Brainstorming to Overcome Writer’s Block

If you are working on a piece of writing such as a short story or novel, you may find that it is easy to get stuck. This is known as writer’s block, and has been driving writers crazy for as long as language has been around. There are many ways that people make efforts to overcome writers block. Whether they work or not depends on your situation and your personality, but it is worth a try if you think it will get you back on the right track. But I have found that there is almost nothing that a good brainstorming session can’t overcome. So if you are stuck in a plot or in a narrative, you should try to brainstorm for a while and see if the answer doesn’t come to you in some sort of epiphany.

Many authors choose to map out the entire route that the book has taken so far. This includes a map of all the characters and how they relate to each other, and a chart of how the plot has progressed so far. If an author looks this over during a brainstorming session, he might be able to figure out what the next logical (or illogical, depending on what kind of writer you are) step in the plot is. It also may allow him to get his regular thoughts in order before he tries to go into extra powerful thought mode.

An author may also choose to immerse himself in other masterpieces in order to get some inspiration. This may sound like he is trying to steal plot twists or copy the work of another author. On the contrary, the ailing author will simply become so inspired by the finished work that he is able to continue on his own. It has happened before in the past many times. So if you suffer from writer’s block, pick up whatever novels are on the current bestsellers list, or go to the library and get some old classics.

You may also attempt to relate the brainstorming back to your own life. What has happened to you recently? Sometimes the every day events of our lives can act as the most interesting plot twists. Of course you will have to embellish the event a bit in order to captivate your audience, but that should come easy once you have the basic idea down.