Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where the ladies at YA Highway post a weekly writing- or reading-related question for participants to respond to on their own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.
Today’s Topic: How do you beat writer’s block?
Oh, there are many ways…
1. I eat. Sometimes healthfully. Sometimes not. Often Bottle Caps, my drug candy of choice.
2. I read. Books on craft. Young adult fiction. Entertainment Weekly. Whatever.
3. I exercise. Run, walk, bike, yoga–anything weather appropriate.
4. I hang with my daughter. We color. We play Princess. We make beaded necklaces. Anything creative and fun.
5. I brainstorm with my husband. His ideas are almost always random and unusable, but he’s an amazing sounding board. Very supportive.
6. I write drivel. I type out sweeping descriptions of the setting. I fill in backstory. I let my characters have meaningless conversations. Sometimes they just make-out. This stuff almost always gets the cut, but it often helps to get good words flowing.
7. And, perhaps most helpfully, I plot. Or replot. Because when I’m blocked, it’s usually because I’ve taken a wrong turn. I’ve written something wrong earlier on, and that something needs to be identified and corrected.
And those, my friends, are my magical cures for writer’s block. I’m curious…how do you beat writer’s block?
katyupperman.com 
I’m a big supporter of #6, that’s what I do, too!
I find it very helpful, and sometimes good stuff manages to emerge. 🙂
It is really helpful to have someone you can bounce ideas off… especially when you get an automatic face like this: :s and you can nip that one in the bud!
Haha! Exactly! And my husband is nothing if not honest with his opinions. 🙂
I do a lot of plotting, too–which I love to say, because ‘plotting’ sounds so sinister. I think a lot of times blocks do stem from a wrong turn earlier in the story somewhere, and plotting helps to figure it out.
Agree! But why is replotting always my last resort? Why do I eat a gallon of ice cream before finally giving it a go? 🙂
Great tips! I brainstorm with my fiance, too. He’s an actor/playwright so he can be incredibly helpful with character development. Also, he’s good at telling me when my dialogue is “meh.”
I also depend on #1. 🙂
Ooh, you’re lucky to have another writerly-type to bounce ideas off, Rebecca. 🙂
I must try out this Bottle Caps solution.
They are my miracle. 🙂
Big supporter of number 6. Can I read it? lol
Ha! My drivel is almost always an ugly thing, Vickie. I’d never subject you to it (not intentionally, at least!) 🙂
Definitely #2 – reading something else, always helps! I picked NaNo – because that’s really what helped kick my muse into action last year…and I soooooo needed it! Who knew a little competition was the trick for me?
Great post, Katy!
I like to do friendly writing races too. Some of my CPs and I did a writing bootcamp last June and I wrote an entire first draft… It was fun AND productive!
I love your rainbow approach! I do a lot of those things too (exercise, re-plot, eat something possibly good for you) and they do help! Now to find someone who will play princess with me… 😉
You can borrow my little Princess anytime. 🙂 And I’m glad you like the rainbow… I felt this post needed a few pops of color.
My strategy is far more rudimentary. I keep the story running in my head even when I’m away from the keyboard, constantly asking myself–“what if”. Like “What if Jack and Jill filled that bucked with marshmallows and lemon-drops and took off into the forest, avoiding the hill altogether. Maybe they meet the big bad wolf. No wait, there’s a dragon who has an affinity for sweets and they strike a deal to keep their lives.” Okay, that’s just silly, but you get the idea.
Great mental block busters!
Love your example… Not silly at all! And I always have my projects running through my head too. I can’t seem to escape, even when I want to!
The thing that works for me is to take a break and do something, anything else. Sometimes, If I let my subconscious mind work on a problem for awhile, it will solve whatever trouble I’m having with the manuscript. If not, it usually means I’m in a real jam.
I’m the same way! If time away (exercising, reading, whatever…) doesn’t work, then I know I need to sit down and really tackle the problem.
Lovely photo!
I like to write too. Even if it’s rubbish, at least it’s practice.
I agree! Rubbish can always be fixed. It’s an empty page that’s a problem. 🙂
These are such great ideas. Writing and exercise are always good. I like that your family is also involved in your cures for writers block.
Well, my family is one of the few things I love more than writing, so it’s nice to get them involved every once in awhile. 🙂
Awesome tips, Katy. Even though I focused on exercise, I do find brainstorming with the hubs or a writing friend helpful in those tough plot spots. And I definitely get reinspired when I read. Sometimes just being around my teens helps me get over the creative hump.
You’re lucky to have easy access to the teen brain for research and inspiration, Alison. 🙂
#6 is the way to go
Ha! Agreed. 🙂
Hello, fellow campaigner! I’m not in your group, but I still wanted to take a look at your blog. Awesome place you have here!
I’m a brainstormer. When I hit a block, it means the story is going in the wrong direction for me. I sit and think it out until the story goes in the right direction again.
Glad you stopped by, David!
Brainstorming is usually my most effective fix too, but often the last thing I try. Wonder why that is? Maybe someday I’ll learn. 🙂
I am so with you on the drivel thing. Glad to be a part of your YA Campaigner group too!
Glad you stopped by, Shari! Looking forward to getting to know you throughout the campaign. 🙂