52 Ways to Get Unstuck: Exercises to Break Through Writer's Block

by Chris Mandeville

Writers get stuck, but now they don’t have to stay that way. This creative and comprehensive guide to overcoming writer’s block is chock-full of innovative exercises, anecdotes, and advice from dozens of authors. It also includes practical “life prep” lessons to keep writers from becoming stuck in the first place. It’s indispensable for all working writers—from newbies to pros. Want to get unstuck and stay that way? This book shows you how.

Genres: Writing

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 18, 2014

About the author

After growing up in California and graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, Chris married a U.S. Air Force officer and moved from state to state, as well as to British Columbia, before settling in Colorado. She now lives in the woods of the Rocky Mountains with her family and service dog.

Chris writes science fiction and fantasy novels, short stories, and nonfiction books and articles for writers. For the past fifteen years she’s been a member of The Sparkling Hammers, a critique group of eclectic writers that provides inspiration, support, and friendship essential to her writing process. She loves teaching about writing and has presented workshops to hundreds of writers on topics such as Backstory, The Sweet 16 First Lines, Writer’s Block, and more. She served on the Board of Directors for Pikes Peak Writers for more than ten years, five as their president, and is currently on the staff of Superstars Writing Seminars.

Learn more and become a member of her reader group at chrismandeville.com.

Reviews

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have had this Kindle book for a while. Probably read it the "wrong" way because it might be better to just dip into sections for tips. It would have been very useful years ago when I followed wrong advice not to 'push' writer's block and subsequently didn't manage to write for years - only writing exercises at an evening class resolved that. The exercises in this book would have helped I'm sure.

As it is, I was reading it more for tips on how to get stuck in the sense of 'what happens next' as I have a couple of short stories which have languished unfinished for years. I'm not sure that it is so useful for that kind of block, but when I have time out from current writing projects, I will go back to one of those and revisit this. So I am rating it at 3 stars at the moment.

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a writer, I'm all about finding creative ways to get my ass in gear. Sometimes just staring at a blank page and thinking isn't enough, which is where these brain-fueling writing exercises come in handy. The author suggests using a playing card deck or the weeks of the year to go through each suggestion one by one, but since this was a library book, I had to read this a little quicker.

The book is divided into four sections that pertain to different aspects of the writing process, from motivation and the writing environment to character juice and plot, as well as tips on how to "get in the zone." Each chapter is very short, with at least one quote from an author about their usage of the technique in question. The collection of quotes helped provide a broader perspective on how writers approach their craft.

My favorite tips:

+ Create a pre-writing ritual that evokes the way you want to feel when writing or revising (for me, that entails making to-do lists, which makes me feel productive and organized)
+ Surround yourself with items that inspire you (e.g., make a collage of pictures that represent your work in progress)
+ Print out a scene and cross out every word that's not absolutely necessary (and don't be afraid to add in new details that are better)
+ Talk to your character if a scene isn't working or you don't know what happens next ("What do you want? Why are you doing this?")
+ Draw a family tree; determine how inherited traits and family lore influenced your character
+ Read your character's horoscope and let it inspire the next scene
+ Experience the world as if you are your character (while shopping, traveling, etc.)
+ Use a plot grid to organize the goal/motivation/conflict of each scene
+ Play the "what if" game and consider big changes to the characters and plot
+ Create an advertisement for what you're in search of, whether it be an antagonist's name or the plot of a second book in a series; this will help you clarify what you're trying to achieve
+ Ask what the protagonist would never do--and find a way to make them do it
+ Devise your own writer's retreat

If you're a writer looking for inspiration, I highly recommend this guide.

[B.S.H. Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so happy I just randomly found this at my local library today. Blasted through it in an afternoon and came back refreshed and ready to tackle my WIP. While some of the advice is fairly common knowledge for experienced writers, it's organized and written in a way that makes it accessible and a wonderful resource for my craft shelf. Some of the suggestions were things I'd never even considered. I created a shortlist of my favorite tricks that I'm going to type up and print and hang beside my desk for when I'm feeling stuck.

[Kevin Ikenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first, I received a copy of this book for review purposes. A print version of it will be found on my shelf in the very near future. As an aspiring writer, I've skimmed a ton of writing resources looking for the unique pearls of wisdom I can add to my toolkit. On rare occasions, I find a book that is full of good ideas. This book is one of those books. From her discussions of pre-writing rituals and preparing to write, Chris outlines fresh, innovative ways to approach the creative process. Of particular note, though, are the exercises she lays out for getting unstuck. Whether it's plot, character dynamics, or the elements of story that have you stuck, there are exercises here that are effective and thought-provoking. This is a book that I'll add to my limited bookshelf of "go-to" sources. I hope I never need to get unstuck, but when the time comes that I've painted myself into a corner, I will turn to this book for the necessary nudge to get back on track.

[Kj Scrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, easy, and non-frustrating way to get un-stuck! I purchased Mandeville's book only a month ago and it has already helped me out of several sticky spots. It is filled with tips and tricks that will help authors through those dry spells. Mandeville utilizes simple exercises that fit the needs of the novice to the seasoned writer. With chapter headings like, "Write Crap", "Group Dating", Nick a Name" and "Road Trip!" it is easy to see how fun can be put into a frustrating situation that many writers face. 52 Ways really gets the creative juices flowing again. It is a must for every writer's toolbox.

[Sam Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Disclosure* I am a writer and was given a copy of this for review purposes. I have spoken on many panels on writing and the topic of "writer's block" comes up all the time. In this book, Chris has come up with a large list of things that can help writers to get around (or maybe if you read her book first, never have) writer's block. She backs up most with examples of other authors who have successfully used the techniques. In the future, I will be recommending this as a source of inspiration to people who ask me how to overcome writer's block, or who are looking for new 'writing exercises.'

[Chris Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are an author then you must read this book. Filled with exercises and ideas and writing tips to help any writer become unstuck and to get the creative juices flowing. This book gives you great ways to organize and clear your calendar so that you can be more productive and write. It tells you how to form writer partnerships and build your own support group. It gives great examples of how to write cleaner prose, and my personal fave is chatting with your characters, which I do all the time.

[Phoebe Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Chris Mandeville for assembling a fantastic, organized, creative collection of ways for writers to leap out of the stuck places. With quotes from authors--published and unpublished--as well as industry professionals, and Mandeville's positive, encouraging words, this handbook will no doubt live within easy reach on my "writer's shelf," the books I reach for again and again when the muse dances briefly away.

[Kristi Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastically put together. With a quirky voice from Chris Mandeville to help writers--of every level--through a very serious matter, this will be one I go to time and again.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different from writing as I typically do so this was a bit surprising

Interesting and leads you through the process and explains why

Not a fan of the varied typeset - found it distracting to the purpose

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected--I was looking for slightly more concrete exercises, more akin to prompts, rather than generalized advice--but there are still plenty of great suggestions for dealing with dreaded writer's block. I think this book would be fabulous for beginners who are wading into the waters of fiction writing for the first time, and need a gentle hand to steer them toward the end of their drafts.

[Paul M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Just what I needed to jump-start progress on a novel I was working on when my wife passed away a couple years ago. Thanks, Chris! And the deck of cards addendum is a great way to randomize the tips, if desired.