The positive results we receive after accomplishing daunting
tasks can often feel more rewarding than others. Today on Seriously Write,
author Christy Barritt shares
great tips and encouragement for facing some writing and non-writing
challenges. Enjoy! ~ Dawn
Getting
Around the Block
by
Christy Barritt
I made a New Year’s resolution to walk around the block at
least three times a week. Some days, I have a million excuses why I can’t do
it. I don’t want to get sick (and it’s cold outside). It’s too hot. I have too
much laundry to do.
It’s almost August, so by now I’ve been around the block a
few times, and I’ve learned some lessons along the way. Similarly, sometimes
it’s also hard to get around writer’s block. You can feel stuck and that blank
page can feel like your worst enemy.
Here are some tips to get around the block—both for walking
and writing:
1. Do it
regardless. Though I don’t always feel like walking, once I’m actually doing
it, I feel invigorated. When I’m facing writer’s block, sometimes if I just
write, things fall in place. Those first words that I write for my draft aren’t
necessarily beautiful. First drafts usually aren’t. But I can always go back
and change them.
2. Find a
buddy. Finding someone to walk with me and keep me accountable has been a
lifesaver—and it makes the journey a little lighter. Find a writing partner to
help keep you on track. A writing buddy will keep you on target to reach your
word count, to keep going when you want to give up, and to keep your goal in sight.
Having someone walk beside you may be just the push you need.
3. Listen to
music. Upbeat music makes my walk go by more quickly. Putting on music while
writing can be an inspiration. Give it a shot when nothing else is working. I
try to listen to suspenseful music while writing tense scenes, love songs when
writing romance, etc. Movie soundtracks can provide great inspiration!
4. Pick a
different route. Walking a different path makes life a little more interesting.
If I’m really stuck on a WIP, sometimes it helps to work on another writing
project for a while. On occasion, I also skip ahead and write a different scene
in the same book—maybe a scene at the end that’s vivid in my mind.
5. Pick a
different location. Maybe you need more than a new route to freshen things up.
Maybe you need an entirely different location. Change your environment. It
helps me if I take my laptop and go to a coffee shop. Sometimes I even sit in
my van and write! I’m always amazed by how changing my location can create new ideas
and renew my energy!
6. Try a
different time of day. I’m not a morning person, so walking early doesn’t work
for me. But early afternoon is perfect. Mix things up with your writing and try
a different time of day also. Wake early or stay up late.
Whether you’re working on getting healthier or trying to
reroute after a dead-end in your book, I hope some of these solutions will help
you get around the block!
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Christy Barritt
is an author, freelance writer and speaker who lives in Virginia. She's married
to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she's hilarious—but only when she's
not trying to be. Christy's a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who's
known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado. She's
only won one contest in her life—and her prize was kissing a pig (okay, okay...
she did win the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery
for her book Suspicious Minds also). When she's not working or spending time
with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small,
unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident prone she is.
For more information, visit her website at: www.christybarritt.com.
