Karen Brown Tyson

Tag: Writing

How to Write a Book with Save the Cat!
Updated April 2021 —

As an author and teacher, I cannot tell you how many times I get asked, “How do you write a book?”

It’s a fair question, especially if you have dreams of becoming a writer. My answer varies depending on whether the person wants to write a nonfiction book or a novel. I even offer a free nonfiction book writing checklist and planner.

But for those wanting to write a novel, I suggest using a novel-writing guide like, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need, by Jessica Brody.

Full of insights and tips on storytelling, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need is a self-help book that offers writers a fresh perspective on how to write a novel.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links.

My Introduction to Jessica Brody

Before reading Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, I was a fan of Jessica Brody. I first met Jessica when I took one of her courses called Productivity Hacks for Writers. As a life-long learner of all things related to productivity and how to get things done, I bought the class to see if I could add a few more weapons to my arsenal.

I did not know I would find an instant connection with Jessica. It was like finding my long-lost productivity sister—finally, someone who speaks my language of change and possibility. Girlfriend, welcome home!

So, when it came time to read Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, I was all in. I knew Jessica would offer easy-to-follow instructions into novel writing. Like her courses, Jessica’s book reads like a therapy session with your favorite writing coach. All I needed was a hot cup of ginger tea, my favorite writing notebook, and an open mind ready to follow the process.

What it Means to Save the Cat!

In the book, Jessica encourages the reader to use 15 story beats as part of a three-act story structure to write a book. The methodology comes from Blake Synder’s Save the Cat! Writes a Screenplay: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need. Synder encouraged screenwriters with unlikeable main characters to have the person “save the cat” as a way to get viewers to like the main character.

Not only does Jessica takes the reader on a journey through three acts: Act 1 – Set up your world; Act 2 – Add conflict; and Act 3 – Resolve the dispute, but she explains the 15 essential story beats along the way.

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is 320 pages long. Jessica arranged the book into 15 chapters. In each chapter, she explains each beat of storytelling and helps readers explore questions about their novel ideas. The book is designed to appeal to both plotters and pantsers.

As a writer who embraces change, I was immediately drawn to the book’s message. I love the structure and guidance the book offers.

Key Lessons Learned from Save the Cat!

While the entire book is full of insights on how to structure a story, here are a few lessons I learned:

The Save the Cat Beat Sheet (Chapter 2)

Jessica acknowledges that writing a book can be a daunting task. However, the use of her beat sheet helps the reader to avoid plotting problems from the start. As a visual learner, I appreciate Jessica’s approach to seeing how my story could unfold.

Dude with a Problem (Chapter 8)

In this chapter, Jessica highlights the importance of adding ordinary characters overcoming extraordinary obstacles. She brings this point to life by examining stories like The Martian, The Firm, and The Hate U Give. Jessica’s best advice, “If you plan to write a dude with a problem story, don’t forget to add an innocent hero, a sudden event, and life-or-death battle.”

Save the Author (Chapter 15)

According to Hutchinson, since the learning process is different for everyone, learning to write a story using 15 beats could be confusing. In this case, she advises the reader to start with the Five Foundation Beats, which are:
- - Catalyst
  - Break Into 2
  - Midpoint
  - Break Into 3
  - All is Lost
The key point to remember: No matter where our novel-writing adventures take us, we can all be storytelling heroes.

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need is an excellent self-help book for anyone wanting to write a novel.

Final Thoughts

To those who argue the book doesn’t provide enough instruction, I would say look again. Not only can the book be used to write a novel, but writers can use the information to revise an unpublished manuscript to ensure better flow and tighter storytelling.

As with any self-help book, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel will not write your story for you. It’s up to you to go through each chapter and work through every beat of your story.

However, I am such a firm believer that I plan to apply the structure to writing my first fiction novel scheduled for release in 2022.

If you need additional help, there are lots of Save the Cat resources available. I recently highlighted The Board, which comprises the 15 beats of the Save The Cat!® Beat Sheet.

Another valuable tool I’m using now is the Save the Cat Storytelling Webinar hosted by Jessica. The webinars feature live instruction and you can review the recording after the session.

In Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, Jessica guides the writer eager to learn how to tell great stories. Once again, Jessica has inspired me through our common language of change and possibility.

