How to Conquer Writer's Burnout and Get More Creative

Rekindle your imaginative streak with these proven tactics

By Janelle Harris - April 19, 2012

The blank screen. It's taunting. It's daunting. It's not rewarding or inspiring and, until it has at least a few sentences on it, it's certainly not profitable. Sometimes you're just totally, honest-to-goodness out of fresh ideas and innovative angles to pitch to your editor or deliver to your blog readers.

More than some highfalutin concept, creative restoration is necessary to produce the editorial content that will make you proud and -- bonus! -- pay the bills. That, however, is easier said in a mediabistro story than done in the deadline-driven nuances of real life.

"The most important part of being a writer is being intellectually curious: having the wherewithal to dig for information, evaluate it, turn it on its belly and learn all you can about it. I find that when we do this -- when we're constantly reading, constantly listening, constantly talking -- the fount of stories always reveal themselves," said Denene Millner, founder and editor-in-chief of MyBrownBaby.com and author of 19 books, including three New York Times bestsellers.

Here are some more tips on how to kick start your creativity and generate new story ideas....