Most writers eventually get a little burned out – what we generally call writer’s block – but we can also get into creative ruts when we are productive but not feeling too excited about the work we’re producing. In a post on Writers in the Storm, Joseph Lallo offers tips for shaking off the doldrums.
You might feel unmotivated or uninspired, or maybe you’re facing a story problem that you can’t fix. Obvious solutions to these problems include taking a break, enjoying other creative pastimes, or talking to your writer friends. When those don’t work, you might need to change your routines. Lallo suggests that novelty works when routine doesn’t, because it gives your brain something new to chew on. He suggests:
- Change the way you write. If you normally write on a laptop, get pen and paper and start writing. You don’t have to work on your WIP. Make a list of story problems or a writing to-do list. Map our your goals or make a list of what’s bothering you creatively. if you already write on paper, get a new notebook or a new pen.
- Try writing software. If you have the budget, try some writing software. “Anything that radically changes the visual nature of your writing environment will get those novelty juices flowing,” Lallo says. “You might even get a little jolt out of the rut just from changing the font or color.” Scrivener, OpenOffice, and Google Docs are inexpensive or free options.
- Try dictation. “For the same reason that talking your way out of a plot knot can work, talking the plot itself onto the page is a huge departure from writing it down,” Lallo writes. You can dictate notes into your phone or laptop and transcribe them later. If you want to get fancy, try a transcription app.
