Writers Block Sucks! 4 Exercises to Get you Back in the Groove

Some people don’t believe writers block is a real thing, that it’s just an excuse lazy writers make to get out of working. I beg to differ. 

Many writers I know (including myself) have days when they’re just plain old uninspired; the words don’t come, and they find themselves staring into the depths of their blank laptop screen for hours, mentally beating themselves up for, ‘not just getting on with it!’

For me, writers block is very real and has nothing to do with being lazy. It can come from overwork, under-work, being physically or emotionally tired, not having a lot of time or even having too much time (like a lot of us do right now). 

The list of causes is endless, but what’s the solution?

Getting back to basics. Sometimes doing simple writing exercises can help you feel creatively reinvigorated (even if you’re not feeling blocked, writing exercises can help sharpen your creative instincts and make you a better writer).

Here are 4 writing exercises to get you out of your head and back in the writing groove:

1. Relax and let it Flow

Sometimes all you need to get past writers block is to take the pressure off. A great way to do this is stream of consciousness writing. Try setting a timer for just 7 minutes a day and free write with no goal in mind. Write anything down that comes to mind - your feelings, images, smells, sounds - nothing is off limits. Let the words flow and don’t stop to edit yourself, your piece of writing should and will be unstructured (this is a time to embrace spelling and grammar mistakes). This exercise is not about following rules, it’s about freeing yourself up by breaking them, and letting go of your goals and expectations. Sometimes a writer’s biggest block is their biggest goal. I’m all for striving for success, but sometimes goals like “write a Pilot that sells” or “write a feature that gets into a major festival” can cause stress and anxiety that actually blocks your creative process. Stream of consciousness writing encourages you to relax and get the words flowing again.

2. Less is More

Most writers, especially newbies, overwrite scene description (I just read a script like that yesterday!). Some writers get the note to ‘cut down the description’ so often it can become a stumbling block as they try to ‘edit as they go’ - stunting their creative flow. Why not try indulging yourself and write a long piece of overly detailed scene description? Get as detailed as you like, write for pages and pages if you feel compelled to, and have fun! But, here’s the key to the exercise, then take that lengthy scene description and rewrite it using just ONE line. This exercise will help you learn to convey more by writing less. If you can master this skill, your scripts will read better, and you’ll start to instinctively know what’s important to include in description and what’s not. A great writer can convey tone, style, and substance with as little description as possible.

*Bonus points for also trying this exercise with long chunks of character dialogue.

3. Let Your Characters Take the Lead

Sometimes writers get stuck trying to force a story or character to be something they think they’re “supposed” to be. Try letting your story show you where it needs to go next. Take an existing script (either the one you’re currently stumped on, or a relic from your ‘has-been’ script folder). Take the longest piece of dialogue that exists in that script and change the situation that character is in, to an extraordinary or dangerous situation (let’s say the piece of dialogue you wrote takes place in an office, what if you changed it to a boat in a storm, or to a broken down car in the middle of the desert?). Rewrite the dialogue, paying attention to how that character would change in a difficult situation. Let the character have new thoughts and make new decisions under pressure. It might show you something new about the character, about the plot of your script, or inspire a new story all together.

4. Good Ole Writing Prompts

Don’t underestimate the power of simple writing prompts (it’s an oldie but a goodie). Writing prompts are virtually everywhere on the internet, pick one that sparks something in you and allow yourself to free write with no pressure to create something ‘on brand’ or that will ‘further your career’ (if you’re a TV comedy writer and you end up writing a dramatic feature idea from your prompt, so be it).  Another great exercise is to choose five prompts, set a timer, and write on each one for five minutes. This exercise can free up your creative mind, and help make writing feel fun again. Plus, who knows, maybe some seemingly generic prompt will be the beginnings of your next great screenplay? 

What writing exercises help get you back on track? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!