Ever seen one of those mouse traps with the sticky stuff on it? Rather than a spring-loaded steel bar that whacks the rodent in the head, it glues them to the trap. They smell the cheese, walk onto the trap and are instantly attached to it.

Don’t you feel like that sometimes? I mean, you’re tempted by the luster of being a published author. You inch closer, perhaps a bit cautiously at first. Ahhhh, but the lure of the cheese propels you forward.

Finally, when your prize gets within an arm’s length, you suddenly become trapped. Try as you may, you can’t budge from where you are. And, wouldn’t you know, where you landed in the trap places you just out of reach of the cheese. It’s so close you can smell it but you just can’t partake of it.

The writing journey is like that sometimes. It doesn’t matter where you are on your journey, you’ll eventually end up in the trap. And, regardless of the degree of success you’ve already achieved, stuck is stuck.

I have to tell you something about those traps. I’ve never seen them work, at least not entirely. They may slow the mouse down and even scare it away. But, I’ve never see the mouse stay in that little box until it breathed its last breath. I’m no expert but that little guy must have figured out a way to get out. So can you.

Getting past stuck is simple. It’s not easy, but it is simple. Here’s what you do:

Be still. When your paws are stuck to the trap, stop moving! Take the time to figure it out. You’ll also prevent ripping the hide off your literary feet.

Use what you’ve got. The very trap that has ensnared you can also provide leverage to get you un-stuck.

Take it all in. You might be stuck but there’s literary cheese where you are. Gobble it up. It will provide strength you’ll need to pull yourself out of the trap.

Grab the goody. You’ll get out of the trap and as you do, don’t forget to grab the cheese on your way out.

There will always be a trap and at some point you’ll find yourself in it. But you have within you the ability to creatively get past being stuck. Look inside you. It’s there!

When was the last time you felt stuck? What did you do? Share it here!