Writer’s block. The two words doomed to haunt writers of all ages and abilities. It will hit you all one day, I can guarantee it. Like a brain virus, it spreads, infecting your minds until there is nothing but 'ooh! Squirrel!' left.

But I wouldn't know. Because I've never had it. Sorry! But its true, and although I know I will one day eventually have that statement come and haunt me and my blank page, I can honestly say I have never- yet- suffered from the affliction.

I think perhaps it’s because I have always had an overactive imagination, and there is always something else around me to write. Whether it’s putting down a project and writing an article, thought piece, an Instagram caption or journaling for myself, I am always writing.

If I feel myself dragging my feet to write the next chapter, the next paragraph for an article or the next sentence of some website copy- and let’s be clear that writing motivation and writer’s block are two different things!- I have developed a few writing exercises to get my back into the zone and writing.

So whether you’re tackling a manuscript, sitting down to write your essay assignment or staring at your journal blankly, here are the three exercises I keep in my back pocket, ready to go when the motivation dips and the writers block starts to creep in.

Photo: Sixteen Miles Out, Unsplash A blank notebook open, on a bed. An old book is open underneath the notepad. There is a pen on top of the notepad. A tray is next to it with a coffee mug and a plant inside. A blanket is messed up next to everything.

100-word stories

WAY harder than it sounds, it allows you to hone in on getting only the absolutely necessary information into a story/ piece. With a beginning, middle, and resolved end, fitting all of this into 100 words or less certainly gets you thinking. This is also a great exercise for writers who find themselves writing purple prose (overly descriptive and often flowery) just to make up the word count.

Often only taking 10 minutes or so, it’s easy to just push away your current work and sit with a notepad or your notes open on your phone and get out of your head for a short time- and start putting words on the page-Its also a great exercise to do on the bus, during a lunch break or laid in bed before you go off to sleep to get those creative juices flowing and leaves you wanting to write some more.

Watching genre-appropriate films

Can't wait a few weeks to finish reading the next bestseller that gives you the motivation to get up and finish your own work? Then spend 2 hours watching a film. Need to get into a superhero, action-packed, suspense-filled frame of mind? What about an ultimate romance? An underground crime drama about the gangs of New York? A journalist who writes an incredible article that changes the world? Watch a movie with that plot, then sit down and write.

I can't be the only one who, after a good action movie is left with adrenaline in my veins and a need to write my own action sequence? Just me?

Struggling to write a battle scene? Watch a movie with one in, pay attention to the way the character's move, the names of the technical pieces of equipment, and the overall mood. Write down words and descriptions that come to mind and use them!

This is like using music to help you get into the mood you want to be in for a chapter, only magnified a hundred times- Just be careful you don't copy any of the dialogue, or you know, steal the plot of whatever movie you are watching.

Photo: hannah grace, Unsplash A white sign, with black writing that says ‘write without fear, edit without mercy’

Planning

Even if you have never been much of a plotter or planner, when it comes to having a bout of writer’s block then planning may be your way out. If you’re writing an article or thought piece, really get down to the basics of what you want to say, and even if it is a list of one word bullet points, start at the beginning and work your way through what you want to say.

Then go back and flesh it out. Is there a quote you want to use, where would it go best? Is there a point you want to make, does it need a counter point? Where would these go the best in order to produce a good, balanced article?

What is the word count? Assign each section a word count, the introduction and conclusion included. Flesh out the introduction to explain what you will be covering in the article and why (though show, don’t tell- please don’t include the words ‘in this article I will be covering…’!)

You will find that by spending the time breaking it all down, you can go through a write it pretty quickly and to a much better standard because you will be concise and not repeat anything for the sake of word count or not really knowing what you want to say.

If you have writers block as an author and want to look at planning to help you out, there are many things that you can plan- not just your chapters- that could help you out.

Why don't you try making character profiles? Search for an image that matches what your character looks like and add information, such as their personality traits (Angry, nervous, studious, happy, joker, romantic.) Then write their back story- even if this never is put into the book it will help you with character development. Did they have a happy childhood? Were they bullied? The bully? Did they find a magical world in the back of a wardrobe?

Write about what makes them different, and who they are. Do they have depression, anxiety? Are they an amputee, are they mute? Are they gay? Religious? What do they stand for? What do they want in life? What happened to make them who they are?- and does this have any effect on the plot?

Do this for each of your primary characters, then your secondary characters- hey, even do it for that one guy who played that small part in that one chapter. Just because. If you know what I’m talking about when I say the ‘my cabbages’ guy then you’ll know the power a non-vital character can have on a plot and memorability.

Want to get creative? Writing about a fantasy world? Draw a detailed map of the world, the country, a particular area. Name rivers, cities and seas. Draw in mountain ranges and vast deserts- even if your character never goes there.

Put together a folder of the 'behind the scenes' of your story. The more of a world you build, the more time you put into the background when you’re not quite ready to write the foreground, the more you find yourself wanting to tell the story.

And writer’s block becomes no more.