Writer’s block is a very real, very annoying part of being a professional scribe.

Sure it happens to amateurs or wannabe authors, but in those cases their livelihood doesn’t rely on their completing their work.

It pops up random and often inopportune moments – ask anyone dealing with a mental blockage on a tight deadline how that feels.

There have been brief moments in time, when I’m really against a deadline and the stylistic flow is at a standstill, where I’ll push through.

In those very rare cases, I ended up typing or penning a bunch of less than ideal work and asked nicely to help make it better.

I absolutely loathed myself afterwards for not doing a true professional job, so I now avoid that situation at all costs.

Which brings us to what I do when a touch of the writer’s block creeps into my mind.

Here are the things I do to clear my mind of clutter and refocus the creativity to keep my stories flowing.

I doodle. Often it’s a black or blue pen on lined notepad paper. This helps by resetting my brain to a creator’s mindset.

I clean. Dishes, counters, bathrooms, mopping, vacuuming. Whatever needs to be done around my house, I do it. When I used to work in an office, I would tidy up the dishes and counters in the kitchen.

I organize my office and paperwork. The simple task of making everything neat and put in it’s proper place can be quite cathartic and allows me to get back to wordsmithing.

I go for a walk. A good 30 minute walk can clear your mind, get the blood flowing, and free up the mental space needed to rock and roll on the pages.

I read. A book or a magazine or even a comic. Something with real pages to turn and stimulating content. That’s usually the last thing I try, but it still can help. Just don’t start typing the words you just read (hahaha).

Sometimes it only takes doing one of these, sometimes it takes all of them – but this process works for me. Maybe they’ll work for you too!

Ciao for Now!