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10 Tips to Conquer Writer's Block · The Daily Writer

• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Rider Podcast, where we bring you tips and inspiration each day to help you build habits for writing success.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: For more resources, including your free Daily Rider Starter Kit, visit DailyRiderLife.com.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm introducing a short week-long series on becoming a more productive writer.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: So let's begin here.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about the biggest perceived productivity killer for writers, and that is writer's block.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever you're working on right now, you're bound to get stuck at some point.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: And when you stumble upon writer's block, here are 10 tips that can really help you keep the words flowing.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Number one is lower your standards.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now I know this sounds like it's really counterintuitive because I like to preach excellence and quality and all that.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: But when you're writing a first draft of something, I encourage you just to lower your standards.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Many times we get stuck when we're writing because we're trying to make it perfect.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I would say just be willing to write garbage just to get a draft done.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Then you can go back and rewrite and revise later.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, brainstorm ideas.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Get a whiteboard, a legal pad, or a post-it note.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: And when you do this, it can help you because changing the size of the canvas will oftentimes help you to get past your writer's block.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Number three is take a nap.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: The truth is you might just be tired.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: History is replete with examples of famous creative people who took naps in order to be more productive.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Number four, take a walk.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Whenever you go for a walk, the blood circulates in your body more and you're more alert and productive.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's pretty amazing how many problems can get solved in your head just by taking a walk for five or ten or twenty minutes.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: Number five, play with a toy.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: On my desk, both at home and here in my work office, I keep a couple of fidget spinners.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: One is in the shape of Captain America's shield, and the other is in the shape of Thor's hammer.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I love to spin those and just fidget with those in my hands as I'm trying to think through a problem.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: And it's really amazing how just kind of sitting back and thinking about something, but then having like a fidget spinner or a toy can really help you work through something because your hands are busy, so it almost like distracts your brain and it gives your brain a chance to solve that problem without you having to think so hard about it.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Number six, drink a glass of water.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Science tells us that most of us are dehydrated, and the water is going to help refresh your body and your mind so you can get back to doing what you do best.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Number seven is free write for three minutes.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: Free writing is just letting your hand write whatever comes to mind without stopping or judging yourself.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: It clears your creative palate and lets your subconscious take over for just a bit.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Number eight, switch locations.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: I encourage you to go to another desk or another part of the house.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: Or you can go somewhere else entirely, like the library or a coffee shop.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: The change in scenery can help spark your creativity.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: Number nine is switch media.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: If you write on computer, switch to a legal pad or a journal.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Use a different writing tool like a marker or a crayon.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: What you're doing is you're helping your brain to make a switch that will then break the block.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, number 10 is read for 10 minutes.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Preferably read something in print and not on a screen.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: The change in media and also holding something tactile will give your brain some new input and will be really great for addressing your writer's block.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're feeling blocked or a little bit stuck, these 10 tips can help make a huge difference.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: And my challenge for you today is to choose one of these tips to help you conquer writer's block today.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: A big thanks to today's sponsor, Plotter.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Plotter is the number one visual book planning software for writers that helps you plan books in the same way that you think.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Its intuitive visual interface lets plotting be the creative process that it's supposed to be.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not just for fiction writers either.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Plotter is a great tool for nonfiction authors, podcasters, speakers, and anybody creating content to organize your material and your story points.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, I'm using Plotter right now to write my very first novel, and I'm super excited that I have plotter as a resource to help me with that.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you're ready to outline faster, get organized and save loads of time in your writing, go to plotter.com to start your free 14 day trial.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: That's P L O T T R dot com.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time.