It’s happened to everyone at some point — you’ve been beavering away at your novel for ages and you’ve suddenly become stuck. Even one more word seems impossible; the story has ground to a complete halt.

What does Philip Pullman think of writer’s block?

“I don't believe in it. All writing is difficult. The most you can hope for is a day when it goes reasonably easily. Plumbers don't get plumber's block, and doctors don't get doctor's block; why should writers be the only profession that gives a special name to the difficulty of working, and then expects sympathy for it?”

Some Litopians are very lucky and have worked out ways to get out from behind a block with (relative) ease, here are some of their tips for those who haven’t been able to do the same:

1. Plan and plan. Then plan some more.
Sometimes a block comes because you haven’t thought out your story outline well enough. Take the time to plan your story’s twists and turns as thoroughly as possible before you start writing proper. And if you get stuck while writing, take a look at your outline again — does it need some additional work to make it believable?

2. Make a habit of writing.
Write anything, just make sure you keep writing. It’s easy to say, but if you stop for too long (by that we mean days and weeks), you may find it harder to pick it up again. Just remember that your writing doesn’t need to be perfect first time — that’s what revisions are for. Or take a short break from your ‘real’ work and indulge in a little creative exercise. Go to Google and type in a name (either yours or a character’s) and ‘has’ or ‘had’, and see what comes up. You never know what ideas may appear in Auto-Complete!

3. Do something inspiring.
Take the morning (or afternoon, or evening) off. Go to a gallery, watch a film, or sit somewhere quiet and read a book. Experiencing someone else’s creative output may help to inspire you to respond in writing. Even better, be a bit of a voyeur and (stealthily) observe people in public places — it may be childish to imagine a whole back story for someone by simply watching and listening to them briefly, but it’s incredibly fun and will unlock your creative juices.

4. Work around your block.
Maybe a specific part of your story — and how it plays out — is eluding you. See point 1. If planning doesn’t help, try writing around that part of the plot. Write what happens after. Keep writing your story, and in time, the point which has eluded you will start to become clear.

5. Consider re-working what you’ve done so far.
But first, take a little time away by going to do some exercise and clear your head. Then come back and revise critically. Perhaps your story has taken a wrong turn somewhere. Consider rolling your story back to a point where it seems to have gone wrong, and start again. But keep your original version — you never know when it might come in handy.

Bonus suggestion to beat writer’s block
Go abroad. There’s nothing like a good holiday to clear the mind and create new experiences to inspire the writer.

These nuggets of wisdom have been distilled from various threads in Litopia’s Colony. Many thanks to the Litopians who participated in the discussions. More advice from experienced writers is always available in the Colony. Join Litopia today and try it free for 14 days.