3 Ways to Get Your Writing Unstuck

In 32 years of writing for a living, I've sat at the keyboard many times not knowing where to start, or how to start. The best way I've found to reach a cure is to figure out why I'm stuck. Follow these three tips, to diagnose what kind of block you have and overcome it:

You don't know where to start. If you don't know what the beginning, middle and end of your project is, then you aren't ready to write it. Do more research. Make an outline, even if it's only in your head. Once you're sure you have the subject nailed down and organized, writer's block goes away.

You don't know how to start. Usually, there's not just one right way to begin. If you are struggling with making that kind of choice, take your eyes of the screen and your fingers off the keys. Go take a walk, or play with your pet. Wash the dishes. While you and your brain are distracted with whatever diversion(s) you chose, the back of your brain is weighing the choices in how to start your writing project. Once you know the decision, go back and write.

You don't like anything you write. The best solution is to keep writing. Once you're done walk away from it. When you come back to it, you can improve it by rewriting the parts you're unhappy with. And, you'll likely to find the stuff you didn't like earlier seems pretty good upon second reading. 

What do you do when you set out to write, but get stuck? You could always do this.