I used to wonder why anyone wrote posts about writer’s block. Until I finished my first book and attempted another. Why had the first been so much easier? Gaining traction on the second was harder but finally happened, once I tried just about everything. Every writer is different, of course, but here’s what worked for me:
1. Write about something you care deeply about or are fascinated with.
This comes first for a reason, since without this you’ll face an uphill battle. It’s so much easier to work tirelessly on a manuscript you’re emotionally invested in.
2. Start a character wall.
2. Start a character wall.Do you have the characters lined up but they’re not gelling? Print out pics and tape them on your wall. They’ll soon come to life.
3. Watch weird movies.
3. Watch weird movies.It helps if the movies are related to your subject, even tangentially. Press play and let Stephen King’s Boys in the Basement do their thing.
4. Hang with Sol Stein.
I’m a sucker for “how-to” books and have shelves full of them but always come back to Sol–one of my favorite teachers. I have his books in hard copy, audible, you name it. I often fell asleep listening to his book on tape, hoping it would sink in.
5. Get up early.
Eudora Welty said you should get up and write early, before you even brush your teeth. Is it worth risking gingivitis to make great progress on your book? This really works for me.
6. Lock yourself in your shed.
6. Lock yourself in your shed.I’m lucky I have a writing shed (not as adorable as the one above.) For me solitude is a must, for even a barking dog can jolt me out of concentration mode. If you need quiet in order to work don’t feel like you’re being anti-social if you keep visitors out of your work space. It’s okay to be selfish about this. Lonely? Create some great characters to be with.
7. Limit alcohol.
Maybe Hemingway was drunk a lot but he wrote in spite of the absinthe. You know yourself, but for me a hangover kills all creative impulses.
8. Embrace caffeine.
This may seem obvious but an extra latte can do wonders for a chapter. After all, many attribute the massive creativity of the Renaissance era to the caffeine-inspired minds of Voltaire and Newton who drank coffee as it first spread across Europe. Honore de Balzac (above) reportedly drank 50 cups per day. Demitasse size, but still. (He looks a bit over-caffeinated in the picture above, actually.)
9. Doodle.
Anything to get pen near paper in case something happens.
10. Make sure you’re using the best mode of getting the ideas down.
Not everyone can write at a keyboard. I write longhand and then type it into Word. Nabokov wrote on index cards while standing at a lectern. Capote wrote in bed. Don’t get stuck at your desk if it’s not working for you.
11. Use music for inspiration
I need total quiet when I’m actually writing, but love to use certain songs to help me flesh out scenes. This summer I mostly listened to old Christmas music and imagined specific winter book scenes I’m working on as I walked the beach. Feels strange but can be effective.
12. Find inexpensive ways to immerse yourself in your story’s setting.
When I get stuck I order old postcards online. Visit museums that relate to my topic. Wander the homes of famous writers (Margaret Mitchell’s house is especially inspiring.) I scour flea markets and used bookshops for pertinent old books. I always come up with something interesting to include in the MS, whether it’s a unique take on a setting or a detail to add to a character’s life.
13. Just say no to Facebook.
Social media has its benefits but we all know how easy it is to go down the Pinterest/Twitter/Tumbler wormhole. I try and limit this to an hour or so in the afternoon, once the caffeine wears off.
This last one came to me after I realized it took me five hours to write this post–not following my own advice.
Hope this post helped a bit. If you have additional ideas you use to jumpstart your writing I’d love it if you’d share. But remember the best advice of all, a sentiment we all need to cut out and hang in our writing space: 
