Ever had “writers block”? Of course you have. You may just know it by a different name. A name like, “I don’t know what to write,” or “I’m not sure what to say,” or “I’m just not feeling up to write right now.” Low levels or complete lack of writing inspiration happen to all of us. There is a way out of the funk though. There is a way to write your best content even when you don’t know what to write. Or would you rather sit there and mope?

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Writer’s block isn’t real.

It’s just a way to express what we feel. We have felt like writing bazillions of words and so, when we feel like writing nothing, our tendency is to find someone or something to blame.

Isn’t that a shame of the human condition? Our first choice is to never look inward. Never accept responsibility to make a change. It has to be stress at work that’s zapping our creative writing. It must be our spouse. Our kids. Our environment. That’s it, no wonder we can’t think of anything to write, we aren’t in a Starbucks!

Writers block or a lack of knowing what to write is simply a sign that the creative wave we have been surfing on dissipated.

The idea, concept, theory that was propelling us forward ran out. Artists can feel this same way. We can have a beautiful, fantastical, magical, never-before-seen idea that we ride and ride and ride until, suddenly, we’re floating in the ocean, sitting on our surfboard wondering when the sharks will attack.

First things first.

Do even the slightest amount of research on self-development for authors or illustrators and you’ll read over and over again that the best among us focus more on consistency than perfection.

It’s not about only writing down or drawing what we believe will ultimately be incredible, it’s about simply writing.

Writing for writing’s sake!

When I first began tackling a prequel to the amazing science fiction novel Trials my big brother Thane Keller wrote I surfed on the wave of inspiration for a good 20,000 words. And then, like jaws himself came up from the depths of the sea, I ran out.

I ran out of ideas. Thoughts. Plot points. Twisty turns. Character names, You name it. I was as blank as a wall. I was distraught. I was confused. How could it have been that what started me off in this incredible, action packed, drama filled direction just ended as abruptly as it came?

I stopped writing all together. I took a step back. And what I realized was I hadn’t yet broken through the surface of the story. I was simply pouring myself out. I became empty. I faced what ultimately you are facing or what you are about to face. I faced the vertical wall between easy and hard. I was standing at the boundary of what was given to me, and I had to make a choice. Would I actually put in the work and effort to make this story come to life? Would I give up now that the going got tough, or would I keep writing? Would I start a new project and cast this prequel that I had been so excited about to the wayside?

When the fog lifted and my despair became an irritation, I chose to keep writing. Some days it was hard and I really had to force myself to make up a character arc, or add a new scene, or describe the environment. Some days were easier and little pieces of ingenuity presented themselves just long enough for my to grasp them out of thin air.

As I trudged through the this new battleground, as I paddled my way around the ocean of empty ideas, an incredible, magical, wonderful thing happened. The little plot points I began developing on purpose began creating little waves in my creative ocean. A new character name sprang to life a whole new direction for the story. A side character that had been left for dead came to life again with renewed focus.

Word after word, sentence after sentence, the ocean ripples turned to waves once more.

And I have found by my own experience that these waves, although exciting and fun and worth surfing on, are the rarity. The norm is actually the calm ocean, smooth as glass, beckoning me and you to work harder, to write more, and to give of ourself in new ways.

Creativity begs us to not give up when the going gets tough but instead pleads with us to keep pouring ourselves out, even after we have been emptied. And let me be the first to tell you if you keep paddling when the ocean is calm, you’ll soon ride another wave.

Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Hard work pays off.

Consistency is the key. When you don’t know what to write, keep writing. You have no idea how close you are to another wave.

Do you ever struggle to be consistent in your writing? You’re not alone. Have you found ways that invigorate your imagination and bring back your motivation to write? Share your thoughts below!

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