Beating Writer's Block

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Cheryle Boyle is a self-published author and poet with her debut novel, “538 Murder, Suicide, and A Mother's Love” currently available on Amazon. With a robust collection of written poetry, her poems take on many different themes, including fear, explaining death to a child, the need for patience and much, much more.

As an experienced writer, she has had her own share of writer’s block creep up on her, just like many other writers. In other words, this condition is common, but there are ways it can be tackled so that you can get back on track with your writing.

Here are several tips to consider for beating writer’s block.

Create a Routine

Plan to write around the same time every day, and stick to it. It can be easy to fall out of a routine and trend backwards into old habits. However, if you resolve to write around the same time everyday and stick to it, it will get easier and become second-nature before you know it.

Pick a Writing Spot

Choose a writing spot that best suits your needs — no one knows what environment is best for your writing other than you — where you can focus and not lose yourself to distractions that take you away from the task at hand: writing! Sometimes, overcoming writer's block is as simple as removing distractions. To be anything in life, one needs to practive their craft! If you want to be a writer, then you must write.

Freewrite

Freewriting is a strategy coined by Peter Elbow in the early 1970s, which is essentially just writing in a continuous manner without regard for spelling or grammar. This has long been considered a useful method in overcoming writer’s block, as freewriting can rebuild a writer’s confidence without the pressure or regard for spelling and grammar mistakes, which can be fixed later.

It can also help a writer develop ideas and brainstorm, which can be considered as a preliminary or a practice form of writing before tackling a main project.

Start Somewhere in the Middle

Trying to start something right from the beginning can be overwhelming and can lead to further procrastination and even more of this pervasive condition. This is why starting in the middle might be best, because there’s less pressure for it to be perfect right off the bat and can be modified later as you fill in and connect the dots at the beginning. Remember, it's probably the case that the most interesting or exciting part of your content is somewhere in the middle. If you need something interesting or exciting to help get your creative juices flowing (or overcoming writer's block), start at one of the more exciting points in your content!

Go Easy on Yourself

In an ideal world, our first draft would be perfect right off the bat, but the truth is that is rarely the case. Because of this, it’s important to go easy on yourself and not expect perfection when writing your initial draft. Remember that it’s okay to make mistakes and that writing is a marathon, not a race - even if you're an experienced writer - so don’t stress about getting it right the first time; you can always go back and edit it later!

As an experienced writer, Cheryle is no stranger to writer’s block, but she is proof that you can overcome it! She self-published her first book, “538 Murder, Suicide, and A Mother's Love,” which you can find on Amazon or download onto your e-reader. You can also read the first chapter for free, or check out any of her poetry.

If you are struggling with writer’s block and want another author’s perspective, do not hesitate to reach out to Cheryle in Atlanta to discuss your work and how to further overcome writer’s block. She looks forward to hearing from you!