Got Writer’s Block? 

Here are my top 5 ways I like to come up with ideas for my stories and overcome the dreaded writer’s block.

1. Read books and comics.

Yep, the cliché to read books to gain inspiration and knowledge. It really works! (And I’m adding read comics to that, because it gives essentially the same inspiration) Pick out a few of your favourite books or comics that have a similar feel to what you’re looking for in your own story. Find parts of the stories you enjoyed, and pay attention to what you liked about it. You might just find that your writing begins to sound how you want as well.

2. Watch movies.

Movies are often my greatest source of inspiration. Get together a bunch of movies you like and watch them, taking notice of which scenes were your favourite. These could get your mind inspired enough to start producing ideas for you.

3. Listen to music.

Music is closely connected to our emotions, and you can use this to your advantage. Find a song you think echoes the theme you want in your story, and listen to it. Think about what emotions the song stirs in you, and what could cause those emotions to occur in your story.

4. Separate yourself from the story.

Take a walk, have a good overnight sleep or think of something entirely different to your story. Sometimes, all your brain needs is a break. Quite often, I’ve been stuck for ideas, gone away to play the piano for a while then returned full of ideas.

5. Get suggestions from family and friends.

At times, the best idea booster you can get is from bouncing ideas off your family and/or close friends. My siblings have quite often helped me come up with solutions for tricky situations in my stories, just by saying something random!

Next time you experience writer’s block, why not try out some of these? Even if you don’t gain a good story from it all, you could still have fun watching movies, reading, listening to music, talking and laughing with close friends or doing something else you enjoy. Go ahead and give it a go!

Let me know in the comments section below if you find any of these helpful, or if you have some other tips to help.