Hello everybody. Welcome to the Nine Muses of Writing. We are here with the Muses to provide you with some inspiration that will get your stories written.

Today we will be suggesting a couple things that you can do to exorcise that blasted writer's block from your head. We've all had it at one stage; even the big-name authors like Suzanne Collins, Leigh Bardugo and —

Victoria: Me!

Imo: No, definitely not you.

Victoria: Well, that's... mean.

Imo: Just stating the truth, Vicy.

Victoria: Sure, sure. *mutters* Keep telling yourself that...

Anyway, here are some steps to get your creative juices flowing and get over that darned writer's block!

Step One: Stop Complaining About Writing and Write. This is probably the most important and as a relative of the Olympian gods, we know a thing or two about complaining.

Imo: "A thing or two"? Seriously, that's all?

Athena: *gives death glare*

Yes, a thing or two. The worst thing that you could possibly do (which also promotes writer's block) is to complain about writing. The more you complain about it, the less motivation you have to write. Simple, no?

To build back your motivation, try thinking about the things that you love about your book. Do you love the bad boy/good girl storyline? The plot twist you're dying to write that you know will leave your readers' mouths agape as they stare at their screens, trying to process what evil sorcery you've just thrown at them?

These things — the things that you love about your book — should be your ultimate goal to achieve in your writing process. Hopefully this will help motivate you to continue writing and perhaps reduce your complaints, allowing you to write to your heart's content.

Step Two: Stop Writing For Your Readers.

This is a big no-no, guys. You may have heard this before, but it's completely true! You should be writing for yourself, not anyone else!

Write what you want to write. You don't have to please anyone but yourself — after all, it's your fingers that are gonna burn after typing for hours on end so, hey, it sounds more worth it when you're writing it for yourself, right?

And let's face it — like a well-known author once said, you deserve a pat on your back for getting out a chapter that took you a few hours to write but your readers a few minutes to read.

Step Three: Don't Hide It. Does writer's block happen? Yes. Is it tough? Yes. But is it something to be ashamed of? No.

If you're suffering from writer's block, tell somebody. Ask them to give you an assignment. Talk to them about your story, your characters and the world that you've built. They may provide a fresh insight for you to continue your work, or maybe just support you through this terrible, terrible time. These alone can help you get back on your feet.

We're not telling you to go out and complain about it because that defeats the purpose of Step One. We're just saying that confiding in someone about your frustrations and emotions is completely acceptable and a great way to deal with writer's block. It is important to get out all of your anger and frustration — heck, if you need to, curse at the top of your lungs — because these will reflect in your work.

Em: Unless you're writing a really angry scene then go for it, mah sistah/bro!

Step Four: Cha—

Victoria: LOVE CHEESE!

Mya: And bagels. Don't forget the bagels.

Phoebe: BRAINSSSS.

Lillian: Guys, calm—

Victoria: I've never had bagels...

Mya and Imo: WHAT?!

Victoria: I'm sowwy! :'(

Imo: This is a disgrace...

Mya: Vicy, you're a disgrace...

Victoria: Pfft, you don't mean it.

Mya: ...Eh...

Victoria: Wait... What? Hang on a second— (goes on a tangent.)

Imo: Vicy, chill.

Lillian: ENOUGH! *flails noodle arms in the air.*

*crickets.*

Lillian: ...That's better. Let's continue.

Step Four: Change Your Environment.

Leave your desk. Go for a walk in the park, to a bookstore, to your local cafe; go wherever your feet take you. Bring along your phone or whatever you use to write. Maybe a change of scenery would do you good, and it doesn't hurt to try, right?

Step Five: Just Do It.

Lillian: Totally didn't just quote the Nike brand.

Mya: Shush, they'll never know!

Em: I think they know now...

Mya: ...Shush!

Write. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't even have to be shown to the world. Just write, even nonsensical paragraphs or an observation about what shapes the clouds outside your window are. Write about something that interests you; it doesn't have to be what you're working on right now.

It's okay if your first draft isn't as good as you'd like. Editing can come later.

~*~

Start somewhere, anywhere. Remember it's not a book but a draft. Every sentence can be rewritten.

You can write. Even just a few words is better than nothing at all. Write for the love of it. Ask yourself what made you pick up the pen in the first place. Does it need to be presentable? No, it just has to be done. You can do this.  

Remember, you're never alone in this dilemma. The greatest of authors have gone through writer's block. All you have to do is learn your way around it. So pick up your swords and get going!

Em: You mean pens?

Lillian: Yeah, my bad.

Vicy: *crunches Cheetos loudly*

We hope this was helpful to you! Do let us know how helpful it was! We'll see you then next week with more tips! Toodaloo!