Writing Tip: Stuck? Go For Something Different!

Here's the scene: you have a great story idea, and you've actually finished a chapter or two.  Now, however, you find yourself stuck.  What comes next?  How do you get to the next step?  Help!!  Well, the answer might surprise you...

We've all been there.  Some people use a tired term like "writer's block," but I don't believe in such a thing.  I don't believe that you are blocked from figuring out the next step.  In fact, many times I find myself in this predicament when I feel like I'm at my very creative best.  The problem is that I'm just trying too hard.

Here's a suggestion for getting unstuck, and it's not very complicated.  Try writing something completely different.

I like to write many different things: young adult fiction, articles, speeches, blog entries (like this one), and short stories.  Sometimes I get stuck, just like you.  When that happens, I have found that the worst thing I can do is beat my head against a wall, trying to force the next scene.  Instead, I put my work aside, and focus on a completely different project.

Simple, right?  But it works.  Sometimes we just concentrate so much on a story or poem or article that we need to give our brains a break.  It's like being cooped up in your house for a long time; sometimes you just need to get out and walk around the block.  Well, the same thing applies to your brain.

If I'm stuck on a short story, I'll put it in a drawer and spend some time writing an article, or composing a blog entry.  I might even leave the short story in that drawer for a few days.  Then, when I go back to work, I'm amazed at how easily it all begins to flow again.

So, the next time you get stuck, don't try to force it.  Instead, shift gears, find something else to write, and let your brain relax a little bit.

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