Today's question for the Round Robin Blog Hop: What are your favorite things to do when you need to get away from stalled writing? Does it help you to resume with new ideas on the book you are writing?

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Once upon a time, my standard for getting past the stalled-out hump was to put on my jacket and go for a walk along the shore. I lived in Maine back then so it often involved a coat, hat, scarf and mittens. Maybe it was the fresh air that revived my numb thinking neurons, but really, I think it was a little of several things including taking my eyes off the screen and the temptation to stray over to check my email or social media. It was also the physical exercise. Getting my heart rate up and my blood pumping in the rest of my body surely had an effect on my brain as well.

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While I walked, I’d mull over where in the story I’d gotten bogged down. Maybe mentally review where my protagonist or other characters had been just before then, and what their immediate goals were. And somewhere along the line, whole conversations and scenes would start unfurling in my head. By the time I returned home, I couldn’t wait for the kettle to boil and a fresh mug of tea to be ready so I could sit down and capture all the stuff I’d just lived in my head while walking. Actually, sometimes, I skipped the tea and just started typing. The kettle would still be there after I’d captured the essence of my thoughts. It was like day dreaming in my characters’ world.

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This method would probably still work today but now I have an enthusiastic young Golden Retriever who is eager to go with me every time I leave the house. Concentrating on my imaginary friends is difficult when I own the Welcome Wagon for my neighborhood who insists on saying hello to everyone we pass. I do still get ideas while I walk, but they never get a chance to flower into full-blown scenes and lines of dialog like they did when it was just me. So, my several times a day walks are now devoted to disconnecting from my imaginary world and participating in Jessi’s eager exploration of our very real one.

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Water, however, seems to inspire me with ideas, even when it’s not sloshing against the shore while I walk. Taking a shower spawns thoughts that lead to breaks in my stories. It has occurred to me that perhaps I should install a white-board in the shower where I could take notes, but since I haven’t followed up on that idea, I just hurry back to my desk after I get out, sometimes, admittedly, with the towel wrapped about my middle and my hair still dripping wet. One of these days someone is going to ring my doorbell while I’m sitting at my desk pounding away wearing nothing more than a towel, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

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Another way I’ve found to get past a stalled story line is to fix that mug of tea, back up a chapter or three and just read what I’ve already written. Usually, by the time I get to where I left off, I have plenty of ideas elbowing their way past each other to get typed up and included in the story. Often this is a jumble, but that’s what editing is for. Just get the ideas out there. As another writer friend of mine always says, you can’t edit a blank page.

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If I am really REALLY stuck, the best answer is to put the work in progress aside for a bit. Maybe a few days, or a week. Or maybe while I work on something entirely different. Another book, a blog post, a short story, a letter to a friend or install that new toilet flusher that’s been waiting forever to get done. Or go shopping, even if it’s just groceries or a couple replacement plants for my yard. The point is, to change the subject. Then, when I’ve finished that project, open up this stalled file and read it with fresh eyes. You’d be amazed what germinated while I was busy elsewhere.

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I also have one other sure-fire method of dealing with stalled writing. I am part of a small group of writers. We call ourselves the Sandy Scribblers and we meet once a month. We used to meet in a library followed by lunch afterward. Since the advent of the Covid era, we meet by Zoom, but except for the lost lunch date, it works well. We don’t have to get dressed even, or drive anywhere. Just settle back in my recliner with my iPad in my lap and off we go. We discuss our current projects and bounce ideas around. If I’m having a specific problem, I can send out a summary of my issue, maybe some ideas I’ve had or specific questions ahead of our meeting date so my Sandy Scribbler pals have time to read and think about my current issue ahead of the meeting. One of the ladies I call my personal Mayhem. She thinks of all the very WORST things that could befall my characters who I’ve been trying to shelter from trouble. I pick and choose carefully from her list of suggestions but even if I don’t use any directly, her suggestions provoke lively discussion among the four of us. We end up helping each other solve our problems or whip our reluctant characters into shape.

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Even if you are not part of a regular writer’s critique style group, just talking over your plot problems with your hairdresser/barber or your next-door neighbor over coffee can trigger ideas in your own brain that only happen as you struggle to explain what the problem is out loud for someone else to understand.

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There is also the option of a critique partner(s.) Not just to critique work you’ve already written, but to see holes in your plot that are going to cause trouble down the road. Or help you dig yourself out of the slump you find yourself in now.

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This might seem obvious, but a couple other things to consider are: TURN OFF SOCIAL MEDIA, CLOSE YOUR EMAIL APPS and BANISH THE GAMES.

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So now that my little lecture is done, check out what these other authors do to get away from a stalled writing funk.

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Dr. Bob Rich  

Connie Vines 

Anne Stenhouse 

Diane Bator 

A.J. Maguire 

Rhobin Courtright