Getting Around the Block by Christy Barritt

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!

Click to reach Amazon.

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.

How to Chase Away the Writer’s Blues by Christy Barritt

Christy Barritt is an author, freelance writer and speaker. This Writer’s Journey Wednesday, she’s here to share tips on what to do when feeling discouraged.

How to Chase Away the Writer's Blues

Seasons of discouragement come and go for every author. But sometimes when it hits, it hits hard. Numerous authors have walked — or attempted to walk — away from writing as self doubt begins to plague them, burying itself in their self-confidence and assurances.

When you begin to feel discouraged, here are a few important things to remember:

* Rejections don’t mean you’re not good. Rejections happen to all of us. They're unavoidable and don't mean we're bad writers. They mean your story didn't fit a need or didn't meet an editor's preference.

* Know that publishing isn’t instantaneous. Some writers spend ten plus years working on developing their craft before they're ever published. Be patient. Dreams rarely come true overnight and neither does being published.

* Write and then write some more. The best way to learn how to write is by writing and reading. This helps us develop our skills. Someone once said writers have the longest apprenticeship of any profession. I don't know if that's true, but it does take time to become a good writer.

* Become a sponge. Join writers groups, take workshops or college courses on improving your craft. Soak up everything you can and continue to learn.

* Give yourself a break. Sometimes the best thing one can do is step back from writing and take a breather. This will give us a clear head and oftentimes a renewed inspiration.

* Seek God’s approval. Pray that God will remove or strengthen your desire according to His will. If He has other, bigger and better plans for your life, then ask Him to show you those and give you the strength to pursue other mediums.

* Don’t entertain negative thoughts. They will fester and grow. Deal with them and move on.

* If you can walk away from writing, then you should. This is the most difficult piece of advice but it’s true. If writing is something you’d feel good about leaving and not returning to, then you should. Writers have a passion for their work — a call. If writing is truly your passion, you won't be able to walk away.

* Get the opinion of someone valued and trusted. If you’re truly questioning if writing is what you should be doing and if you have any talent at it, then find someone who knows English and writing and get their opinion. Plead for honesty. Sometimes, we’re met to write for ourselves and other times, we’re met to write for others. Talking to someone trusted might help you find out which category you fall into.

* Press on toward the prize. Remember, it’s God who sustains you. Let Him hold you up and carry you through.

To find out more about Christy and her work, please visit her Web site.


Christy Barritt’s newest book, Suspicious Minds (Kregel, 2008) is a lighthearted mystery about a sassy crime-scene cleaner who likes to stick her nose into police business. The book won the inspiration category for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery. The first book in the series was Hazardous Duty, a finalist in the ACFW Book of the Year contest. She’s also the co-author of Changed: True Stories of Finding God in Christian Music (Standard, 2005). She’s married to Scott, a teacher and funny man extraordinaire. They have one son, 2 dogs, and a houseplant named Martha. When Christy’s not writing, she enjoys having coffee with friends, taking crazy road trips that usually involve no maps and flipping coins, and making her three-year-old giggle.