By Jennifer Deibel, @ThisGalsJourney

The coffee is brewed and doctored up just so, my mood music is playing, and I sit in my comfortable chair. I open the computer and relish the thought of a fresh page. But then…that cursor flashes incessantly, waiting. Taunting me. 

I’m a writer, I think to myself. I should be…writing.

But the words…simply won’t come.

Just about any writer would tell you they’ve encountered the same struggle. And one of the most-asked questions I get is:

“What do you do when you don’t know what to write?”

And I was recently talking with a friend of mine, and it got me really thinking about what does a writer do when the words won’t come? 

There is an endless selection of things one can do when they need to write, but are just…stuck. But here are a few that I’ve found most helpful in my writing career.

1. Just start writing. So, you have this nebulous idea floating around in your head. Maybe it’s a snippet of an idea for a scene, or just a basic premise, but whatever it is, the idea is there. You just don’t know where to start. In this case, my advice is to just start with what’s in your head and…write. Most of the time, when I do this, eventually the rest of the next steps and connections start floating up and falling in line.

2. Do a free write. Grab a piece of paper or open a new doc and just start writing whatever is on your head. Many’s the time I’ve started writing how frustrated I am that my brain is foggy, the words are nowhere to be found, and I just don’t know what to do; then I transition to what happened that day, and suddenly, I have a brilliant idea for the next scene in my story. Whether it’s a daily journal entry, or a true stream of consciousness, oftentimes just starting to put pen to paper and letting whatever words were there flow, would break up the log-jam and allow me to get back on track.
3. Chat with a friend. One of the most effective things for me is to talk with a friend or two. Many times it’s another writer-friend, but sometimes it’s not. But talking about where I’m stuck, what I’m wanting or needing to write, gets someone else’s perspective, and gets me out of my own head. Even if their ideas are great, but I choose not to implement them, the back and forth is immensely helpful. And the sense of community and fellowship lifts the weight of the burden. 
4. Take a break. Sometimes, our minds just need a break. There are times when you need to power through, and others where you need to step away and do something totally unrelated to writing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been playing a game with my family, taking a shower, or perusing my favorite retail store, not thinking about writing at all when inspiration strikes. So, don’t be afraid to take a break—just don’t stay in your break indefinitely. 

Those are my top suggestions that have helped me the most when I don’t know what to write. What is your favorite way to break up the logjam of writer’s block?

 

---

The Lady of Galway Manor

In 1920, Annabeth De Lacy’s father is appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Bored without all the trappings of the British Court, Annabeth convinces her father to arrange an apprenticeship for her with the Jennings family–descendants of the creator of the famed Claddagh Ring.

Stephen Jennings longs to do anything other than run his family’s jewelry shop. Having had his heart broken, he no longer believes in love and is weary of peddling the lies the Claddagh Ring promises.

Meanwhile, as the war for Irish independence gains strength, many locals resent the De Lacys and decide to take things into their own hands to display their displeasure. As events take a dangerous turn for Annabeth and her family, she and Stephen begin to see that perhaps the “other side” isn’t quite as barbaric and uncultured as they’d been led to believe–and that the bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty are only made stronger when put through the refiner’s fire.

Travel to the Emerald Isle for another poignant and romantic story from the enchanted pen of Jennifer Deibel.

Jennifer Deibel, author of A Dance in Donegal, is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.jenniferdeibel.com . Her sophomore novel, The Lady of Galway Manor, releases Feb. 1, 2022 from Revell and is available for preorder wherever books are sold!