Tips for working through writer's block
SURMOUNTING YOUR FEAR OF THE BLANK PAGE

Taken alone, the basic act of writing seems simple to most: Put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard. What stymies many would-be (and even veteran) writers — or even causes some to turn away from writing altogether? Many are intimidated by the myriad and seemingly daunting rules of the craft: punctuation, structure, grammar, cadence, voice, and more.

Others find themselves held back by perceptions about what it is to be a writer; they're sure that "real writers" never face writer's block or feel intimidated by the blank page or the day's writing goal, and that these "real writers" simply whip up their novel in a day's writing. Others simply fear imperfection, and hesitate to allow themselves an imperfect first draft (which pretty much rules out subsequent drafts).

Writing is a craft — one that some people are naturally predisposed to, even gifted in. Yet even critically acclaimed authors suffer bouts of writer’s block, when it seems each and every word must be wrested from the mind and heart. All writers experience hours or days when the muse most definitely seems to have gone on vacation without notice. But, as with all masters of craft, such times must be faced and meandered through, no matter how excruciating the experience seems.

Here are tips that I (and many others) have used to keep the creative spirit flowing, face the blank page, or persevered through an uninspired writing session:

Research — Be certain that you have the data, perspective and/or ancillary information you need to write about your topic (including having an opinion on the topic) before you begin. Really allow yourself to dive in and bathe in the very core and essence of your subject matter. Get a feel for it, in addition to collecting the facts. Let it begin to work on you and transform you; this is the first step to allowing it to "write through you."

Start with a theme sentence — Write a sentence or two that encompasses the point or key message of your communication. Do not paralyze yourself by editing this sentence ad infinitum. Your theme sentence serves as an anchor that you refer back to throughout the writing process to ensure that you’re sticking to the point (which leads to crisp, easy-to-read content). For example, the theme sentence for this article is: There are actionable tips that can help most people improve their writing skill, thus improving their effectiveness and efficiency, and here are some of those tips. Not the most well-constructed sentence, but it served as a guide for this article’s content.

Create an outline — Walk yourself through the points that you want to make in the written piece instead of banging on your keyboard, spilling every thought you’ve ever had about the topic. Again, without a path to follow, you’ll wander around the topic for hours before reaching "base camp" (your key point). This is not to say that during the research stage you can’t "brain dump" all of your information into a rambling journal entry. If this activity fuels your thinking, great. Just don’t allow it to hinder the writing process.

Nourish your creative side — All mechanics and no free-flowing brainstorming makes for dull writing and dull reading. Play with toys, surf the Web, dialogue with colleagues, do whatever it takes to get both sides of your brain into the act of writing. And remember: creativity emerges from the void, the chaos, the "empty" space. Feed the void, create the space, and you'll be feeding your creative Spirit (see below for more on this topic).

Allow space and time — Writing well requires time, space, and an uncluttered mind. Ensure that you’ve created the mental space to write, and allow yourself a block of time to set your work down and revisit it with a "fresh eye." You’ll be amazed at how objectively and clearly you’re able to see your work as your audience will, and make the appropriate adjustments. Don’t force your writing. (In Life Work by Donald Hall, the writer refers to the time it will take for a piece to write itself.) If you’re under deadline, create a back-up system, such as a peer reviewer, to offer the objective perspective on your behalf. Regardless, writing, like all creative pursuits, requires a balance between spaciousness (the sort of thing that, to others, looks like "doing nothing") and the "doing" part of writing that other people see and that - to the Western-trained "efficient" person - feels unproductive. Tending the "unproductive" is crucial to writing.

Read — One of the greatest things about being a writer is getting to read. A lot. For many people, reading is either a leisure activity or an unpleasant "work task" (because what they're reading about is, to them, dull, boring, and not remotely connected to what makes their hearts leap with joy). How utterly fabulous is it that reading is such a crucial part of the writer's life and craft? There are many great books about, by, and for writers and other creative people. Check out the list in the Ivy Sea Online "Writing & Publishing Portal" for some reading suggestions (the link is below).

Muse — In a notebook that you really, really love, and with pens you really, really enjoy using, jot notes, scribble words, doodle, draw, and allow these fragments and insights to tell you more about them.

Set it down — Every once in awhile, you have to get up from the computer, set the writing project aside, and replenish the Muse. Go for a walk, sleep, daydream, wander to a nearby cafe, talk with friends, see a movie, read ... whatever fills you back up. Then, after a bit, head back to the writing with a renewed freshness.

Share your work cautiously (if at all) — In the early stages of creativity, including writing projects, what is emerging must be protected as a lioness protects her cub. The delicate creation is too vulnerable to be shared with anyone but the most sensitive person, and perhaps it's best not to share it at all until, as one writer said, "it has strong legs." Nothing kills the creative spirit and a budding work of creation like a clueless barrage of criticism, whether it's well-intended and constructive or not. Be protective and nurturing of your work until you absolutely have to send it "out there."

Write what you love — Writing can be challenging enough when you're writing about something that you know well, something that moves and energizes you, something that's deeply connected to your heart, soul, life, and experience. While many people have to write well (or passably well) about various mediocre or boring subjects for work, if you have the choice, write the story that wants to be written by you. How do you know? It won't let you alone. It taps you on the shoulder, whispers in your ear, or, if you're really not paying attention, screams at you.

Practice — Don’t let your writing skills atrophy. Create exercises and opportunities to continue writing in a variety of styles for a variety of audiences.