So you sit down and try to determine what is wrong. You examine your outline looking for holes. You read the work-in-progress hoping to piggyback on the flow and use it to speed you over the hump. You trash the chapter that’s stuck and start it again. Several times.

Nothing!

You know you need to get your characters from A to B but you can’t for the life of you figure out how they’re supposed to get there. You analyze your life with a magnifying glass… work is fine, life is fine, kids are back in school, you’re sleeping, you’re eating well, you’re not stressed (except for the fact your plot is facing a brick wall)… everything is beautiful. So what on earth is the problem?

Just as everyone has advice on how to get rid of the hiccups, everyone has advice on how to move past writer’s block. There are hundreds of techniques and tips out there—everything from the zany to the mundane. Below I’ve listed a few of the more popular tips and tricks from the experts. (Which begs the question… how do you become an expert on writer’s block?)

1. Location, location, location!

Many people write in the same place—sitting at their desk in the home office. If you’re stuck, try something as simple as moving. Is there a spot your hero or heroine would normally frequent? A location (coffee shop, police station, forest, lake) specific to your story? Grab your laptop and off you go! You don’t have to be exact, no one’s asking you to fly to the Sahara for a desert setting, but you can get creative! Need a beach setting but you live in the middle of the country? How about the local pool? A Paris café? Try a patio at a local mom/pop coffee shop. Writing paranormal or dark suspense? Try turning the lights off and writing by candlelight. Remember you’re just looking for something to trigger those creative juices!

Now if you’re locked down to a desktop computer, don’t worry! You can still change it up. Try moving the furniture around in your office. Turn your desk towards the window or patio doors. Find photos or magazine ads of locations in your story and tape them to the wall in front of you.

2. Bring on the music!

Sometimes a change of music is all that’s needed to kick your muse in the butt. You can direct yourself towards something applicable to your story—bagpipes for a Scottish historical, perhaps? Country ballads for your cowboy? Or you can switch up what you normally listen to. If you’re like me, you probably have music playing while you write, or even go so far as to have certain songs inspire a scene. If that’s the case, try changing the style of music…from country to top 40. From rock to folk. If you are the kind of writer who prefers silence to avoid the distraction, try putting something soft in the background to help kick you out of your funk. You can always go back to your solitary style once you are unblocked.

3. Ask yourself WHAT IF?

Write down where you need the story/characters to go in the end. Then ask yourself WHAT IF…and make the rest of the question crazy, zany, wild, nutty. There are no boundaries, and no limitations.

For example:

Say you need your character’s to get to a certain location by the end of the book, and you have no idea how you are going to accomplish it. On a separate page write down five what if’s…
- What if they went by rocket ship?
- What if they were picked up hitchhiking and had to ride in the back of a turnip truck?
- What if the they rode with a marching band?
- What if they had to walk the whole way?
- What if they could swim?

Mull over each of the ones you have and if any of them strike your fancy, make you laugh, or seem so outlandish it would never work, then keep going! Because your brain is now working creatively and you have something to go on.

4. Write something new.

Some writers do find it beneficial to work on two projects (or more) at the same time. When one stalls, they switch to the other. I’m not sure if this is because it gives you more freedom, or just minimizes the boredom, but either way it seems to be a great way to jump out of your lull.

5. Distract yourself!

Stop thinking about it! Read a book. Go to the movies. Call your girlfriends and tell them you need a girls night out. Just drop the work in progress for a little while and let yourself fall into another place and time. Break your routine and do something fun and energetic. Go to a sporting event. Take a drive, crank the tunes, and sing along with the radio. Anything to get out of the house and away from the screen.

Remember, writer’s block is only temporary. The hard part is not getting stressed over it. It happens to all of us!

Hugs!
- Nika

Sports Car:

They’re President, CEO or planning to be. Super spy’s and rockstars. The vehicle is only a two seater so they are likely unattached – or a playboy. (It’s hard to make room for kids when you have only one spare seat.) An older character in a convertible is probably retired (kids have moved out), or having a mid-life crisis. Sports cars are also seen as a penis extension, so they are most likely driven by men (alpha-males or wanna-be’s).

When you do see a woman driving a sports car, the perception shifts according to her attire. Dressed casually or sexy, the woman driver is perceived a rich bitch (Daddy or Hubby bought the car for them) who has never worked a day in her life. Dressed for business, she’s a corporate exec with her eye on the next promotion.

