Happy Fall Season Everyone!
Rainy season has begun, after a long, hot summer. I went shopping yesterday with my teenage daughter for Halloween costume supplies (I’ve always sewn my children’s halloween costumes, and this year my daughter wants to learn how to sew). We call this “spooky season,” and it’s a time to embrace the best qualities of fall, like the colors and cozy settings.
I did not get as much writing done this summer as I would have liked, and I’m working on trying to create a writing habit. I’ve done a lot of research and reading about the writing process (I also teach writing process at the university so this wasn’t a total waste of time, ha ha), and I plan to not only put these ideas into practice, but share them with my readers.
Strategies to get “unstuck” are useful for writers, teachers, and content creators. These include the usual strategies such as setting micro-goals and doing Pomodoros and word sprints, but also some new strategies I’ve learned such as changing up your environment (perfect for ppooky season), and also, something called “scaffolding your writing” which means writing ABOUT what you want to write, which takes the pressure off and helps build momentum.
Try these three tips for getting out of a writing rut:
- Change the context: this can mean changing your location (try writing in the library, in a different room, sitting on the floor or in bed if you usually write at a desk, or sitting at the kitchen table if you usually write on the couch, OR try a coffee shop or library.
You can also change the context by writing in a different medium. Try writing long hand, or even writing on index cards or post-it notes. Buy a fun notebook for this purpose! 🙂 - Write about your writing: try sitting down and writing out what you want to write about. For example, I’m currently stuck on a scene that takes place in Ancient Greece, and I’m intimidated by the research required to get this right, so for now I’m going to write about how I want the scene to feel.
- Set a micro-goal. I need to write 2,000 words, but I’m going to start by just encouraging myself to write 250 words this weekend. You can even so smaller. Write a paragraph, or a sentence! Or, set a timer just 5 minutes and tell yourself you can stop writing after that.
Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy all that the fall season has to offer.
ELA Source 
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