5 Proven Strategies to Get You Writing

Writing is the love of our life. It is the passion that keeps our spirit alive. However, with anything, writing gets hard too. Writer’s block and blank page anxiety takes us over, causing us to end up killing time with Netflix, rather than accomplishing our writing goals. But, it doesn’t always have to be this way. Today, I will be outlining 5 strategies, tested by yours truly, that will have you writing in no time.

Tip #1: Set a Timer for Five Minutes

Fun fact: you can do anything for five minutes. If you can’t bring yourself to sit down for a full writing session, set a timer for five minutes. For five minutes do whatever you need to do during that session. When the timer goes off in five minutes, you can quit without any guilt because that is what you committed to that day. Even if you only get five minutes of writing time in, it is still better than getting zero minutes in.

More often than not, you will find yourself motivated to do more than five minutes. You just needed a way to get over the initial hurdle of beginning. With your boost of motivation, you will end up having a full writing session and feel accomplished. This is one of my favorite strategies to use. I always find myself going back to it when I need to motivate myself to write more.

Tip #2: Play a Word Game

If you have a wall of writer’s block that just won’t break, you need a creative vacation. A creative vacation is my term for when you focus on something completely different from your work in progress. By focusing on something else other than your work in progress (WIP), you alleviate the pressure that WIP has caused. When the pressure is off, creative juices begin to flow.

My favorite way to go on a creative vacation is to play a word game using The Creative Toolbox. The Creative Toolbox has four different “games” you can play that provide different writing prompts. Using a timer, you do the exercise for a few minutes. Most of the exercises end up being wacky, so you can have a lot of fun when writing. After you play a word game, your creativity will be loosened up, so you can apply it to your WIP. If you want to see The Writer’s Toolbox in action, check out this IG TV I did trying out all the different word games.

Tip #3: Apply Light Pressure

This is not one of my top recommendations because it causes unneeded stress, but if you thrive under pressure, you may need to create pressure in your writing routine. When you procrastinate a major project and then have to meet a deadline, you are filled with adrenaline. This adrenaline causes you to work like crazy until you have a finished product. People do this all the time when it comes to school and work, so why not apply it to your writing routine?

Set major deadlines for yourself to have things completed by. Put them in a calendar and set reminders, so this deadline can’t escape your mind. In order for this to work, you need to treat this deadline as an assignment that you can’t miss completing. By doing this, you apply light pressure to force yourself to get things done. Either you will work slow and steady to meet your deadline, or you will procrastinate and work like a maniac to finish. Either way your writing will be completed.

Tip #4: Associate Scents and Music with Your Routine

It’s amazing what links our brains can create when doing tasks within the same environment. If you don’t have the space to create your own writing area, try using the same scents and music when writing. By using the same scent or music when writing, your brain will eventually associate those items with your writing routine. This means every time you light a certain candle or listen to a certain playlist, your brain will enter writing mode.

To make this technique even more fun, try choosing a scent and music that goes well with your WIP. Make sure the scent and music is special and not something you would use for anything else! If you need some ideas on a writing music playlist, you can check out this blog post where I share three of my own playlists that I use.

Tip #5: Make Sure You’re Writing Something that Resonates with You

Have you really asked yourself why you’re struggling to write? Maybe you are forcing a project on yourself that you really aren’t enjoying anymore. While I don’t like to advise writers to quit their projects, it may be the time if you don’t have the passion for it anymore. In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert talks about how if we shelf a project for too long, the creative idea leaves us and passes to another creative. Not enjoying your idea anymore is okay.

Ask yourself if you really want to write what you’re writing. If the answer is no, it is time to go back to the drawing board and try again. In order to be productive with your writing time, make sure you’re writing something that resonates with you.


I hope you enjoyed these five proven strategies to get you writing. If five strategies weren’t enough for you, I have an exciting announcement. This is actually a two-part series that overall share ten different strategies you can use to avoid writer’s block and create a writing routine. The other post is featured on another writing blog I think you will enjoy, Just Writerly Things, and is written by me also. Please support this collaboration and check out the blog post here. Happy writing!