The blank piece of paper. It's the hardest thing for the writer to deal with. Sometimes he can stare at it for hours on end and by the time he is done staring it's still a blank piece of paper. Welcome to the world of writer's block. Any writer worth his salt has gone through it. The thing that separates the successful writers from the ones who don't make it is the ability to get through it. Hopefully, the following tips will give you some ammunition to deal with writer's block.

Please note that this list is by no means written in stone and the only options available to you. They are just some exercises that many writers agree can work.

The one thing you can do to get through writer's block, believe it or not, is to just walk away. Put down the pen and paper or keyboard of whatever it is you use to put your thoughts down and just take a walk. It doesn't matter where. If it's a nice sunny day, take a walk to the park. Sit on a bench and observe your surroundings. Don't just look, but really observe. Concentrate on the birds. See if you can identify some of them. Stare at a blade of grass or a flower and watch how it moves in the wind. Do whatever you can to get your mind off your writing. By the time you get back home you will many times find that the ideas just begin to flow.

If getting away from your writing isn't in your nature then there are some exercises you can do while you are writing that can help jog some ideas loose. One of the best methods is to stop writing whatever it is you are working on and start writing something completely different. If you're writing a murder mystery and can't come up with the final revelation of how the murder was committed, stop writing about the mystery and start writing a poem, or a to do list for people who want to get into the writing business. Get your mind off of the specific thing that you're writing about but still keep your mind active in the writing mode. Many times you will find that the idea you are looking for will just pop into your head.

Another thing you can do to get past writer's block is to do a writing exercise. Think about the topic you are writing on and make a checklist of all related topics that you can think of to that topic. For example, let's say you're writing a non fiction book about mole and wart removal and you're looking for related topics to add to the book to reinforce the methods discussed for mole and wart removal. Think about what things are associated with health in general. Make a list. You'll probably come up with diet, cleanliness, exercise and a number of other things. This will give you additional ideas for things you can include in your book such as a chapter on diet and exercise. Maybe a section on the immune system since moles and warts are usually caused by weak immune systems. By simply thinking of related material you'll be surprised on what you can come up with. Don't just focus on the main topic. Expand your mind and your book will expand.

These are just a few of many things you can try to get through your writer's block. We'll try to cover some more tips in future articles.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Writing Tips