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

• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Writer, where we share a lesson each day to help you cultivate the habits for writing success.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever you're working on right now, you're bound to get stuck at some point.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: When you stumble upon our old friend, lovingly called writer's block, here are 10 tips to keep the words flowing.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, lower your standards.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Many times we get stuck because we're trying to make something perfect.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Be willing to write garbage just to get a first draft done, then go back and rewrite and then revise.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, brainstorm some ideas on a whiteboard, a legal pad, or a post-it note.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: Changing the size of your writing canvas will often help you get past your writing block, whether it's a huge canvas like a whiteboard or a tiny one like a post-it note.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, take a nap.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Who knows, you might just be tired.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: History is full of examples of famous creative people who took naps in order to be more productive.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Give it a shot and I think you're gonna agree.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Number four, take a walk.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Whenever you go for a walk, the blood circulates into your body more and you're more alert and attentive.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's amazing how many problems get solved in your head just by walking for 10 or 15 minutes.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Number five, play with a toy.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: I keep a few toys beside my desk to play with, and I do this just to give my hands something to do.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: When we're just typing and we're just looking at a screen, it can be really hard to be creative, but when you have some toys beside you like Legos or puzzles or something just to do with your hands, it can really help your brain do a switch so that you can beat that writer's block.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: Number six, get up and drink a glass of water.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: Most of us are dehydrated most of the time, and getting up and getting some water will refresh your body and your mind.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Number seven, do free writing for three minutes.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Free writing is just letting your hand write whatever comes to mind without stopping or judging yourself.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: It clears your creative palate and it lets your subconscious take over for a bit.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: It also helps you break creative blocks.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Number eight, switch locations.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Go to another desk or another part of the house.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Or you can go somewhere else entirely like a library or a coffee shop, and this change in scenery can really help spark your creativity.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Number nine, switch media.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: If you write on computer, switch to a legal pad or a journal.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: Use a different writing tool like a marker or a crayon.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Again, you're helping your brain to make a switch that can break that creative block.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: Number 10, read something for 10 minutes.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Preferably read something in print.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: The change in media and also holding something tactile, like a magazine or a book, will give your brain some new input.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Now here's two bonus tips.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: I know I said this was 10 tips, but I lied.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: I've actually got 12 tips for you.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Number 11, do a mundane task.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Take a 20-minute break for a mundane chore like dishes, yard work, or folding laundry.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: This is kind of similar to walking in that it gives you something physical to do.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: And this new energy and a change of pace will give you new ideas and solutions to your writing block.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Then number 12, write your content as an email.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: If I'm feeling stuck, sometimes I'll open my email app on my computer and I'll write in that rather than using Scrivener or Google Docs or Microsoft Word.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: And it's funny the way that this works because when you're writing an email, even if you're working on the exact same content, it feels more informal.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: And we tend to write emails pretty fast most of the time.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: And it just helps you get through that writer's block because you're writing in a different, you're writing in a different type of medium on your computer.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, this really, really helps, even though it sounds kind of crazy.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, hey, if you are feeling blocked or a little bit stuck, pick one of these tips and use it today to get past that feeling of being stuck.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Here's your daily question.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Which tip are you going to use today to help defeat writer's block?
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening to today's episode.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: I want to take a moment to let you know about our daily writer membership community.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: You know, one of the very best ways to develop better habits and impact more people's lives with your writing is to spend time around other successful writers.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're tired of feeling isolated and chasing success on your own, then I know you're going to love the Daily Writer community.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: For years, I searched for the kind of writing community that I would want to join, but I can never find what I wanted, so I created my own.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the features include weekly writing sprints, monthly community calls, book discussions, calls with guest experts, and much more.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: For more info, you can visit dailywriterlife.comslash community.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, and I'll see you tomorrow.