Writing can be very personal, as if you are spilling your own heart and soul onto paper for the world to view. It is only natural that writers encounter doubt along their journey. This doubt can creep up out of nowhere or be the result of a serious case of writer’s block. Either way writer’s block comes upon you, it is real and can often be overwhelming. Luckily, there are ways to help ease us writers out of the doubt-filled, wordless funk.

 Take a walk– Studies have shown that communing with nature stirs creativity in the mind. Seriously. Smart people at Stanford did a study on it and everything. (https://news.stanford.edu/2014/04/24/walking-vs-sitting-042414/)

Clean the house– Allowing your mind to focus on something else can help kick up ideas. Often ideas come when we are busy doing other things. If you’re stuck, go wash the toilet!

Talk about it with someone– Finding a writing community can help a writer thrive. Fellow writers not only provide you with another creative mind to bounce ideas off, but they also make great listeners. You aren’t the first person to get writer’s block and you surely won’t be the last, s you might as well find a friend to suffer with.

Listen to music – Steven King said in his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, “Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.” Music is the same way. It closes a door to the outside world, to other every day distractions. Music also helps you get the juices flowing either because of the lyrics or the tone of the song. And sometimes it even inspires a story idea. Side note: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a brilliant book.

Try a writing prompt– Even if you are stuck in the middle of a story, writing prompts can be very useful. Often using your brain in any creative way, can unearth some other ideas. Hit up Pinterest for some unique writing prompts.

Try rewriting– Changing perspective and starting from a new point of view might prove to be useful when encountering writer’s block. You don’t necessarily need to start all over, but rather, try coming at the piece from a different angle.

When we writers become insecure, it can be hard to pull ourselves out of that. One simple piece of negative feedback can often lead to hours of torment in our brains.

What if I had written the scene this way… 

What if I would have made my main character do this…

What if I rewrote the entire story and set it in outerspace…

Writers must write for ourselves first and foremost. While we want the reader to be moved, we cannot solely focus on the reader’s opinion. One negative attitude can drown out all the positive. Focus on the good and keep typing.