Here are three ways to get unstuck when you find your writing is blocked:
1.TAKE AWAY ITS TITLE.
Calling it "Writer's Block" gives it an authority it doesn't deserve. Instead, say that you are temporarily stuck with your writing. We get stuck in all kinds of situations--in business, in relationships, in getting fit--and then we get unstuck and move forward. The same is true of writing. It's natural to have times when you are very productive and times when you are not so productive.
2. DON'T "TRY AND TRY AGAIN"
At least don't try and try again the same method that's not working.
If sitting at your desk isn't working, try a change of location--a coffee shop, the library, even the park.
If a particular scene isn't coming, skip ahead in the story and write one of those scenes.
If dialogue isn't flowing, first write the gist of the conversation in summary form (George tells Marie that he has lost his job. Marie is furious and blames him before even hearing the whole story).
Also summarize how each character is feeling--maybe George is ashamed, and Marie feels triumphant that her prediction that George wouldn't be able to hold on to this job has come true.
Also decide what the subtext is of the scene--what is each character really trying to say? Maybe George's real message is, please be on my side. Maybe Marie's real message is, at last I have a big enough reason to leave you.
3. LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM SOMEWHERE ELSE
When we get stuck in the middle of the story, often it's because we didn't lay the groundwork for it at the beginning. Go back to the first section and make sure you've complicated your characters' lives enough there to give you material to work with in the middle.
Sometimes this means planting an issue that is dormant but is triggered by something that happens in the middle of the story. For instance, in the beginning you might mention that Bill goes to AA meetings once a month, even though he feels fully in control of his drinking. When things get tough in the middle of the story, his battle with alcohol might come back to life and give you a strong story strand to work with.
The crucial thing to remember is that getting unstuck is just a matter of finding the right approach to handle the the specific issue that's causing you a problem. It's a temporary problem, not a state of being!
(If you would like to get support for your writing, consider joining my Writing Breakthrough Strategy Program. It's open now--for more details and to get my free Report, "Seven Things that Stop You From Writing and How to Overcome Them" go Here.)
