You feel it, the frustration and the aggravation of not being able to complete a project or sometimes just to even begin a project. A mental road block threatening the completion of a seemingly perfect idea. Whether you have finished several pages of type or only a single sentence, it can strike. It can last days, weeks or months, even years and can drive even the most gifted, seasoned writers bonkers.

     Writers block. That hard, cold unforgiving brick wall that slaps even the most zealous of writers in the creative face. It stops us cold, halting any continuation on whatever project we may be working on. At some point, every writer will be faced with it. At some point, every writer must decide whether to succumb to the mental block or push past it.

     It can feel impossible to get past writers block. It can be a daunting task. Breaking past the barriers of writers block can be done and has been done and with the right tools, you too, can beat it.

     Believe it or not, you can defeat the dreaded writers block. It is, after all, just in your head. It is a term used to describe the lack of ability to complete a writing project. Be it a term paper, a book manuscript or a hub. No writing is safe from or immune to the block. Neither is any writer. Every writer struggles at times. Don't let anyone kid you. Writing is tough. Writing well takes skill, patience, discipline, knowledge and hard work. If the craft were easy, we'd all be published authors with piles of books and short stories, poems and articles under our belts. Writing is tough and writers block is a pain.

     When we write, we are telling a story. We are relaying a feeling or an event, a moment in time or thought, to someone. We are transcribing words and ideas from our heads onto paper which can prove, at times, difficult. Writers block can occur for some simply because their minds work faster than their fingers, ideas flowing freely in one's mind do not always flow so easily onto paper. A fully formed vision can be tough to relay in words to an audience. Conveying a feeling or an emotion to another person through written word can sometimes prove overwhelming.

     It is also possible that writers block can come from lack of ideas. Knowing an idea for a short story or article is needed and not being able to come up with anything promising is another obstacle in the writing world. No matter the genre, length, or purpose of the writing it all has to originate the same way. With an idea in the author's mind. Only after the idea has been formed, can the writer then begin the process of transcription.

     For some, writers block can be equated to a simple lack of motivation. Without the drive to write, a writer has nothing to write about. A writer who does not want to write will see every idea as lack luster, every story in their head as mundane. A writer without the desire to write is blocked from the entire process start to finish.

     It is possible to move around and past writers block. It does not always seem that way when it is occurring, but it is still possible nonetheless. Knowing that writers block is an inevitable part of the writing process, the best way to counteract its effects is to be prepared for it. A writer who is prepared for setbacks will have an easier time moving beyond them.

     How can a writer prepare for the bitter taste of being stuck? A few simple tips may help.

Tip number one -

     Write everyday. Simple, right? Yes and no. Making a point to write something everyday can help ensure that if you do lose a little motivation, you are not completely halting the writing process. No matter how much you may or may not want to write on any given day, you are doing the act of writing, regardless. This task can seem daunting, but whether you write a page or a sentence, at least you are writing. Some days the words may flow like water from a faucet, other days a single paragraph may take hours to complete. Still, the basic purpose of the exercise is still completed. You are writing.

Tip number two -

     Have a set time and place for writing. This place can be a spic and span desktop in a thoroughly organized office or a laptop balanced on your knees on the porch swing. The place you pick is irrelevant. It is the consistency of the place you choose that matters. As long as you continue to write on the porch swing or in the office, you are setting a specific place for the act of writing to occur. Preforming a singular act in a designated place causes your brain to associate the act with the location. If you always sit at your kitchen table in the morning with your laptop in front of you to do your writing, your mind will get into the writing mode as you continue to follow these steps every day. It will equate the actions of sitting at the laptop in the morning with writing and the task will become easier as time progresses. It is easier to write when your brain is telling you to write instead of attempting to write when your brain thinks it is supposed to be busy with other things. The time part of the equation is not quite as important as the place part. For some, it is easy to have a set time for writing, for others, their time is harder to come by. However, if you can manage to keep your writing to a general time of day, say morning before breakfast or at night before bed, your writers brain will thank you. With a brain in the writing mode, it can be easier to think of things to write about or things to add to a project already in the works.

Tip number three -

     Have several projects open at once. This tip could quite possibly be the best for combating writers block. Having more than one project going at once, allows the writer a chance to switch back and forth. A change of scenery for the brain and change of pace for the writer are always helpful when faced with a block. When a character in a story is not coming together the way you want, move on to an article you have been wanting to start or a short story you may be working on. Sometimes, the more the better. Just be sure not to confuse characters and know how many projects you can handle at once without getting overwhelmed. If your writing involves specific deadlines, you may want to limit your open projects to two or three. If your writing has no deadline, work on as many as you like. If a single project is causing the block, take a short break from it. Give your mind a chance to rest and work on other projects for a while. When you find yourself wanting to go back to the sidelined project, you will probably return to find your writers block has faded.

     Hopefully these tips will help you in the battle against writers block. Since I started employing them, I have seen many positive changes in my writing habits. Projects are becoming easier to finish and motivation is easier to conjure up. Just keep in mind, writers block is frustrating and aggravating and an issue faced by all writers, veteran and amateur alike, but with a little patience, it can be overcome.