[Kristina Pepelko is a graduate of GVSU with a B.A. in English and Writing. She is currently teaching English abroad in Rovinj, Croatia at Ulix Foreign Language School and runs a blog about her experiences oversees at http://thecroatiachronicles.tumblr.com. —TS ]

Everyone dreads it. And everyone tries their best to push past it yet somehow it always comes creepin’ back. Damn that “writer’s block.” But hey, whatcha gonna do?

While I’ve met plenty of people who believe in writer’s block, there are a handful of others who don’t think it actually exists. I personally am a part of the latter group, but regardless of whichever camp you fall into it is difficult not to admit that there are just some times when the writing’s not a-comin’. Thankfully, there are ways to combat this absence of words and ideas, which I’ll share in a bit.

First things first though, ask yourself, where does your “writer’s block” come from? Identifying its possible source is the first important step to recovery since you’ll be better equipped to wipe out those writin’ blues if you can figure out what on earth you need to tackle. And remember, identify your own “writer’s block” each time you feel it pop up since the reason it’s surfacing (or resurfacing) may be different every time and may also differ from person to person. I’ve found that it can stem from a variety of situations, like the following:

1. You haven’t gotten enough sleep or food or sunshine or whatever and therefore have difficulty getting those creative juices flowing ‘cause your body first needs something else to be fulfilled.
2. You are having an internal battle—that little self-doubt demon inside you is holdin’ ya back. (But remember what Sylvia Plath once said, “The worst enemy to creativity is self doubt” so fight back and be that little train that could!)
3. Your brain is bored. And too full up on other ideas, to-do lists, worries, etc. and it needs some other kind of stimulation. That means step away from the computer screen, paper, or typewriter (if you still rock that way).
4. You’re reaching far to effing high—perfection is not attainable. Your desire for that perfect word, sentence, scene, or line is mentally blocking you from thinking of truly worthy ideas. And not only are you reaching for perfection, but you’re also too worried about being able to stamp the big “P” word on your CV: Publication. I like to think of this as another form of perfection, a mutation of sorts that focuses too much on the end goal and not enough on the process.

There are probably plenty more “writer’s block” sources, but this list is a pretty good one to start from. So if you’ve got your list of source ideas, narrow ‘em down to the most probable and be honest with yourself. After, you must identify the proper medicine for your ailment. Take the following as a reference guide:

1. If you’re lacking some kind of sustenance or other necessity or yearning, then go fulfill it ASAP. Don’t dilly-dally. March to it. When you come back to your writing, you’ll feel refreshed and ready.
2. If that self-doubt demon is whippin’ you good, then grab it by the horns and yank it out. How, you ask? There might not be a cure-all remedy for this one, but it’s definitely worth getting back to the basics. What I mean by this is stepping away from the computer, paper, typewriter, etc. and hittin’ the books. Pick up a book or books by writers you really admire and want to emulate, especially writers using techniques similar to the ones you hope to utilize in your particular piece. Read some lines, whole pages, chapters, stories, poems, etc. and soak up the goodness. Sometimes I found that just by this osmosis I am able to absorb new ideas and better understand how to construct certain elements in my pieces that I was previously struggling with. Plus, other writers are usually the best teacher’s anyways so why not take the time and learn from them? Consider taking some notes or marking up passages, observing how certain techniques, ideas, relationships, and character traits are functioning in a text. Also, you might want to consider going back to the planning stage and re-storming your piece through a mind-map, flow chart, free-writing, or a good ole bullet-point list to get some new ideas and revisit old ones.
3. A mind that’s bored & full is definitely no good. So get your butt off that office/kitchen/fold-y chair and take a walk, exercise, meditate, do some housework, something, anything that’ll re-energize you and redirect your mind. By changing your course of action you’ll not only give your head a much needed break, but you’ll open yourself up to different stimuli that’ll perhaps prompt your inspiration and imagination to magically reappear. If this happens while you’re far from your writing, grab a napkin or something nearby and write it down before you forget it.
4. The need for perfection (or to put it another way, the illusion of the need for perfection) and the overwhelming desire to be published can easily be reduced to smithereens if you remember what William Stafford once said, “Lower your standards and keep writing.” So follow what the man said and for goodness sake just write already, write something, even if it’s not up-to-par because it can only get better from there.

By breaking your “writer’s block” into manageable chunks and reasonable solutions, you will be more able to overcome that bitch of a Grinch to inspiration and get back in the writer’s seat.