Sedan:

Reliable. Practical. Dependable. It’s the most common vehicle choice of mid-range personalities. They work for families, mid-range incomes, and regular people. There’s no sas with a sedan. No flair. Nothing to make your character stand out. On their own they’re really rather boring and plain.

SUV:

SUV’s are big and brutish. They tell others your character likes to be in control, and they prefer to know what’s coming at them. SUV’s are above the road (at a height) letting the driver see over cars. They’re like a cocoon—well insulated—which suggests a bit of snootiness. They are driving in comfort and don’t have to deal with the others.

But lately SUV’s have also become widely popular with housewives. Where else can you comfortably haul kids in booster seats, snacks, sports equipment, groceries and just about anything else that comes up in the daily transportation needs of a mom on the go? Plus it gives moms the added assurance of a safe vehicle for her children.

Pickup Truck:

If you’re a man – you’re country. If you’re a woman – you’re country. Just kidding!

For men, Pickup’s say either “cowboy” or “independent”. They’re also the first sucker your friends call when they need you to haul something around for them. A popular guy. Friendly. Laid back. Always around to help a friend move, and they usually have a cooler of beer readily available. They’re also good with mechanics and intelligent—but they won’t show it off.

Women in pickups are busy, active, and fiercely independent. They’re also usually athletic. They’re also more laid back than other women. Mellow. More likely to go with the flow than get upset when something goes wrong. They’ll drive with the windows down and the stereo cranked and couldn’t care less who can hear her off-key singing. But they’re also tough, so don’t piss them off. That back window just might be sporting a shotgun rack.

Well used trucks—dusty, beat up—suggests someone who does manual labour for a living. Construction. Roofing. Farming. Ranching. A job where having a 4×4 pickup is part of the job requirement, and not just a way to commute.

Compact:

Compact cars like the Honda Civic are great for commuting and city life. One thought is that they’re fun, spunky, and vivacious. Another thought is that they’re for poor people or college students. Compact cars are the kind of vehicle you can beat to death and drive into the dirt. They’re like the Energizer bunny—they just keep on going.

Lately the compact has become the first choice of street racers who beef them up with accessories and powerful engines. So that can also suggest speed and money.

Minivan

Two words. Soccer Mom.

Anyone with a mini van is not in control of their lives. They are someone who’s conceding victory to some other element—usually kids and pets. According to Sandra Kinsler of Woman Motorist, a minivan says “It’s OK when juice boxes explode in here. We’ll beat the living daylights out of this thing and have it for eight years and hope we don’t need another one.”

Motorcycles

Motorcycles are fast, fun and dangerous. They are a brutish power being controlled by the rider. They suggest an unbridled freedom. No ties. Nothing to keep them in one spot.

Ryan Reynolds and his Ducati

Men on motorcycles are perceived as the bad boys. The ultimate alpha-male with a don’t piss me off or I’ll kick your ass to hell and back attitude. Yes, bike riders can be lone-wolf types—but they also know how to travel with the pack. It’s a known fact that bikers stick together. Bike riders come from all walks of life so you need to define the type of bike and the attire as well.

Expensive sports bikes suggest money and prestige. Street racers are fast and exciting. Harleys and cruisers lend to more of a bad-boy image. Standard black leather isn’t that expensive any more, but it is still pricy. Coloured leather racing outfits can be very expensive and usually suggest an avid biker. Racing outfits are for street bikes and ‘crotch rockets’, never a harley. Denim is cheap and easy to mark up and add bike club logos.

For some reason there is still a narrow minded perception that women who ride motorcycles are either slutty bitches, or lesbians. I have no idea why. Women riders are becoming one of the fastest growing markets for motorcycle manufacturers, to the point of having bikes keeping seat heights lowered so more women can touch the ground while seated on the bike.

Women on bikes are adventurers. They want speed. They want control. They want freedom.

Now take all of the above with a grain of salt.  You can use this info to help decide what you want your character’s vehicle to say about them, or you can decide to go against the norm.  Just keep in mind that if you are moving outside the normal vehicle for your character’s job or station in life, you need to tell the reader why it’s that way.  There’s always a story in there somewhere!

Hugs!

Nika