Writers’ Block and the 5 Stages of Grief

I always seem to have a problem deciding what my next post should be about.  I have so many sitting in draft mode that are only an opening paragraph, half written or even fully formed; I’m just not happy with it.  I always know that every Wednesday, after a new post goes up, I sit staring at a blank screen.

Don’t get me wrong…I have TONS of ideas.  I’ll be walking around the supermarket, the bookstore, or just the sidewalk, and I come up with great one liners that I can never get past.  I never seem to know how to flush them out.  It’s probably one of the hardest parts of writing for me.  Digging into the details can be extremely difficult.  So far I have the following partly drafted or just not how I want it…

1. My 8lb Dictator
2. 15 Reasons Arya Stark is My Spirit Animal
3. To Whom It May Concern
4. Letting Go is Harder than Knowing When to
5. Fan Girling 101
6. Being (un)Comfortable in Your Own Skin

I go through a few phases when I’m blocked and can’t finish what I want to write, much like the stages of grief.

1. Denial –   Whenever I hit a block, I refuse to believe that I’m run out of juice.  I type aimlessly, stare at my page and will words to appear.  I never give in to the fact that I’m stumped and the creative juices aren’t flowing.  The page will be up all day, and I’ll constantly go back to it as if something has changed.  But I refuse to say I’m blocked…I’m just busy.
2. Anger – Ahh the blinking cursor.  Whenever I’ve run out of steam, or I can’t think of what direction to go in, it mocks me.  I stare at my screen, and the stupid cursor just blinks at me. It’s a constant reminder that thoughts aren’t flowing and my fingers aren’t moving.  I eventually slam down the screen of my laptop but normally quickly open it back up again. Jerk.
3. Bargaining – I know this stage well and always end up spending several days in it.  It’s when I swear I’ll write as soon as I finish something.  I just need to put my laundry away, and then I’ll sit and put something on the page.  Oh, I need to run to the store quickly, and then I’m really going to hunker down.  I’m going to pull a Hemingway…I’ll have a few drinks and words will just come to me.  I know it!
4. Depression – How come everyone can do this but me?  There are so many blogs in the world, and they are pumping out content.  I can’t believe I even thought I could do this.  What’s the point?  Why am I even writing? Does anyone even read this? It’s not like any good right?
5. Acceptance (kind of) – Alright, I’m blocked. I’ve officially run out of things to say.  There has to be something that will spark me though.  There has to be something that I’m dying to tell people.  Let’s try a different topic…

That’s how almost every one of the above posts has gone or is currently going through.  Each one is at a different stage, and sometimes I wonder if I’ll finish any of them.  Some are just too fun to NOT try to write.  Come on….searching for snarky yet wonderful GIFs of Arya Stark….that’s a fun Sunday afternoon if I ever heard one!

How do you break out of that road block and get back into the zone?  How do you restart your creative engines? Does anyone else experience these things?  I’m assuming so or else there wouldn’t be a phrase for it.  Tell me how you get passed it.