Writing Tip: Dealing With a Slump

I've been thinking a lot about Melanie's comment yesterday, that she's in a "writing depression." There are so many images evoked with the use of the word "depression." We have the Great Depression, depression as an illness, depressions you can make with your fingers when you're making certain cookies, you get my drift.

So, when I hear writing depression all these things crowd into my mind--people looking sadly at a camera with a lot of dust behind them, feeling sad, eating cookies without restraint. But what does this have to do with a writing depression?

Well, when you're in a writing depression, you feel sad, your keyboard gets dusty and you probably do a bit of guilt eating. At least I do.

So how do we snap out of it?

For me, I read more. It's funny how when I'm reading I will come across a turn of phrase that will inspire something in my own writing.

I write in my journal. Writing about my life always seems to give me a little jumpstart. I remember how much I love expressing myself and how freeing writing is for me.

I read what I've written so far. A lot of times I will think that my story is crap, but when I go back and read it I find myself thinking, hey, this isn't too bad, and the ideas for where it could go start flowing.

I make goals. With January 1st coming up, I've definitely got some writing goals that I'm, well, writing down.

I use the little support group we have on Word Count Wednesday to make sure I'm not too hard on myself. Things will get better. And if I have all of you to get me over the tough times, then I know I'm in a good place.

How do you get out of a writing slump?