Ick, Writers Block!

The land suffered, the animal life suffered, we as humans suffered but for some reason it wasn’t an issue until the internet or transportation was effected. Greed is the best answer I can come up with here, but still it is boggling. Were you hoping for a future filled with jetpacks and insistent food producing fridges were all you need is to say a command and it does it without a hitch? Flying cars perhaps, or peace and worldly knowledge at our fingertips? I’m sorry to disappoint but we became nothing more than selfish fat pigs sitting around waiting to be picked off by whatever was higher on the food chain. And yes, there is something higher on the food chain. We found that out in 2026. See what was higher on the food chain isn’t stupid, though in my opinion it could have the IQ of a dog and still surpass us by this point. It attacked points of power; the laboratories, financial districts, the heartland, and military bases. Our government was saved for last, along with the rest of the surviving society. Countries teamed up with others to stop this unknown force driving in with odd shaped aircrafts and welding weapons of mass destruction...

 Well darn, what comes next? My mind is a blank slate right now; this isn't the first time and it won't be the last. I know I'm not the only one to suffer through this. It's the horrible curse formally called 'writers block'. Staring at the computer screen or your notebook, with the cursor or pencil hovering near by, but no words come to you to explain the next scene in your story. I hate this and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Things were going great! Then your mind laughs and says no, effective shutting down your creative flow for days, weeks, months even.

 So what do you do?
Beating writers block is still tricky for me. I have done a lot of things to try and ease it, but nothing seems sure fire.

 Waiting it out- I think this is the most common form of dealing with it. Does it work? Sure, but who knows when it finally will. I've found myself waiting months before I could touch a keyboard again. The time until then was frustrating. I wanted to write but I couldn't. I also felt trapped; like I couldn't force myself to continue since the process was too painful to push past. Making yourself write something when you don't have that awesome mojo working behind you is like pushing through a swimming pool of molasses on a hot summer day.

  Forcing yourself to write, however, does have its advantages. Even if the piece is something you won't use, it's still something to keep you going until that muse plunkers back down on your shoulder. Your brain is a muscle after all, and just like every other muscle, it needs to exercise often to keep in shape. Look at the item to your left, then describe it in a word document or on a pad of paper. Useless, maybe, but hey, you did something that day. And more often than not, this will break the barrier in your mind quicker than waiting it out.

  Purposely seeking out inspiration is another way to go. How you find that depends on you and what you're writing. I find revisiting my favorite books to be effective; the ones that really got me into writing in the first place. Funny enough, it's the Three Little Pigs. But who cares what the book is, you don't have to confess it to anyone, just sit back and enjoy it. Or maybe pick up a new book on the genre you choose to work with. Writing a mystery? Google some famous- or obscure- mystery authors! Then purchase and read- pirating sites are never encouraged, after all. This just steals from the author and how would you feel if you suddenly found your hard work displayed for free?
Movies and t.v. shows are another way to go. Writing about a real life drama? Teen Mom! Might be a bad example, but it could work... Action? The Fast and The Furious! can also be a great motivator to write.
At night, or during your free time, pop in some tunes and just sit back with your eyes closed. Eventually your mind will paint something to go along with that song. Classical has inspired some interesting battle scenes for me. It might not work right away, but I find some good songs and a moment of relaxation to break the creative block. Writers block can be brought on by stress so finding ways to get your muscles relaxed and mind clear is highly effective. I also suggest a walk in the park.

  Being around other people has helped me on many occasions. Especially when I'm stuck on a character. People watching could give you some fillers for the otherwise lacking information. Hair color, dialog, body structure, personality, backgrounds even. Just be careful, if you're writing a murder series and most of the characters who die off are coincidentally identical to family members you may find yourself in some trouble after it gets published...

  Starting a new story could work as well. Maybe you need a break from Kaden and Michelle so you begin working with Casey and Jessica. Don't call me crazy here, but when I do this I often come across a bit of story jealousy issues. See Kaden might not be talking for a week but after I spend some quality time discovering Jess, he comes crawling back. Then I run into the issue of who to focus on... Sorry Jessica, but Kaden was here first...

  Taking a vacation is a good idea but not too realistic- unless you just visit some friends who live like an hour away for a week. Admit it though, it would be awesome to get pack up and leave whenever your muse slips away. "Hey babe, I can't figure out the next part to my book. Let's go to Mexico, okay?" Or "I feel stuck again... I better take a cruise around the Bahama's." That would be sweet!

 Like I said before, there is no sure fire way to get rid of Writers Block, but there are different tricks to try and get around it. Having your creativity blocked could be the very downfall of your dreams- until it goes away, at least. And there is no wrong way to go about it! That's the great part. "I need to watch a movie in the name of research!" Or visit France if your budget allows it, there is no judging. A little envy, maybe, but no judging.

  Vampy paused, her fingers resting lightly a top the black keys of her new Gateway. Her expression was blank, just as her mind. Several seconds passed before she threw her hands up and cursed at the ceiling. "How the hell am I suppose to end this post?! Come on brain, work for me!" she whined, running her hands roughly through her long brown hair while her eyes locked back on the white screen. The cursor flashed, taunting her. So close! But no dice... "Guess I'll save it as a draft" she mumbled with a glare. Her writer's block couldn't last long after all... Could it?