Tag: writers block

Tips to Help Pantsers Get Moving Again When the Story Stops

writers block solutions light-bulb-3104355_1920 (002)Those who are pantsers (who write by the seat of the pants, rather than outlining a story) can run into a problem that outliners don’t encounter as much: the story stalling.

It’s happened to every pantser at least once, where they’re in a groove, the story is moving along nicely, and then bam, nothing seems to work. Everything they want to write seems flat or the story just doesn’t move in a compelling way anymore. So, if you’re a pantser and your story has stalled, here a couple of things to try to get your writing mojo flowing again. Continue reading “Tips to Help Pantsers Get Moving Again When the Story Stops”

What Does It Take to Get Writing?

key to success for authors keyboard-621830_960_720I’ve never felt so at home in life as I do now, surrounded by other authors. It’s a good, comfortable, nurturing feeling to be in the company of others with like goals and souls. I thought that would give me what I need to feel validated, and for the most part it does. But there was something missing.

Something different drives each one of us, of course. Feeling like we’re not alone, or the only ones in a particular struggle, makes things easier to deal with. Being a writer can be a lonely, thankless, and penniless endeavor, as we all know. But we do it because we have to – because that “thing” inside of us gives us no other choice. Continue reading “What Does It Take to Get Writing?”

In Search of the Elusive Muse

searching for the museIn my last post, we discussed the existence of the muse. This week … we’ll go on a search for the muse!

For each of us, the muse is different. We all have our times when our muse delivers a stream of subconsciousness that makes us cry tears of joy when we finish a chapter. There is no right or wrong when it comes to the muse. It can be living or inanimate. It could be a place, a person, a process or ritual, an activity or music. Sometimes it just shows up and we don’t know how or where it came from.

The key is finding it, placing it “on demand” or maintaining the connection. Continue reading “In Search of the Elusive Muse”

The Artist Date: Resuscitating Your Writer’s Mojo

get your writing mojo back courtesy of pixabay woman-591576_640After I finished grad school, I took some time off from writing. Okay, I took a number of years off. I was discouraged that I hadn’t gotten a publishing contract right away. I couldn’t even sell a short story. So I gave up and put everything away, and concentrated on raising my kids.

I don’t know how many of you have stepped away from your passion for any length of time. But it started to grate on me. I knew I needed to start writing again, but I felt as if I needed a jump start. So one summer when the kids spent a number of weeks with their father, I committed to working through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It’s a twelve-week, self-guided course designed to help stuck creative-types get their mojo back. The original book was published in 1992, and it’s spawned a number of spin-off publications, from workbooks to journals to flash cards. Continue reading “The Artist Date: Resuscitating Your Writer’s Mojo”