Thanks, Jessica.
April 13, 2021
7 Easy Outlining Tips For Writing Your First Nonfiction Book
When writing a nonfiction book, an author can take a few different routes to get to the end. But one route many writers like to avoid is outlining. Many writers worry that an outline will restrict their creativity. However, every writer, especially those with busy schedules wanting to write a nonfiction book, can benefit from using an outline. An outline is a guide. Today’s post, the second in a series on how to write your first nonfiction book with a busy schedule, offers seven easy outlining tips.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links.

Tip #1 — Keep an open mind about using an outline

Outlines are like road maps. Ever wonder why? Much like a road map that you use on a road trip, you can get an idea of the fastest and surest route to reach your destination, but that doesn’t mean you have to take it. A road map doesn’t prevent you from finding exciting off-road adventures and scenic drives along the trip. Similarly, an outline is a guide, but you don’t have to take one route. Outlining is an easy way to see the direction and flow of your book. To take advantage of the full power of outlining, you need to approach the process with a flexible mindset.

Tip #2 — Use mind mapping to uncover the key points your book will cover

When creating an outline, it is essential to move the ideas swirling around in your mind onto paper. An easy way to do this is with mind mapping. A mind map allows you to write a central statement or main point in the paper’s center. Next, list subtopics that relate to the main point. To complete this exercise, you can use a notebook, portable whiteboard, or a large sheet of paper on the wall with Post-it Notes. Since I like to keep my ideas in a digital format so I can write on the go, I use Mind Meister, a web-based mind mapping software that allows you to brainstorm in real-time With easy-to-use templates, Meister helps you imagine the components of your book. Here’s an example from one of my boards.

Tip #3 — Start with an easy outline format

If outlines aren’t usually your thing, start with a basic outline. Using the information from the mind mapping exercise, you can either use key points, phrases or create your book’s table of contents. Each chapter’s title in the table of contents will serve as the key points in your basic outline.

Tip #4 — Use a key-point outline

If you aren’t ready to create your book’s table of contents, create a key-point outline. In a key-point outline, you can list the key ideas of points you want to cover in your book. A key-point outline is easy to make and does not require complete sentences.

Tip #5 — Use a full-sentence outline

The structure of a full-sentence outline is similar to a key-point outline. As you can imagine, a full-sentence outline requires more information than a key-point outline. However, a full-sentence outline makes it easy for the nonfiction writer to transfer more information from the outline to the manuscript.

Tip #6 — Pick the type of outline that works best for you

There isn’t one type of outline that will get you to the finish line faster. Between the key-point outline and the full-sentence outline, one isn’t better than the other. Find an easy outline that works best for your current writing project. If you use the key-point outline to write your first nonfiction book (see also our article on narrative nonfiction), don’t be afraid to try the full-sentence outline for your second book.

Tip #7 — Make your outline a living document

Throughout the writing process, you may discover new and beautiful things about your book. When you do, go back to your outline to made revisions or additions. Since your outline supports your book’s writing process, don’t be afraid to make changes to it as you go along. Outlines help you keep track of your book’s direction and focus. As a time-crutched writer, this is key in helping you use your time wisely.

Summary

Use an outline as a reference. At its best, an outline can help you flesh out your most promising ideas. It doesn’t matter if you use a basic, key-point, or full-sentence outline. Choose an easy format that best supports your writing project. In addition to helping you pursue the proper structure for your book, outlines help you save time and prevents frustration. For more information on writing your first nonfiction book, check out these ten steps to writing a nonfiction book.

I’d love to help you as you take the next steps in your writing life. To get started, complete this form to let me know about your current nonfiction writing project and needs.
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April 1, 2021
How to Bend Time to Fit Writing into Your Busy Life
Do you wish you could somehow bend time to fit writing into your busy life? If so, you are not alone.

I meet many new, aspiring writers who want to or have attempted to write. However, whether it’s their full-time job or other commitments, they cannot seem to squeeze writing into their day.

I know what it’s like to want to write with a full schedule. As a corporate communicator, I used to dream of writing. But after a busy day full of projects and meetings, I sometimes found it hard to write after hours.

This post pays homage to time-crunched people with full-time jobs — either in the home or outside the home – who dream of writing after hours. Today’s post highlights some productivity tips on how to bend time to fit writing into your schedule. While I don’t tout these tips as a panacea for all of your writing pains, they can help you make time to write.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links.

“You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.” – Charles Buxton

Bend time by dividing tasks into 3 categories.

