LIFE

If you're writing-obsessed—whether it’s your own novel, blog post or just journal entries—writer’s block can happen all the time. You stumble upon a period of time where you just don’t know what to write about—and that's OK. Here are some steps you could take to overcome this obstacle. 

1. Change your writing scenery. 
Try writing in a different location for a change. This could expand your horizons and allow you to pull inspo from your surroundings. If you love your desk, head to your local cafe. If you're usually a library babe, try out the couch instead. 

2. Take a break.
Taking a break from writing is almost always a positive thing. Sometimes you need to grow a little bit and experience more things before you're ready to hit the keyboard or note book again.

3. Write about a person who you've encountered.
Build a story around a person you met in your life—whether it's your mom, your first-grade teacher or your cashier at the grocery store. It could turn into a whole series. You never know!

4. Ask a friend—then write the first idea that pops into their head. 
Use your friend's idea and write a story around that. If that first idea didn’t spark any interest, keep asking. They're bound to think of something out-there enough to get the gears turning.

5. Go back into your archives.
Some stories are never truly finished. Go back to a passage or entry and extend on it. Try changing the beginning, the middle or the end—just see what happens!

6. Research something you're passionate about.
If all else fails, simply research the first idea that you thought of. You may discover something totally new about your original idea, or something totally new in general. More ideas = more stories!

Let us know in the comments if these steps helped your writer's block.

by Rachel Shvalb | 2/26/2019