As writers we hear a lot about writers' block but after writing for many years, I am more of the opinion that it is not writers' block that causes us not to write. It is more akin to the 'blues'. Add to that mix, procrastination and indecision and we are caught in a mighty writer block. So I plan to post my writing tips here which will no doubt be of benefit to myself, and it is to be hoped, to the reader of this page as well.

Writers, creative beings that we are, can get caught up in a debilitating cycle of self doubt and unproductive non-activity. Writers who aren't published wonder if they can actually write and more worrying for them, would anyone want to read what they write? Even those writers who are successful, and I suppose to be successful in this modern age, is to be able to say that you have been published and paid, even these writers can have doubts about what they are writing. That is a whole new problem which I am not going to write about here. For now, we will concentrate on the Twelve Writing Tips to get over the invisible hurdle. 

This is an obvious first tip and much has been written about it. In our busy world we seem to be caught with a never ending "busyness" and get easily distracted and not give ourselves the time needed to write. Writing is as much about the thinking time as the actual writing the words. Somehow, if we seriously want to write, we need to fit into our busy lives, time to think about what to write and then turn the thoughts into a habit of writing a certain number of words every day. The certain amount of words can sometimes mean a deadline has to be met. Deadlines are very useful for motivation purposes but they should never become stress inducers. If we are not able to do this, the 'blues' are sure to attack in the form of guilty feelings that we are not writing and this is a very common but unproductive state of mind to say the least!

2. Visualisation and Affirmation

I have been encouraged in my writing life by the words of the famous French writer, Andre Gide:

It is especially important in creative writing to allow time for your ideas to germinate, grow and develop. The story will come to you over time and sometimes at an unexpected moment. Relax and enjoy the process. No-one, unless you are writing for an editor or a publisher and there's a deadline looming with a paycheck at the end of it, is forcing you to write. Be inspired by other writers but don't become overwhelmed. Find your own voice. Remember, the acorn takes time to become the mighty oak!

    This is a strange act of beating the writers’ blues and much has been written about the unblocking of the creative side of the brain, the right side which is the side that is at work when your reach for a pen and paper before you are fully awake. It takes dedication, a belief in what you are doing, a certain amount of time management but the results are often amazing and are such that after awhile, to not do early morning writing, would be more difficult than to do it. If the “blues” are upon you, this is one method that can work and the only way to see it work… is to try it! What you write in that half sleep mode is immaterial – the important thing is that you write because unlocking the right side of the brain, letting it have free will to cover a page of indecipherable handwriting and, yes, it has to be handwritten, I deny anyone to do their early morning writing on a computer – to cover a page releases the writer and once released in the early morning, can roam freely all day as more productive words get written, more structured, more logical. 

 But this early morning writing brings its reward in the fact that words…which after all are what writing is all about, words get written down on paper.

And that’s another blow to the “blues”. What we write at that early hour might seem like gibberish which it probably is, but at least we’re writing!

   Nothing beats the “blues” more than a walk, fresh air, exercise and long deep breaths. It’s a “top of the world” feeling. There is something about the movement of walking that changes perspective. It is a getting away from it all feeling which encourages the brain to work on ideas, lines of prose, characterisation - generally releases the creative self. It’s also good for the physical health as well. Practice daily walking and reap the benefits.

Now this is a strange idea given that so many of us have been taught

that we have to be busy “doing” all the time. We all know that sometimes to dream brings on a rush of frenzied creative activity. I think once we can relax such as looking out the window, we are more able to get ideas and inspiration. You don’t even have to have a great view – even looking out onto a brick wall or a railway line can still bring on the desired effect.

Let’s face it, words are what writers use and the more words they can acquire and the more precise their meaning to convey what they are trying to get across, the more likely they are to get it right. It’s fascinating reading a dictionary or a thesaurus. An English teacher once told me to look up a new word every day to increase my vocabulary… a simple act but a worthwhile one in the long term. 

A quick writing exercise is to pick three random words from the dictionary. The exercise works best with nouns, e.g. – oil, sea, ribbon. Then connect these three things into a short piece of writing.

 8. Join a Writers' Group

Writing, by its very nature, is a solitary pursuit so meeting other writers for 

networking, inspiration and ideas is of great benefit in beating the “blues”. Through a writer’s group we become aware of the wider world of writing and know that we are not alone. We need a certain amount of structure in our lives in order to write. Hence the well known cure to beat the “blues” is to write every day. If we know we have to present some new writing to our group, we will put pen to paper. Constructive criticism by a group of like-minded people is not usually too severe that it will dint your confidence and in fact, encouraging words can boost writing production.

 

Ideas are everywhere. Sometimes great chunks of prose come into your head and the best advice is not to lose them. A notebook is an essential piece of kit for a writer developing their craft. 

Also, consider keeping a daily record. Sometimes in the very act of filling a page with your handwriting, stories, articles and novels can be born. It is both therapy and discipline and for your eyes only. Done on a regular basis it is a very powerful aid in beating the writer’s “blues”.

 10. Read Widely

The craft of writing starts with reading. It is also advantageous to be selective in your reading. We are bombarded with the printed word in the form of advertising, magazines, billboards, newspapers, internet – almost to the ‘overload’ as far as the reading is concerned. 

All this is enough to bring on the “blues”! So, think about what you want to write about and read books akin to your interest - Science Fiction, read SF; Historical, read History; Literary, read literary. 

And be aware of the words that we are seeing out there and be selective in your reading. 

 The most important thing to remember is that every writer in the world has received a rejection slip! I had a friend who wallpapered his room with rejections and he went on to successfully publish novels, poems and short stories. It is not a personal thing. You are not getting rejected. Editors and publishers want different things and they, too, are human. 

     Sometimes it’s hard to keep a sense of humour when day after day brings 

nothing but rejection slips. Best thing for rejection slips is to ignore them. If you truly can write, no amount of rejections will stop you, in fact they might even, given your character, spur you on to find your own particular writing niche. So be unmoved by rejections as I have been and learn from them. A true writer never gives up and beats the “blues” by the very nature of believing in themselves. 

 It is not easy to be a writer but stress levels can be consciously tackled which means that writing becomes relaxed and pleasurable. Relaxation being the key word! I would hope these twelve tips will help someone, somewhere, to realize their dream as they have surely helped me in my writing career. So forget the myth of the writer’s block and apply some of my tried and tested remedies for beating the “blues”.