Okay, you're stuck. You've tidied up your desk, you've done laundry and caught up on your emails, and there's still nothing coming out of your pen. Before you decide to take up macrame or taxidermy instead of writing, ask yourself a few key questions:
1. Are you expecting to get everything right on the first try? Don't let romantic portrayals of writers fool you. Great works of literature don't just fall out of writers over the span of a weekend. They take time, and effort, and a great deal of revision. Focus on getting something down on the page, and worry about making it perfect later on. Your writing may be awful at first, but at least you'll have more than just a clean desk to show for your time.
2. Do you have additional resources on hand? It's often helpful to have bits and pieces of interesting material nearby for inspiration. Writer's resource books and encyclopedias are fantastic, but collections of art, great music, and even trashy magazines can also help to spark the imagination.
3. Did you plan ahead? Even the simplest writing projects can benefit from a preliminary outline, and if you jot down a few ideas in advance, you'll be far less likely to lose your way later on.
4. Do you have anything else you can work on? Deadlines aside, there's no shame in picking up a different piece of work, and shifting gears for a while.
5. Are you distracted? Very few writers have the luxury of taking retreats or spinning yarns while sipping cocktails by the pool. Most of us write with the dog barking, and family orbiting around us, and the phone ringing. It's important to carve out some sort of space where there's a bit of peace and quiet, even if it's only a card table with a folding chair in the basement.
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