A little change of scenery

It's amazing how much a change of routine can bring a person out of a slump.

Just think of all the times you've ever hit a creative block: you either kept at it, writing something -- anything -- until the grueling end (probably because you had to), or you changed your approach and revitalized yourself in the process.

Albert Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If that's true (and it is), the same can be said of that mythological beast known as writer's block.

A good routine keeps you efficient and organized. As a writer, having a schedule and maintaining goals are particularly good ideas, but there's a point at which too much planning and organizing and, indeed, repetition will turn what should be a creative endeavor into a mundane task.

What's more, if you ever face writer's block, the last thing you should do is continue on in the same way you began. Take a break, change the scenery, look for new and interesting ways to accomplish your writing. But don't expect to make progress using the same approach that brought you into your slump to begin with.

How to mix things up

• A little change of scenery goes a long way. Write in a new location or at a different time of day. Use a different word processor, or break out the old typewriter (I have two buried around here somewhere). If you're a blogger, change your theme.

• It's okay to chill for a while. You can't force creativity. You can try, but you'll just end up with something less than honest. Call a time-out, work on something else, read a book, watch a movie. Invest in some Rollerblades.

• Sometimes, you just have to scrap it. If you find yourself stuck in the middle of a writing assignment (or whatever you happen to be working on), save what you've written and put it aside. Start over. Approach your idea from another perspective -- try beginning in the middle, or writing your conclusion or ending first.

• Looking at things in a different light makes a world of...difference? As I mentioned in my previous post, sometimes our perception of what we're writing can have a negative effect on our ability. If you see something as work, you're more likely to find it grinding or boring. However, if you view what you're doing as fun, entertaining, or simply meaningful (or, if you want, unimportant), writing will be much easier. Consider how you feel about what you're writing, and if you find yourself not enjoying it, take a real look at why.

As you can see (unless you're reading this in a feed, feed-reader!), I've recently switched themes at The Writer's Pulse. This is partly because the last theme was less than suitable for the blogginess of my blog (it was technically meant for magazines), but mostly because I needed something fresh to get myself started again, something new. It has definitely helped.

And sorry for any bugs along the way...like the month-old article that got sent out to all my e-mail subscribers yesterday.

It happens.

When you find yourself struggling for ideas, or caught in the middle of your writing, what do you do for inspiration?