We’ve all been there.  Sitting in front of a blank page, blank screen, or basically any blank space that needs to be filled with fodder from your brain.  And yet, you just can’t seem to form the words that will culminate in a cohesive whole.  You struggle to put together some kind of sensible sentence, but all you get is gobbledygook that belongs in a Tim Burton/Johnny Depp vehicle, not in your serious writing.

Most of us refer to this horrible phenomena as writer’s block, but there is an especially heinous permutation of this syndrome known as Blogger’s Block.  Why is this worse for bloggers than other literary types?  Two reasons: first, most bloggers are called upon to write continuously, and let’s face it, sometimes you just ain’t got the juice, and second, if you write a blog, it may be a source of income, which you definitely can’t lose due to a battle with your brain.

So how do you combat this most deadly of writing diseases?  Good news.  There are several solutions.

One good way to start is by taking a break.  Yeah, you’re on a deadline, but psyching yourself out isn’t going to do you any good, so go think about something else for a while.  Watch some TV, listen to a little Led Zep, or read a magazine.  The logic behind this is two-fold.  Often, if you go away from a problem for a while, the answer will *magically* come to you (this is not actuallly magic, it’s simply your brain clearing the clutter).  In addition, focusing on something else may spark an idea.  It’s not uncommon to find inspiration in another source of inventive media.  Your brain is apt to look for connections in any sensory input, so fill up on that creative Kool-Aid!

Another trick that many writers swear by is…drum roll, please…writing!  Yes, the best way to get your gray matter on the think-train to literary-land is to start the ball rolling.  Try some descriptive writing about the things around you (…the curtains billowed lazily in the sweltering heat of the late August afternoon…).  Or if you’re really having trouble, tap into an online source like www.creativewritingprompts.com.  Old school writers bought books, but today we do it much faster.  Find topics like “If I were to barter my brain…” and beginning lines like, “She knew it wasn’t any of her business but Catherine couldn’t help wondering what Wade was up to.”  Is Catherine looking for love or is Wade getting taller at an alarming rate?  Only you can tell.  The point is, just getting into the right mindset can reboot your brain and get you back on track.  Another good source is www.theteacherscorner.net/daily-writing-prompts/.

So if you find yourself giving your monitor the thousand-mile stare and every time you look at the clock only eight seconds have gone by (rather than the thirty minutes it felt like), give yourself a break and go for some inspiration.  There are worse things than getting a little boost for your creative genius (like for example, missing a deadline).

Guest post by Sarah Harris, of Zen College Life, the premier directory for online schools. Find out more information about criminal justice degrees.