Writer's Block Is A Bitch

You're at your desk or on your bed. You're in the zone. The words are flowing quickly on the paper or screen. As you end your sentence, you draw a blank. You stare off into space. Your feet tapping away at the floor. Ferociously, your gnawing at your pen. Nothing comes to mind anymore. What the hell! You've developed writer's block. So how do you overcome it?

Writer's block is a sickness. An illness whose symptoms consist of:

• Staring blankly at a piece of paper or screen.
• Rhythmically tapping you finger, feet or pen on a hard surface
• Attempting to write a sentence or word only to delete them or rip the page out to start over again
• Banging your head against a wall

Like all illnesses, you treat with a little R and R. Instead of forcing inspiration, just step away. Drop the pen. Close the laptop and so something else to occupy your mind. Read a book. Watch a movie or catch up on a series. Take a walk. Stop trying to figure out the next chapter or scene. Chances are the block is due to either being:

• Bored with your story. I mean, you've been at it for months or years and you're still on the same section.
• You're out of ideas. It's okay, not everyone can bat a thousand. Try tackling another story or a prompt that interest you.
• Your need to be a perfectionist.   Your story isn't going to be perfect on the first go. Mistakes will be made, welcome them.

So relax. Take your mind off your story. It's okay to go back to it later. It'll still be there when you return.