When going back and forth between projects, or getting caught up with what life throws at you, you neglect the project that you've poured your soul into. And when you return to the beloved project, you can't seem to find the right words. Sure, you can always plop some words onto the page but it isn't flowing like it use to. Even when your words weren't perfect, you kept going.Well, what now?Well, I'm not sure honestly, I'm still trying to figure that out myself. But I have passed the time doing things that will be beneficial later:

• Read books that will develop your craft 

Personally I think this is a no brainer. This will help pass time as you’re trying to think of the next words to say (and may even inspire your next words). And if you’re struggling with adding more to your book in terms of scenes, character development, plot and, hell, even grammar and sentence structure, it will help you in the long run.It’s also important to be a little selective of the books that are picked up; you can have all of these books about writing but it’s up to you, the writer, to finally apply or adapt what you’ve learned into your project. As well as something you can return to for a source.

• Research literary agents

If you plan for your book to go to big publishing houses, it’s recommended to get a literary agent. I recently finished Chuck Sambuchino’s “Get a Literary Agent:...” and I found it so helpful and insightful. Literary agents are the writer’s eyes in the industry and your advocate.Sambuchino suggests in the book to create a list of agents that may be a good fit for the book you’ve finished. He really stresses the researching about the agent you plan to query to; find out what books they’re looking for, see what they’ve sold, etc. If you have multiple projects, creating an Excel sheet may work best with tabs for different projects.For smaller publishing houses, it’s possible to submit your manuscript without one, but be sure to check submission guidelines.

• Hop into another project

Sometimes starting a new short story or novel can help. It will take your mind off what you’re struggling with in your main project. This way you’re keeping your mind moving so you don’t get into a slump that can leave you high and dry for months.If starting a new project doesn’t seem too appealing, maybe what you need to do is create or draft a scene that will be later on in the future. This is a little trick that I like to do, especially if I’ve been thinking about it over a few days (or weeks, and/or months). Letting it stew in upstairs and then writing about it may help get the jitters out.Even stepping away from the computer to write in a notebook or journal would be helpful.

• Listen to music that keep you mind moving on ideas

Every writer has that one artist that can spark their imagination. If that’s not the case, then that’s ok too. Maybe instrumental music may work best — it can be anything. As long as it allows you to focus, or zone out, while thinking about your novel.Hopefully these tips will keep you moving toward your ultimate goal.