British writers weigh in with tips to defeat writer’s block

Despite our best efforts to stay in the flow of our writing and showcase our brilliance in every word and idea that flashes through our mind and onto our white space, we still have times when the words get stuck.

Currently experiencing one of these frustrating moments myself, I thought I’d explore the idea of writer’s block this week and see what other writers have to say about it.

In this seven-minute video, “Getting Through Writer’s Block,” BBC writers share their tips on getting yourself unstuck, including:

• Try to write something—improving nothing is impossible, improving rubbish is entirely possible.
• One writer does tedious writing exercises to keep her at the desk writing—what she writes may not end up being useful, but it keeps her in her chair writing.
• Trust your subconscious to do the work—do anything else but writing, go for a long walk and clear your mind. Your brain needs a break.
• Another writer pictures an image or a scenario and plays it out in her head.
• Perhaps the subconscious is stopping you because it knows you’ve made a misstep somewhere. This is your opportunity to hash it out.

Do you have any tried and true methods for pushing through writer’s block?