Exercises to Get over Writer’s Block

Writer’s block can be one of the hardest things to deal with for someone in the middle of a story or novel. When you get caught up in writer’s block, it can cause depression and make you think that all of the work that you put in so far means nothing. It can make you think that you are never going to finish the piece that you are working on. While most writers get over this condition by themselves, there are some exercises that you can do to get over writer’s block more quickly. Let’s take a look at five exercises to help you get over writer’s block.

Write a Different Scene or Chapter

The first trick that you can use to get over writer’s block is to try writing a different scene or chapter in your book or short story. Sometimes, the piece that you are currently working on is what is causing the problem, and if you come back to it later on after you have worked on a different part of the story, you come back with fresh eyes that may allow you to see if there was a problem or how you can continue the scene.

Enter Man with Gun

Raymond Chandler says that if you come across a snag in your fiction then you should have someone enter the room with the gun. Of course, Raymond Chandler writes mystery novels. You may write something completely different, but the principle still stands. If you find that you are stuck in a scene, have something unexpected happened to the characters and see where things go from there.

Get to Know Your Characters Better

Sometimes, writing fiction can be a struggle because you do not know your characters well enough. You may want to do a biography on your characters, or perhaps an interview format, in order to get to know them better and see if that solves your problem.

Work on a Different Project

You can also work on a completely different project instead. If you are having trouble with the story or novel that you are currently working on, then try to work on something else for a little bit. Don’t do it for very long, because you don’t want to lose track of where you are on the original piece. But there is no harm in taking a day or two and working on something different so you can come back to your original project with a new perspective.

Read Something to Inspire You

Finally, read something that inspires you to write. Sometimes this can get you over writer’s block quickly. You can either choose something fiction that you really enjoy and think is amazing, which inspires you to write something just as amazing, or you can read something that one of your favorite authors has written about the process of writing. Sometimes that is all that it takes to get your story kick started and get you back on track.