Karen Bouchard here.

There's nothing worse than staring at a blank computer screen and feeling stuck.

Maybe you're trying to meet a deadline.

Maybe you wish you had a deadline (which would mean someone was waiting for your work, hopefully with a check in hand), but right now all you've got is a dream, and you still can't bring your screen to life with those illusive, amazing words. 

Whatever the circumstances, the very words "Writer's Block" are enough to strike fear into the heart of any self-respecting wordsmith. 

Google "Writer's Block" and you'll find plenty of blogs and articles listing things you can do to get your brain going again when it gets stuck.

But I'm going to do something different. I'm going to help you avoid getting stuck in the first place. 

Imagine if there were things you could do today that would help you get and stay "in the zone" when you sit down to write tomorrow. 

Actually, there are, and I'm going to tell you about 7 of them. 

 

DO THESE 7 THINGS TODAY TO CRUSH WRITERS BLOCK TOMORROW

1. Get enough sleep. Writers and all-nighters go together like pickles and ice cream. But that doesn't mean it's a good combination. When you skimp on sleep tonight, you're making it harder for your brain to focus, remember, and solve problems tomorrow. Sleep also helps the brain connect ideas, pulling information together from different sources to pave the way for those "Ah ha!" moments that we rely on to "wow" our readers.

2. Stay hydrated. More brain stuff here. When you're dehydrated, it impacts your mood, memory, and motor skills. In fact, studies show that people make signficantly more errors while driving a car when they are dehydrated. In fact, driving dehydrated has about the same impact as driving while under the influence of a couple of drinks. You don't want to drive tipsy--don't write that way, either. Drink your water. 

3. Outline tonight what you need to write tomorrow. If you know you're going to tackle a writing project tomorrow, don't start the day with a blank screen and nothing percolating around in that pretty little head of yours. Start tonight by creating a rough outline of what you'll be tackling in the morning. Remember how sleep helps your brain pull ideas together? Create your outline tonight, and your brain will be quietly noodling on it all night long. You'll be surprised how ready you'll be in the morning to wax poetic.  

4. Read a book. And not just today. Read every day. Writers who write are writers who read. Read books related to your field, not related to your field, fiction, nonfiction, you name it. And, no, scrolling through your Facebook feed on your phone doesn't count. Read real books. Keep feeding your love for words and ideas, and you'll be priming the pump of your own words and ideas at the same time. 

5. Write today. When you sit down to write tomorrow, you'll have a tougher time mustering your confidence if you haven't written anything for weeks. Hard to feel like a real writer when you haven't been, ahem, writing. So write every day. Even if it's just for ten minutes. Keep those juices between your brain and fingertips flowing, and you'll be less inclined to feel rusty when you sit at your computer tomorrow.

6. Talk to someone about your work-in-progress. In a conversation or email, tell someone what you're working on and what you're going to be tackling tomorrow and in the days after that. Describing to an encouraging friend what you're going to be writing is a lot less intimating than actually writing, so it's not that hard to do.

And there are benefits: As you speak the words, you're reinforcing your ideas. You might even find yourself coming up with some good phrases you'll want to incorporate when you sit down to write. You'll probably even stoke the fires of your excitement over the project. All good stuff that will serve you well tomorrow when you tackle your keyboard.

7. Write this down and keep it handy.  I love this quote. In fact, I revisit this quote whenever I'm in the throes of writer's block, and it has saved me many times. But you don't have to be stymied and gnashing your teeth at your computer to appreciate the wisdom in these words penned by Hemmingway in his book, A Moveable Feast:

I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, "Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know."

It works. It really does. And guess what? Just knowing that you have in your pocket a time-honored and road-tested remedy for Writer's Block can help keep it at bay. And if it doesn't, write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know. If it worked for Hemmingway, it can work for you.

 

AND HERE'S A BONUS 

Here's another way to keep from getting stuck. And if you can't do this today, make sure you do it soon:

Team up with other creatives who are cheering you on and providing practical resources to help you achieve your writing dreams and goals. Writers groups and conferences are empowering and can keep you inspired and moving forward.

In fact, here's the scoop on some fabulous opportunities in Colorado (and online, too):

Writers on the Rock writers groups and conference are powerhouses of inspiration. If you didn't attend their February conference, you missed a doozy, so make plans now to attend next year. In the meantime, find a Writers on the Rock group near you. And if you don't live in Colorado, there's an online group, so no excuses! Learn more here. 

The May 15-18 Colorado Christian Writers Conference in Estes Park, Colorado is around the corner, and it's one of the most robust conferences around. More than 50 faculty will be presenting three days of workshops and extended sessions in one of the most gloriously scenic parts of Colorado. In fact, Mike and I will be teaching an extended session on "How to Take Your Nonfiction Book from Good to Great!" Don't wait. Register for the conference here. 

The Write. Market. Publish. SELL! Writers Conference Summer 2019 is hosted by Illumify Media and you won't want to miss it! We're finalizing a fabulous array of faculty and workshops for your learning pleasure, and it's not too soon to register. Make plans now to join us on Saturday, July 13th in Littleton, Colorado for this one-day conference jam-packed with game-changing contacts, information, and strategies. Register for the conference here. 

 

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION 

And if you're not already an Illumify author, consider becoming one. We specialize in helping folks just like you turn their publishing dreams into real books they can hold in their hands--books that have the power to change the lives of readers everywhere.

Learning more about publishing with Illumify is really easy. You can schedule a no-obligation consultation with me or with Mike in less than a minute by clicking one of the links below:

Click here to schedule time with Mike Klassen

Click here to schedule time with Karen Bouchard

 

In the meantime, keep writing!

 

Karen Bouchard

Acquisitions Editor 

Illumify Media Global

Write. Market. Publish. SELL!