Like a lot of writers, I am guilty of underestimating time. I used to think, ‘This shouldn’t take too long to write,’ or ‘I have plenty of time to write this piece of content,’ only to run short on time in the end.

But once I took time to study time, I learned to see time differently.

There are lots of great books on time and project management. One example, Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done by Charlie Gilkey, challenges readers to bend time.

First, it’s important to understand that we work on projects, not just ideas. Yes, we start with an idea for a book or the idea to start journaling. But eventually, the idea turns into a project or a habit once a plan is developed.

As we consider how best to manage our time while writing, we can apply three concepts, which include:
- Chunking. Split projects into logical, achievable parts.
- Linking. Join chunks together.
- Sequencing. Link chunks together into a logical order.
Below is an example of what these three concepts look like as part of my blog writing process.

Use blocks to manage your time each week.

Once I started to apply chunking, linking, and sequencing to my writing process, I decided to deal with my relationship with time.

I’ve always been fascinated with time — finding time, making time, being on time. As a professional communicator and writing coach, I help clients plan their time, find better uses for their time, and make timelines. When it came time for me to focus on my writing, I had to find a time management system that worked for me.

I went through several systems before I settled on managing my time in blocks. Time-blocking is the process of planning every part of the day, then designating specific time blocks for tasks and projects.

I realize this may seem like a lot of writing (see also ‘How To Write A Lot‘) and planning. But once I filled my calendar with the tasks and projects I needed to work on for the day or the week, it was harder for other things to creep into my schedule and rob my time.

To manage my time blocks, I use the PomoDone App. This app is an easy and fun way to track my time blocks using the Pomodoro technique. The app includes a countdown timer and allows you to connect to your Trello project management board.

If you want to drill down further, Gilkey suggests dividing your time into four basic blocks.

Limit your focus to one project at a time.

As part of your writing time, you may have several writing projects you want to complete. Outside your full-time job, if you dedicate eight hours a week to work on writing eight projects, you may think that’s doable. But is it really?

If you spend eight hours per week working on eight different writing goals, you could make a dent in each writing project. But if you’re left with a computer or notebook full of unfinished projects, narrow your focus to one writing goal at a time.

Now, I realize you may be a multitasking genius with more than one writing goal on your list, but hear me out. If your after-hours writing time is limited to four or eight hours per week, consider working on one writing project from your list for one, two, or six weeks.

Shortly after I decided to start my blog, I decided to write my first book. As you could imagine, both were time-consuming. Before moving to my book-writing dream, I got the website set up then put it on the backburner. Then, I decided to focus my attention on writing my book. Once the book was published, I returned my attention to my website and blog. With both writing goals complete, I launched the book and the website at the same time.

Once you complete your one goal, move on to your next goal. Achieving each goal one at a time is motivating. As you check off each goal, take a moment to celebrate and reflect. Before you know it, you will achieve your writing goal.

Please don’t get frustrated by the amount of time it takes to write.

When you only have a short amount of time to write, it’s easy to get frustrated by how long it takes you to complete your writing projects.

Recently I attended a webinar where the instructor asked everyone to list their most important writing goal. As each person shared their answer, many writers added how disappointed they were about how long it took them to write a book or get their writing out into the world.

If this is you, don’t get frustrated. Outside of everything you have to do each day, there are only so many hours in a day for you to write. Embrace the time you have to write, no matter how small.

But if you want to know how you’re spending your time, you can always use a time tracker.

Use a time tracker to list everything that needs to get done each week or your writing goal. List the top things you want to get done each week and each day. Third, make time to write – even if you only have 30 minutes to write.

Summary

To bend time to our advantage when writing, we divide writing tasks into three categories — chunking, linking, or sequencing. As we add our writing projects to our weekly schedule, we can apply focus blocks, social blocks, admin blocks, and recovery blocks. And unless you work as a freelance writer or communicator, you should try to focus on one project at a time, especially if you work a full-time job.

The bottom line: I’m busy; you’re busy; everyone is busy. But if we want to write, we have to make time to write.

I’d love to help you as you take the next steps in your writing life. To get started, complete this form and make a 30-minute appointment to talk about your current nonfiction writing project and needs.
March 5, 2021
6 Powerful Time Management Solutions for Time-Crunched Writers

Are you a time-crunched writer looking for ways to manage your writing life?

If yes, you aren’t alone.

