How Do You Avoid Writer's Block?

Writer's Block is the worst thing in the world for me - but I have devised a way in which to stop it from happening:

1) Keep at notebook handy!
I always have pieces of papers etc handy around my bedroom and the rest of the house so that whenever I think of an idea or even a line that a character would say, I write it down.

2) Characters
I'm always thinking about my characters, they remain permanent in my head until I have finished writing their story. I know I sound mad, but in keeping my characters firmly placed in my head I can relate to them more when I'm writing. Also, I make sure I know my characters inside and out before writing their stories. I do a kind of character bio on each character - appearance, personality, life facts etc

3) Let the characters tell the story
The story is about your characters, not you, so let them tell you their story and tell the story how they would like it to be told.

4) Plot
I leave the plot to my stories open for endless opportunities. I don't give limitations to my story (I never come up with the beginning, middle and end before I've even started to write it).
If you do this, it makes it so anything can happen in your stories and you're left with limitless ideas and directions in which your stories can go in.

5) Chronology
This is the most important one for me and links in with 'Plot' - I don't write in a chronological order. Shocking, I know, but if I have a fragment of a scene of a particular story I'm working on pop up in my head that I just have to write down, I then evolve that fragment into a chapter and work from it. This makes it easier for me to write and avoid that dreaded writer's block. I then end up with many different fragments that together make up its own plot.

6) Ideas Box
This idea is an awesome one (which I have never used personally) from Gahks that I'm going to definitely start using. His idea is to put random ideas onto scraps pieces of paper; they can be plot ideas, symbols, concepts phrases etc. You keep all these papers in one place or a box, so when you're stuck for ideas, rummage through the box and hey presto! You're saved from the curse!

Do you understand my tactics? It is confusing to explain, but basically don't write in order, keep the plot open to limitless ideas, love and know your characters, keep a notebook handy and let your characters tell the story!! I also find the best time to think about your story/current project is when you're lying in bed before you go to sleep - it's when I come up with the best of my ideas!!

So this is how I do it and I hope this helps all you great YWS writers to avoid the dreaded curse!!
Do any of you also have any other suggestions in how to avoid writer's block?

--Lucyy xx

This is very good advice, Lucyy. I specially enjoyed the chronology section, even if I rarely do so - maybe I should try it a bit more, but I've always thought that I should write the scenes I find the most boring first (scenes I'm not particularly inspired at the moment to write) so I can have my "reward" at the end, which is having the privilege to write my favourite scenes In the meantime, I note them down so I won't forget the main aspects.

That's a great idea too, I do that as well, get the boring (but still necessary) scenes out of the way to enjoy writing the rest (:
I'm glad you liked my advice,
Lucyy xx

I tend to be more of a "if it isn't working, leave it alone" kind of person. If I'm forcing it, stuff doesn't come out the way I want it to.

I usually write poetry/lyrics/songs though, and it's a little more based on my feelings at any given time and if I have writer's block, I'm probably writing a song about being bored... not so interesting!

I do find with stories, that if I leave a section and go write a different one or a different story, at some point I'll be inspired to come back to it. Again, I don't like pushing because if I'm writing when I don't want to, I end up deleting a lot of it anyways.

Wow! Lucyy, you're the first person I've ever met other than me that writes out of order! I also write the scenes that are stuck in my head at any particular moment, but before I start, I usually have a fair idea of how they're going to stick together. I started this method two projects ago, and it's the farthest I've ever gotten in a story. Now, I can never go back to writing in chronological order again.

It really helps me avoid writer's block, because if I'm stuck on one scene, I can just work on another.

Haha, I thought I was the only insane one here that writes out of order, but I'm glad I've met someone who's just as 'supposedly' insane
& it is the only way that I (should I say, we) can avoid writer's block. Go us!! Haha, thank you for reading this by the way
Lucyy xx

Linked to the notebook thing I also recommend having an ideas box. Just put random ideas on scrap pieces of paper, they can be plot ideas, symbols, concepts, phrases, anything. When you're stuck for ideas, rummage through the box and hey presto! You're saved.

Oh wow, what a cool idea - I love it!! I'll be adding that onto there
Thank you so much for reading this and adding your thoughts!!
Lucyy xx

I had never though of an idea box, but it would certainly save me the agony of trying to find just where I put my inspiration. Normally, I just scribble on pieces of paper and shove them in my pocket, then can't find the one I want when I have a week's accumulation. Top hole there, Gahks.

I do actually have a writing notebook, but the idea box would also keep the ideas forefront, because my notebook can be a pain to sift through sometimes when I am just writing things down.

Very, very nice list her, lucyy. I agree with everything you have said. I actually used to write exclusively out of chronological order and only just now have tried writing in order. They both work in different ways and depending on how I feel about writing at the moment, I can use either one. It's great stuff...

Marvelous advice. *thumbs up*

~GryphonFledgling

*beams happily* I'm so glad you liked my advice
& yeah, the ideas box was such a cool idea from Gahks, that I just had to add it in (:
Thank you so much for reading this
Lucyy xx