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Fortunately, the Truth is NOT Stranger Than Fiction
Earlier this year, while I was writing the autobiography for the African dictator president, I experienced brain freeze for the first time in probably
20 years. Sometimes I would stare at the keyboard, knowing the clock was ticking, but I just couldn’t get unstuck.
Eventually—thankfully!—I finished the book. Here are some ideas that worked for me and
might work for you:
Change Your Environment. Sometimes, a change of scenery can break the monotony. Try writing in a different room, a park, or even a library
to stimulate your creativity.
While I prefer writing in silence, sometimes a road trip to Starbucks is all I need. Ingesting a little caffeine, nibbling on a scone (don’t tell my wife!), and lots of
background noise is just what I need to stir those creative juices.
Change Your Form of Writing. If you’re writing in Scrivener, switch to MS Word (that’s
what I did for the autobiography).
Better yet, if you’re writing on your computer, switch to manually writing (I know, your hand is going to get tired—but you’ll get over it!). Studies show that
when you move from a keyboard to writing the old fashioned way, you actually begin using a different part of your brain.
Skip the Stuck Part. Sometimes, I let
the stuck part of my manuscript stop me cold in my tracks, even though I could just as easily skip it and keep writing.
If you can jump ahead, then jump ahead, then come back to the stuck part
later. Oftentimes, working ahead naturally resolves the problem.
The choice is yours. You can either allow your “frozen” section to delay your manuscript by days, weeks, or even months, or you can skip
over it and come back to it later, which always saves you time.
JUST.WRITE. Free form it. I find that my writing flows so much easier after about 20 minutes of
writing. So take the first 20 minutes to journal, compose an email, or write a humorous haiku about feeling brain dead.
Reboot Your Brain. I love taking naps.
Here’s what I know: sometimes all I need is a short nap to reboot my brain and jump back into my writing.
Pro tip #1: I keep a sleeping mask at my office and one at home.
That way I can block out all the light during my nappy time.
Pro tip #2: When I lay down to sleep, I think about the problem area in my book. I can't tell you
how many times my subconscious brain figured out the solution to my problem.
Take a Hike. Sometimes all you need is a little separation from your
manuscript. So take a hike, a walk, or visit a zoo to laugh at the hyenas.
Listen to Music That Makes You Happy. Know what I've noticed? Listening to my
favorite music from my teenage years tends to thaw the ice and get my creative juices flowing. If everything else fails, doing a jig to Uptown Funk almost always seems to work. Then I’m off and running.
This works for watching a humorous movie, too. Nothing thaws my brain better than Ferris Bueller's Day Off!
Bueller? Bueller??
Work with a Book Coach. I’m a big fan of coaching. On a regular basis, I meet with a business coach and a marketing coach. You know what’s great about them? They see things that I don’t. By the end of our meetings,
my brain is buzzing with ideas.
Not coincidentally, we have three amazing book coaches (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) who can help you get
unstuck.
Meet with Mike. You know why? It’s no-obligation and it's FREE. I love brainstorming ideas with random authors I don't know. It keeps me on my
toes!!
Click here to schedule a meeting with me we'll we'll explore the possibilities of your book idea.