Many writers crunched for time look for ways to fit more time into their writing routine while eliminating distractions.

For this reason, it’s good to find a few time-management tools to help you enhance productivity.

In today’s post, I highlight some useful time management tools that will help you eliminate the noise, eliminate distractions, and manage your writing projects more efficiently.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links.

RescueTime

Do you often end up scrolling through Instagram for hours, and when you glance at the clock, you can’t believe how much time you wasted?

RescueTime is here to rescue you from this feeling. This app records the exact time you spent on each activity. At the end of the day, you can identify the things that take up too much of your time.

This app can also help you set achievable writing goals and give you insight into where your time went.

MeisterTask

MeisterTask is an intuitive tool for project management and task management that helps you organize your writing to get things done. The tool allows you to manage your writing projects, to-do lists, and checklists in one place. I like that it helps me create electronic and flexible Kanban boards. I also like that it allows me to share information with my students or other writers.

Doris

If you have limited time to write, it can be quite hard to juggle everything. You forget deadlines, and all of a sudden, it dawns upon you that you’ve missed the deadline. There’s no feeling worst than this!

With Doris, you can list all your tasks and set them in order of priority by drag-and-drop. It’s a free website that you can easily sync across your devices and keep track of all your deadlines without having to worry about them.

OmmWriter

If you are one of those writers who easily get distracted while writing, OmmWriter helps you stay focused. It frees your screen from distractions, so you only focus on what’s right in front of you. It also offers relaxing music to make writing more productive. I used this app to write my first book, and it worked great. It’s available on Mac, PC, and iPad, so it will follow you everywhere you go.

Toggl

This app lets you keep track of your time on a particular writing task. This is quite helpful in understanding your strengths as a writer. You can also use this app to stay organized and stay in control. If you work with clients on an hourly basis, you can use Toggl to send reports to your clients for invoicing.

Focus Booster

Focus Booster is another fantastic tool many part-time writers love. It works on the Pomodoro Technique – 25 minutes (or more) of work followed by regular 5-minute breaks.

Focus Booster tracks your time and makes sure that you take a break. So, it helps you stay refresh your focus and rejuvenate your energy every twenty-five minutes. Thanks to this technique, you won’t ever feel burned out as a writer.

Find time management tools that work for you

There are lots of time management apps and tools to help writers. Explore as many options as you can and pick things that work for you. But don’t try to apply too many. With a few time management and productivity tools, you can manage your writing life effectively and reduce time anxiety.

February 18, 2021
10 Awesome Tips on How to Overcome Time Anxiety When Writing
Do you always feel like there are not enough hours in the week to make a dent in your writing projects? This is called time anxiety.

Unlike productivity shame, where you feel like you haven’t done enough, time anxiety makes you feel you never have enough time to reach your goals. For a writer, this could feel like never accomplishing your dreams of becoming a successful blogger or author.

For most writers, especially those who have full-time jobs where they can only find time to write early in the morning or late at night, it’s easy to feel a sense of time anxiety. After all, you only have a limited amount of time to get anything done.

But you can overcome time anxiety when writing.

This post will share 10 tips on how you can manage your writing time (see also ‘What Should be Included in Your First Draft? 9 Easy Writing Tips‘) to overcome time anxiety.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links.

Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.

Stephen Covey

Understanding How Time Anxiety Affects Your Writing

Time anxiety centers on the feeling of not having enough time. As a blogger or weekend writer with limited time to write, the feeling of anxiety can be overwhelming. Also, the feeling of always being crunched for time may leave you thinking there’s no use in even trying to write if you can’t finish writing a blog post before you go to bed. Before you know it, you’re unable to move forward.

But before we can deal with time anxiety, it is important to understand how it affects your writing behaviors and mindset. For example:
- Daily: When time anxiety invades your daily writing routine, you may feel stressed because there is not enough time to finish writing one or more content pieces.
- Future: If time anxiety from your daily writing routine persists, you may feel your actions will affect your future writing projects. For example, if you don’t finish writing one chapter each day for seven days, you won’t be able to move forward in writing the next seven chapters of your book.
- Existential: This form of anxiety makes you feel as if you only have a small amount of time to live your dream life. An example would be feeling your life will be incomplete if you don’t finish writing your first book before turning 30.
So many writers, myself included, have dealt with some form of anxiety. However, if you are a time-crunched writer, there is a way to break free from feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

Apply the Basics When Dealing with Time Anxiety

When looking for solutions on how to overcome time anxiety when writing, we must first apply the basics, which include:

1. Adopt a flexible writing schedule

While I recommend having a set writing schedule, I also know that life happens — children get sick, cars breakdown, etc. Determine more than one time during the day when you can write. If you miss your morning writing routine, can you write for 30 minutes at lunch?

