. Writers will say things like, “That would make a great story” when they hear a weird statistic or curious scenario. Writers dwell on which comeback they would have used two hours after being shouted at by a rude jerk. And they analyze movies for choices the writers made, rather than which explosions were biggest. The wonderful thing about writers is that they can see the depth of life. They can identify its smells and tastes and textures, because they seek out its stories. To be able to understand life so well that we can write about abandonment, desperation, ecstasy, and triumph means that we not only don’t mind getting close to life but we relish it.
The writing process can feel overwhelming to some, but most writers have the keen ability to turn coffee into words, which gives us an advantage to take on enormous projects, like 9-volume book series.
Gardeners, can work in the garden once a week for an hour or two and end up with a beautiful garden that the neighbors admire. Writers have to keep coming back to the page over and over again. An hour here or there will result in a completed story, but it will take ages, and no one will see the positive results until the words are arranged in their polished final version. It’s hard work that makes that happen. It’s having the drive to come back to the desk over and over again. It’s having the courage to open up the story and try again and again to edit the scenes to make them flow better.
Writers read, research, write, and revise in an ongoing cycle, because once one story is completed, most writers take up another one. To keep up with that kind of hobby, a person has to love to work and they have to find their flow when they dig into the process.
Writers are like that. We may take time away from the writing to handle life’s complications when they arise, but we are consistently hard workers. We put in the work, knowing the reward will come. Related Blog Posts
![]() Whether you are writing for yourself, for a small audience, or for the publishing market, you probably appreciate when your writing is supported. That support may keep you going when you feel a little low. The little things can add up to keep you motivated and creative. When you spend your time alone, typing away at a keyboard, receiving positive support can be the difference between continuing in the craft or abandoning writing for another hobby. Few writers leave the craft altogether, but many take short breaks to recharge their batteries when they feel low. Writing can be a lonely hobby, especially when people don’t have the support they need. If You Want to Have a Friend, Be a Friend How does a writer find support? Drumming up support for one’s hobby can feel like a chore in itself, but the old adage is true: If you want to have a friend, be a friend. This certainly applies to writers. If you want to be a supported writer, then support other writers. One way to support writers is to spend time with them. I know this might sound a little bit silly, especially considering that writing is a solitary exercise, but finding someone who is willing to listen to story ideas can be a challenge. Offer to listen to another writer’s ideas about characters, storylines, poems, or research projects. By spending time listening to another writer talk about their ideas, you not only support another writer, but you also earn an ear to listen to your story ideas. Many writers process verbally, so talking about your writing can be a huge help to your writing process. Another way to support writers is to be willing to read their work. The editing and revising steps of writing can be brutal for any writer. If you have ever taken a story from initial brainstorm to publishable draft, then you know how much work it can take. Unfortunately, most people willing to read a piece of writing fall into two types: the “I love everything you write” type and the “here are the 500 errors I found” type. Neither of these readers is particularly helpful, because they lack the balanced perspective that a competent writer can offer during a revision.
Leave a Review for Every Book You Read Find local writers, your writer friends, and members of your writing groups and read their books. After you read their books, ask them where you can leave a review. Amazon, Goodreads, and Kobo all allow readers to leave original book reviews. These reviews can make an enormous difference for writers. The more reviews that writers have, the more likely their books are to be included in the criteria for search engines. I belong to a writer’s group in my small town. We show up to every author’s event at the library and local bookstore. We have three literary events a month: a critique group, a writer’s workshop, and a public reading night. By doing this, our group has doubled in size and we have created a community of writers who support each other. The effort is worth the payoff. Finally, if, by chance, you earned a degree in literature or history in college (as I did way back when), you may have an understanding of the classics and may be less aware of contemporary literature. Break out of the canon and spend time reading contemporary writers. Read outside of your comfort zone. Read books by people of color, people from other countries, and people from different socio-economic groups. Read outside of your usual genre. When you read newer writing, you have a better understanding of what is being published now, what is popular, and what topics writers are addressing. Reading modern literature puts you in touch with contemporary writers. When you find writers you like, reach out to them. Send them letters, write them emails, and follow them on social media. Getting connected to writers can help you build a literary network. You Get What You Give Develop a community of people who support writing, and offer support to other writers. When you do, you create a community of others who will support your writing. Though we write alone, we engage with life to find inspiration to write and we share our writing with others so that our words can comfort, instruct, and entertain. Our strength as writers is in our shared community as lovers of the written word, and it is within that community that we can develop support for our own writing as we support others in their creative pursuits. Related Blog Posts
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I am not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I cannot think of a single time that my life changed significantly because of me following through on a resolution, and in fact, it seems that most of my attempts at resolutions have sent me backward on my goals.
What has worked for me is to decide on a small goal, meet it, then commit to another small goal and meet that. When I have followed the path of tiny goals, I have been much more successful than I ever was with resolutions.
Now, I understand that setting a small goal might feel like the same thing as making a resolution, but I would argue otherwise. When I set a resolution, it’s usually because some part of my personality, habits, or behaviors is driving me crazy and I want to overcome that by changing several patterns at once. Overnight, I’m supposed to eat better, exercise more, wake up earlier, and be more productive. But the reality is that I never do that because it’s too much all at once. I can’t focus on battling my middle-aged body and try to figure out how to get to the gym six days a week (in the snow no less) with kids, the house, the job, and so many life complications.
What works for me is to attempt a teeny-tiny goal, meet it, and then set another one. One example of when this worked well was the Inktober activity. In October of this year, I joined Inktober, where writers and artists create a single piece each day based on a one-word prompt. For the first week, I wrote a haiku poem (a haiku is a poem with three lines with syllables of 5-7-5). This activity only took me three to five minutes a day. The goal was tiny and I felt successful quickly. Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.
After writing a haiku poem for the first week, my confidence was up. So, I wrote a 50-word short story for the next two weeks. Each day, I would sit down and write a short story, which was usually closer to 100 words. I’d cut it down to 50 words, post it on Instagram, and move on with my day.
For the last week in October, I created a series story. Each day, I used the daily prompt and continued the story that I wrote the day before. The process was interesting, because I couldn’t go with a totally new idea because I needed to string several prompts together.
Inktober forced me to write every day for a month. Although I would love to say that I write every day all the time, I don’t. I write a few times a week and usually set aside one morning to write for a couple of hours straight. The problem isn’t that I lack the discipline to write every day; I lack the opportunity. Between work, kids, family, pets, and taking care of myself, I can’t make daily writing work. Yet, incredibly, I wrote every day in October for the Inktober project.
When I set a tiny goal (write a haiku poem, write a 50-word story), I was able to do what usually feels impossible. I was able to write for 31 days in a row. The outcome was exhilarating and I kept writing every day through November. In fact, the momentum generated in October got me through the rough draft of my next book, which I expected would take another two months to accomplish.
So, if you’re like me, skip the resolutions. If they don’t help you, then don’t bother with them. Instead, consider taking on a small goal, meeting it, and then another small goal.
Would you like some help doing this? This January, I plan to write a small piece each day. The prompts I’m following are listed below. If this sounds like fun, you’re certainly welcome to join me.
January Daily Writing Prompts
Each day, write a haiku poem, a free verse poem, a 50-word story, a 100-word story, or one paragraph (description of character, setting, plot, or scene) based on the prompt. Feel free to interpret the prompts in any way you choose.
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