One of the best writing tools I have is this:

Not writing.

Let me explain:

When I decided to write my first novel, I sublet my room in a crowded Brooklyn loft and moved to a barrier island in North Carolina for three months. Amazingly, my boss at the time gave me that time off, so I could dedicate all my time to writing.

The first days I sat down at my computer, only slightly terrified. I listened to the ocean roar, the seagulls squawked, and I thought:

I want to go outside.

No! I told myself. I need to write! That’s why I’m here!

As everybody knows, willpower is finite and easily sapped. So it didn’t take long to lose that particular battle, and within an hour, I found myself wading through the surf, picking up shells, letting my mind wander.

And you know what?

My mind wandered right back to my novel. I walked in one direction for about thirty minutes, and then ran back home to write the scene that had unfolded in my head while I was walking.

This became my pattern: I would go on walks whenever I felt stuck or uninspired.

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I began to think of beach-combing as gathering the material I needed to write. As in, “I have to go out and pick up some ideas.”

I even developed little quirks like picking up a shell and mentally attaching an idea to it, so I wouldn’t forget that idea.

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Some writers say that when you have writer’s block, the key to overcome it is to keep writing.

That may be good advice, sometimes.

Other times, though, you may need to do the exact opposite.

Move your body.

Enjoy the beauty around you.

Let yourself flow instead of forcing yourself to grind away.

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This works for a number of reasons. One is that both movement and relaxation can trigger imaginative thought. That’s why good ideas often come to you in the shower or on vacation – that’s when you relax enough to let creativity in.

Another is that when we step back from a problem, we see it differently–and often, the solution rises naturally.

The key is to orient your mind toward what you need, then let it do its thing. Since the mind loves solving problems, give it a problem to solve. Then relax.

Ask your brain the questions you need answered:

“What would this character do next?”

“How can I give this scene more drama?” “Why isn’t this scene working?”

And see what comes up when you stop trying, and let the answers come to you.

I’m Kimberly, and I’m a book coach and ghostwriter specializing in memoirs and fiction with themes of mental health, spirituality, and social justice.

If you want some guidance, accountability, and structure as you write your book, I’m here. Message me below to learn more.