2 Build habits that work with a changing schedule

Use regular habits as triggers to help your writing stay on track. For example, if you want to write every morning, pair your writing session with your first cup of coffee/tea/water of the day.

3. Remove distractions

If your writing is crunched for time, don’t let unnecessary notifications distract you. Use an app like RescueTime to block distractions, like the Instagram notifications that let you know who’s online.

4. Be realistic about how much time is needed

It’s easy to think we can get a task done in a short amount of time. If you can’t write a blog post in less than 3 hours, don’t schedule 30 minutes to complete it. Give yourself enough time to give your writing the attention it deserves.

5. Prioritize important work

For days when your writing session is limited to a short amount of time, work on the most important tasks. If you’re on a deadline to turn in a guest blog post by the end of the week, don’t spend time brainstorming your next book (see also ‘How To Brainstorm A Story‘). Prioritize your most important writing tasks first.

Additional Tips Beyond the Basics

6. Track your time

How many times have you convinced yourself you could fit one more thing into your day before bed? We’re all guilty of thinking we have more time than we really do. But the truth is:
- There are only 24 hours in a single day
- You can’t stop or slow time down
- Your writing time cannot exists outside your schedule
Therefore, it’s important to track your time. Use a time tracking sheet to record everything you want and need to get done each day. This helps you understand where you can find time to write.

7. Don’t overestimate the time you have to write

Once you figure out where everything fits your schedule, don’t overestimate how much time you have to write. For example, if you get home from work at 5 p.m. and you need to cook dinner, do laundry, walk to the park with your children, get your children ready for bed, and don’t plan to edit your 50,000-word book before bedtime. Be realistic about how much time you have and what you want to accomplish.

8. Become a ‘Satisficer’ instead of a ‘Maximizer

Psychologists believe there are two types of decision-makers — satisficers and maximizers.

The satisficer makes decisions based on their current situation. The maximizer tries to make a choice that will give them the maximum benefit in the future. So the writer who is a satisficer may use their 20-minute waiting time in the carpool line to accomplish one writing task for the day. A maximizer may use the 20 minutes in the carpool line and pull an all-nighter to finish 10 writing goals.

To reduce stress, become a satisficer. This will help you avoid burnout while continuing to your writing goals forward.

9. Determine what success looks like

For each of your writing sessions, determine what success looks like before you start writing. When writing my second book, Tine to Reset, there were days when I didn’t feel like writing. Rather than blowing off my writing time, I would set a small goal like write at least one hour or one page. Once I accomplished my small goal, I felt I had a successful writing session.

10. Don’t forget self-care

Once you get your writing time under control, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Get some rest. Setting the alarm early in the morning to meet your deadlines, pulling all-nighters to get things done, struggling with time management can wear you down. With the right amount of sleep, you will feel energized throughout the day. Also, make sure you eat right and make time for exercise.

In summary

Feeling time anxiety is common. But it doesn’t have to control your writing life. You can overcome time anxiety by understanding how anxiety affects your behavior as a writer. Apply basic strategies in how you manage your writing time. Finally, you can manage your relationship with time by coming to grips with how much time you have and what you want to accomplish. In the end, it’s up to you to decide how to move forward. You can overcome anxiety to go on to produce your best work.
February 16, 2021
3 Helpful Strategies on How to Deal with Writer’s Block
Your deadline is approaching, but you are out of ideas. You are staring at a blank page, and you can’t seem to write another word. You’re trying to start or finish a chapter in your book, but the words are not flowing. More than likely, it’s writer’s block.

Defined as a brain state or a psychological inhibition that stops your creative flow and hinders your writing process, the subject of writer’s block has been widely discussed forever. While there are no direct studies on writer’s block, it can be associated with the brain sections that help in language development, brainstorming, and critical thinking.

According to an article in Seattle Central College, writer’s block is actually ‘creative block’—a biological inhibition that stops the brain from making connections and writing creatively.

