A Creative Ideas to Kill Writer's Block

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I know you’ve heard all the practical tips and tricks to get rid of writers block, and a lot of it does work but as a creative I love to find more fun ways to hit the writing board.

If you feel like you are at a dead end with all the tried and true methods, or you just want to shake things up and be creative in your writing process, then I would love to share some of my ideas with you. I hope at least one of them can help you trick yourself into writing when you are feeling really stuck with your story.

I would also lovvvve to hear any unconventional ways you keep inspiration going! But I’ll stop being chatty, let's not wait any longer to unpack we the ideas that I have written down down :)

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MAKE A PILLOW FORT LIKE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER

Did you ever build a pillow fort when you were little? It's fun, cozy, and as adults I think we tend to forget times like these. I've been seeing a trend on TikTok lately to incorporate things in your daily life to make things feel more whimsical. Building a pillow fort does this.

We are often so busy cleaning our home, that just the thought of putting everything away the next day, or in just a few short hours, is enough to turn down the idea of building a fort in our own living space. But for me, it's worth it.

Besides the element of creative freedom and giving yourself a new environment to work in, I personally think there is a hidden reason why building a fort for your next writing sess could empower you to put those words on a page.

So, hear me out... Maybe it kills perfectionism. Think about it, if you're having trouble writing the next part of your story, maybe it's because you're trying to make everything just right. You're writing like it's going to hit a publisher as soon as you put your notebook away.

But if you make writing messy your goal, then the first draft will flow out of you much faster and a whole lot easier. Sometimes it's hard to trick ourselves, but I think that writing in a pillow fort you put together will help you feel like you're in a space to just write.

Nothing perfect. You're not worried about writing something that makes or break your story. If you are already in a space that reminds you what it was like being a kid, maybe you'll write from that space, too.

DRAW A CHARACTER FROM YOUR STORY

If the writers block is hitting really hard, then it’s time to take a big step back and put down the pen for a minute. Sometimes it helps me to be creative in a new medium so I can come back to my project feeling more regulated.

Try and connect with your story in a way that helps you remember all the progress you have made so far, and feel inspired again with its story and the characters you’ve made.

I love drawing the characters in my novel, or the scenery of an important moment in the story. I’m not always good at drawing, especially when I'm trying to recreate something I imagined in my head. So often times I will take inspiration from Pinterest and find something cute to draw instead, but I do spend a lot of time at least trying to draw my book characters.

One day I'll get the hang of it better (still a novice artist, haha) and I won't get there if I don't shed a few tears and break a few pencils on the way.

Drawing your story helps you tap into it in a new way. You can show people what your characters look like, what a place looks like and share more of your story. If you love digital art, use a digital format, or if you paint, paint your story.

You can also alternatively go to an AI image generator if you hate the thought of trying to draw out a scene in your novel. Make an entire vision board for your book - really get into it, and get to know your story on a deeper level.

WRITE AND SIP SESS

Have you been to a paint and sip event before? It’s the cutest get together where you buy a bottle of wine and paint with your group, often painting things like pottery-made mugs or a single canvas.

I lovvvvve painting so much!

But I thought it would be fun to put a little spin on this, and make it into a writing session. And it's something you can do as a social event or even by yourself. The criteria? A glass of sparkling wine and a little notebook.

You can choose any drink you want, but the traditional "paint and sip" would be a wine, I believe any red wine. I want to love red wine so badly, just for the aesthetic.

Whenever I see a beautiful photo online of some books and a glass of red wine I feel it tugging at my heart, but if I'm being truly honest I haven't liked any of the many red wines I've tried. I would take a white wine any day, especially a sweeter one.

And then of course, you need your writing materials. This can be anything! Papers scattered across the table, a few tablets or whatever you write on. Even your phone.

If you're by yourself get your wine ready, light a candle or two, and write up until the bottle runs out. Make it your mission.

And if you are in a group, share your writing together and come up with your own challenges and time stamps to complete them. You could do a word count, a theme everyone has to stick to, really anything to hit that goal.

And the best thing about events like these is that you can invite your friends over or make it like a workshop, and meet new people.

COFFEE THEN WRITE

There’s nothing more motivating than a cup of coffee! Tell yourself you’re going to make your favorite drink (I make a London fog, or an iced coffee with a lot of cream) and then sit down and use the caffeine boost to write until you hit your goal.

If you already have what you need in your kitchen to whip up a drink, then this is going to be completely free and super easy. You can even incorporate writing into your morning when you have that first cup of coffee after getting out of bed.

I do this all the time. I don't even think about it. If I'm getting out my laptop to write, I'm bringing a freshly made cup of coffee with me.

If it feels too mundane, choose a drink you don't have very often. Something that would really hit the spot, or is super fun to make.

I'll choose a Pin I've had saved on my board for way too long and make a drink I've been dying to try, something that looks so good and would feel cozy, or something super colorful that I know will keep my spirits up for a while so I can write a few hundred words, easy.

LEARN FROM YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR

Pick either your favorite author or a popular author in the genre you’re writing, and find an interview with them about their writing style and what works for them as they’re writing their story.

Sometimes we get too stuck in our own process, and we need to branch out and learn from other writers when we are feeling stuck. Maybe it seems mundane, but if they published a book that you take a lot of inspiration from, then their methods are tried and true.

Everyone is different and some people need more structure than others in their writing. For me, I kind of just hit the ground running. I don't plan too much on paper until I feel motivated to and by then I'm already several chapters in, or I have pages full of ideas for the story and different characters and scenes already created.

Finding wisdom in other writers can help us in our own writing, and sometimes help us explore new techniques that will help us along the way.

READ A KIDS STORY OR WATCH YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE

If you are a writer for kids stories, this one wouldn’t apply in the same way and may be more for finding inspiration.

Oh, also, watching a Disney movie is also a fun alternative to reading a kids story... don't worry, it's for a good cause!!

If you’re a writer in adult fiction, or even non-fiction then my theory is that it’s easy to get stuck in all of the info you’re holding in your brain and sometimes the roadblocks in front of us feel a lot bigger than they are in reality.

Try taking a moment to step back and take in content that is less complicated than what you’ve been focusing on and give yourself a breath of fresh air.

When you come back to your project after a break, you may find new ideas popping into your head that will solve whatever issue you were facing in your story.