Who Has Writer's Block?

I've never experienced that evil phenomenon writers call writer's block.

I never seem to run out of words to put on paper ... on in this age, into a word processor.

That's why I'm probably not the person to turn to for answers about how to overcome that paralysis of fingers over the keyboard, that brain freeze, that sudden emptiness of everything and anything that has to do with the first word of the next sentence.

However ... I do have some a suggestion or two that might work for you.

 Become someone else, a character in your novel, a friend, an enemy, a famous figure. Picture yourself as that person. Do what that entity does in your mind. Smoke if she smokes, drink if he drinks, cross-dress if he does, drive fast if she does. Then go to one of those free personality tests online and answer the questions as that entity. I know. It sounds silly. But, when you scan your results you get a picture of your new self and that picture should be worth a thousand words.

Another tip: Pick up a piece of blank paper, no lines, and with your other hand (for most people this will be the left hand), write your name and address and a short biography. Write a poem. Write a letter. Just write. Keep writing until you fill the page. If this sounds even sillier (or is that more silly?) than the first suggestion, think again. What happens when you do this exercise is you tap into the creative side of your brain.

Another suggestion: Change the subject. Turn on your radio and tune into a station that plays the worse kind of music you can think of. Turn up the volume. Listen until you think you're on the brink of breaking the radio then write about that. When you steer away from your original thought process, you might also steer away from whatever road block set itself up in your head to stop you from your original goal.

I haven't had to use any of these suggestions but I keep them in a notepad, just in case I ever need them. I have, however, given them to fellow writers who have tried them and reported back, first with their skepticism, then with their success stories.

Give them a try if you need to and let me know how they work for you.