But here’s the thing, writer’s block is nothing new. Nor is it impossible to overcome. There are millions of creative works in the world to prove writer’s block can be defeated. As a writer who has faced writer’s block more than a few times, I want to share the 3 easy strategies I use to deal with writer’s block. Feel free to share what works for you in the comment section.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links.

Understanding Writer’s Block

In his book titled, The Daily Writer: 366 Meditations to Cultivate a Productive and Meaningful Writer’s Life, Fred White outlines five different types of writer’s block, which include:
1. Procedural: This type of block causes the writer to say, “What do I do now? Where do I go from here?” For fiction writing, this may mean not knowing how a character should move forward. Nonfiction writers (see also ‘What Is Narrative Nonfiction?‘) working on a memoir may get stuck trying to figure out the level of detail they want to include.
2. Creativity: When it seems like you have run out of ideas, you may be facing a creativity block. All types of writers are subject to face this block.
3. Psychological: All of the times when negative self-talk, like you’re not good enough to be a writer, crept into your writing session.
4. Distraction: Allowing normal tasks — phone calls, laundry, email, housekeeping — to get in the way of writing.
5. Procrastination: Suddenly, everything is more important than writing, and you promise yourself you will write again once everything is under control.
If you have experienced one or more of the blocks from this list, keep reading to find out the 3 easy go-to strategies I use to deal with writer’s block

3 Helpful Strategies on How to Deal with Writer’s Block

#1 – Analyze Your Creative Climate

Whether helping clients or students solve problems, I encourage everyone to analyze their situation. Finding a solution to deal with writer’s block requires the same level of attention.

First, think back to when you had a great writing session where you accomplished your goal and your creative flow was high. What were the conditions like?
- What time of day were you writing?
- How long were you working?
- What was your environment like?
- Were you on an internal or external deadline?
- What else do you remember?
Next, think about a time when you experienced a block while writing. What was your creative climate like during that time?
- What interrupted your writing?
- How long did it take to start writing again?
- Did you have a goal for your writing session?
- Did you stop writing to do research?
- What else do you remember?
Compare both lists. Can you identify the type of writer’s block you deal with most often? For me, the distraction block is my biggest problem. Therefore, I try to reduce distractions before I start writing, like moving my phone across the room. Come up with a list of solutions for each type of writer’s block you deal with so you can go back to the time when you’re most productive during your writing session.

“What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks ‘the cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat.’ And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I’m writing, I write. And then it’s as if the muse is convinced that I’m serious and says, ‘Okay. Okay. I’ll come.’”

Maya Angelou

#2 – Create a When-Then Plan

If you deal with the procrastination block, create a when-then plan to get back to writing. A when-then plan helps you associate your desire to write with an action. Here are a few examples:
- When you write for 30 minutes, then you will go for a walk.
- When you finish the laundry, then you will write for 15 minutes.
- When you get up at 5 a.m., then you will spend 45 minutes writing a blog post.
Before you start writing, be specific about what you want to accomplish with each writing session. Use regular tasks that are already part of your normal day as your trigger. However, if your ‘when’ doesn’t happen because something unexpected comes up, decide on the time and place to write the next day.

#3. Find Creativity through Non-Writing Activities

Many other creative activities can help you get your creative flow back. Try painting, crafting, cooking, or driving—anything that helps you feel relaxed and stay focused. Some people also like to listen to music to ease their anxiety and feel more energetic. Learn other ways to find creativity when you feel uninspired.

When you return to your writing session, allow the non-writing activity you experienced to influence your creativity. For example, to inspire my creativity, I like watching the shows like Chopped and Project Runway. Watching the contestants on both shows make something out of a few ingredients or materials is fascinating to me. Here are a few more tips on how to find inspiration.

“I don’t believe in writer’s block. Think about it—when you were blocked in college and had to write a paper, didn’t it always manage to fix itself the night before the paper was due? Writer’s block is having too much time on your hands. If you have a limited amount of time to write, you just sit down and do it. You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”

Jodi Picoult

In Summary

Another way to deal with writer’s block is to keep writing. Set small goals for yourself. For example, give yourself the target to write 50, 100, 300, or 500 words on a topic or just one page of the chapter. Once you get there, reward yourself. If you have time, push yourself a little more and keep writing. The more you write, the more motivated you will feel to complete your writing project. For more tips on how to beat writer’s block, check out these 11 awesome tips.
February 9, 2021