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What is one of the best ways to combat writers' block?

I want to be an author, but I often find it hard to continue when I'm stuck in a certain part of my story, so I'm wondering what techniques other authors have for combating this issue.

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Simeon’s Answer

One of my favorite ways to get started with writing is to use a brainstorming map. I write the topic in the middle of a blank paper and draw a circle around it. From there, I draw a lines out to other circles and fill them in with related ideas. From these circles, I draw more lines connected to more circles and repeat the process. Usually, if I can fill out a blank piece of paper this way, I can look over all the circles and get an idea of which circles would make sense as the first topic and write trying to bring in all the important circles that I can.
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Rachel’s Answer

There are many things you can do. 1) Get up, go outside clear your mind. 2) Start from the bottom of what you’re writing and work backwards; 3. Dictate into a recorder or your phone and try “writing” that way. Don’t worry about making mistakes; you can clean it up later. You just want to get a flow going. Good luck!
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Mauricio’s Answer

Everyone's process is different, but here are some of my techniques.

-Read. Like READ EVERYTHIING. I oftentimes get inspired to write by reading, be it due to some competitive nature ("I can write a better vampire story than this") or admiration ("I hope I can write a sentence this good).

-Watch movies. I'm a big movie buff, and my writing has been influenced by films I've watched and loved.

-Do you have social media? If so, do you share your work on social media? One technique I've used is asking friends and followers to provide prompts, be it an idea for a story or even a simple word that can spark something. If you'd prefer not to share your work online, asking close friends and family for prompts works fine too.

Good luck in breaking that block!
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Torey’s Answer

Hi Livvy, I know exactly what you are talking about. I began writing about a year ago and I would have lots of ideas until I started to put pen to paper. My start is great but normally around the third or fourth page I fizz out. I found that when I'm doing other things my thoughts seem to flow so I started using my cell phone to record or to text notes to myself so that when I do sit down to write I can refer back to my notes. This has been a great help to me. Good luck...
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Sean’s Answer

1) Just ask someone. If you need a topic or subject, look to a friend for inspiration. Who knows?

Maybe they’ll have a suggestion that sparks a creative wildfire. Maybe the answer’s been

staring you in the face, but you’ve been too close to it the whole time. That outside perspective

might be the corner piece you’ve needed to tie together your wild, creative thoughts. Or maybe

your friend is a complete idiot and doesn’t provide you with anything serious or useful. In which

case, be sure that friend buys you a drink to compensate you for your wasted time.

2) Use a writing prompt. If you’ve ever had a creative writing class, odds are you have been

given a prompt. A quick internet search provided myriad examples: “Explain Christmas to a

young pine tree,” “only on Sundays,” or “describe a day in the life of a valet.” There are entire

books devoted to providing you with ideas. Sure, many others will be looking at the same ideas.

But the beauty of creativity is that you can take the universal and make it unique.

3) This one is my favorite: Just start writing. It doesn’t matter if you have a plan; it doesn’t matter

what you write or type. Just start putting words down. Spit on spelling and pooh-pooh

punctuation. Let the words flow without thinking. Don’t pause to find the most apt adjective, just

put down whatever word comes next. This is stream of consciousness, and it feels good to dip

your toes in it. Sure, the first 100 words that come to mind won’t be worth much as a whole. But

you never know what you’ll find in that stream. If just one or two of those words — or even an

entire phrase — ends up inspiring something greater, you’ve made progress. The human mind

wants to be creative, even if it’s shy about it sometimes.
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