Everyone can use a fresh set of ideas when it comes to writing. In today’s blog, we’re offering you four tips that can help you refine your craft and keep you working toward your dream of being a published author.

Without delay, let’s get right into our tips so you can get to writing!

Be an all-around writer

Sometimes, authors have the tendency to write linearly. This means that they’ll start writing at the beginning of their novel and work through until they reach the end. But in many instances, it’s best to write what makes the most sense at that moment. A large factor in writer’s block is thinking you have to follow a specific path in order to complete your book. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Write what interests you at that moment; it should be natural. Let your words pour onto the paper or screen in front of you. Don’t turn off the flow of creativity just because you’re already writing a piece of your novel that’s going to happen down the line. Random chapters that you’ve written will eventually fill in, and looking at your ideas in a different light that’s not linear may help you see a bit more clearly.

Nothing to see here

In this day and age, we’re constantly connected. Whether we’re surfing the web or scrolling through our social media newsfeeds and timelines, we are constantly inundated with mindless information that can skew our ability to think with a clear head. If you’re serious about writing and getting your work done, you might have to disconnect from the Internet for a short period of time. If you only have one hour to write in a day, in that hour, turn off your tablet and silence your phone. Let those 60 minutes be devoted solely to your book with no distractions.

Don’t be complacent

Just because you’re writing a book doesn’t mean that you have to only focus on that project. One way to keep fueling your creative fire is to keep more than one pot on the stove. Write blog posts, craft a short story – basically, write anything that will keep your mind creatively active and not completely focused on your novel. By keeping your mind busy, you’ll avoid writer’s block. And it’s possible that a short story you were working on will spur on an idea for your novel. You’ll never know if you don’t write!

Create your own space

Having a space that yours and only yours is an intriguing idea; it’s a safe place of sorts. It’s somewhere you can retreat to relax and let your imagination run wild. It’s simply a comfortable place where you can write. Though it’s nice to change your writing scenery every once in a while, it’s also nice to have a place that’s exclusively reserved for your writing purposes. Think of it as your writing safe haven. This space should be like the headquarters to all of your work. All of your notes, books and sources of writing inspiration should live in this space. Close the door on the world and let the writing begin.

Every author is different in how they find the inspiration and motivation to write their book. But, if you need a little boost to break out of the rut you might be in, we hope that these four tips will get you back on track!