Writer’s Block
Being a writer is hard. Those who say “writing is easy” obviously have never tried writing a novel. Not just a novel, any writing requires your full attention. You are taking thoughts and ideas from your mind and translating them to paper. That requires a significant amount of concentration and discipline. After all, when faced with the choice of doing something or not doing it, it's usually easier not to bother.
Most writers would agree that the most difficult part of their job is making yourself focus. We live in a world with endless distractions and stimulation. It's so easy to pick up our phones or laptops to check the Internet, only to blink and find out three hours have gone by and you've been mindlessly scrolling for most of that time.
Of course, when you finally bring yourself to open the Word document, there is something much worse to fear other than being distracted: writer’s block.
The first thing you need to know is that every writer has been blocked before. Be wary of those who say they haven't; I'm inclined not to believe them. Mostly because, as dedicated as you are to the craft, sometimes life gets in the way.
There are tips and tricks all over the Internet on how to combat writer’s block. However, not everything works the same, and what helps one writer may hinder another. I say this not to dissuade you from reading the rest of this post, but because I want you to see my words for the suggestion that they are. I've been writing for over two decades and have over 20 books under my belt. My thoughts and suggestions on writer’s block stem from these experiences. I found what's worked best for me and I'm hoping to provide some insight and give you some tools to help you on your writing journey.
First and foremost, the main piece of advice that tends to float around the Ether is that you should write every single day. While there is some merit to that, and establishing a good writing routine is one of the ways you can help the dreaded block, it's not always feasible. We have lives, lives that require our attention and responsibilities that take priority sometimes. When you force yourself to write every day, it can sometimes become discouraging, especially when you inevitably run out of hours in the day.
For me, when I tried this tactic, I often felt guilty on the days I couldn't make it happen. It would lead to feelings of failure, regardless of the fact I had dropped 2000 words like it was nothing the day before. I found myself so focused on the fact that I had to write, that I started to lose track that I get to write.
Additionally, this can also bring up feelings of resentment towards your work or yourself, which doesn't help the creative process. So my first piece of advice is to establish a writing routine.
Do you work better on a desktop, laptop, or with good old pen and paper? Is there a spot where you like to get comfortable, where you find the inspiration flows more freely? How about a drink or a snack that makes you happy and puts you in the correct headspace? All these things can help establish a solid creative routine because when you do them enough, you’re training your brain to fall into a specific mindset once you have these things within your reach.
For example, one of the things I tend to do when I'm starting a new project is create a playlist. I've been using Spotify for years and have a vast collection of songs I enjoy. I begin the playlist usually with songs I don't listen to often or ones I feel relate to the story and main characters. This helps me create a new connection with the song and my new project. Then, I tend to listen to that playlist when I'm writing or preparing to write.
It's to the point now where the moment I hit play and the first song comes through my headphones, my mind is already back in the world that I'm creating. Music can be an incredible trigger and tool, and something I often encourage my coaching clients to consider.
Another way that I find helps with writer’s block is to work on multiple projects at the same time. I know, I know, it may sound counterintuitive but there is a reasoning behind it.
Often, if you ask me what I'm working on I'm quick to rattle off at least three vastly different projects. The reason this works for me has to do with the genre or content I'm writing. Most of the time, I'm ghostwriting a romance novel while simultaneously working on my fantasy podcast and my own novel.
All three are vastly different and allow me to use different parts of my imagination. If I get stuck on my fantasy podcast, for example, switching gears to focus on romance keeps me writing, while allowing my subconscious to percolate on the problem with the other project. It's the same concept people describe when having those eureka moments in the shower or while doing dishes. When you stop thinking about the problem is often when the answer comes to you.
A few months ago, I was lying in bed late at night, working on a piece of fanfiction on my phone when, out of the blue, I was overtaken by a wave of inspiration about my pirate novel, Phoenix’s Call. I had been struggling to get back into the groove of writing that series for some time, yet at that moment, I suddenly had a clear picture of how the rest of the novel should play out.
This is why you should always keep a notebook and paper close by or at least have a notes app on your phone to avoid having to scramble out of bed and make a beeline for the living room like I had to do.
Something I would also suggest is find a friend with whom you can talk ideas through. They don't even have to be a fellow writer. I cannot tell you the number of times I've started to talk to my husband about my story problem only to work it out mid-sentence while he just sat there staring at me and shaking his head. If you don't have a specific person you can do that with, I would suggest talking out loud to yourself or your pet.
Most of the time when you're talking it is a stream of conscious flow and you're not always lost in your own head. By taking that filter away, you'd be surprised by how quickly ideas will flow. Since I started having trouble with my hands, a lot of my writing has to be done through speech-to-text and I was surprised to find that, once I got the hang of it, I was able to write more words in a shorter period. This was because I wasn't second-guessing every word that I was putting onto the page.
Verbalizing the idea and talking it through can be surprisingly helpful when you are stuck on a plot point.
One of my final pieces of advice, and the one I hold to most, is that you do not always have to write linearly. I know most of us do because that's how our brains work and that's how we can think of a story. However, if you find yourself stuck because there is a certain scene you just can't wrap your head around, then write the scenes you are excited to write.
Oftentimes I don't have the entire story mapped out mentally. I have specific scenes or characters that I visualize with such clarity it's like watching a movie in my mind. This can make writing those in-between scenes even more difficult because your enthusiasm and imagination are stuck on something else. So write the scene that you want write and get it down on paper.
Not only does it keep your flow going and help with your progress, but it also gives you license to stop thinking about that scene and make room in your mind for something else.
I always tell my coaching clients that brackets are your best friends. If there is a scene that is not working or you can't figure it out, put brackets with a quick note to yourself about what the scene is supposed to be, then write what comes next.
Example: [they have a discussion about the villain]
Writing should be fun, so don't feel so guilty about skipping ahead to the fun part. Additionally, when you have future scenes already written you can do a lot of great foreshadowing when you go back and fill in the blanks.
Writing can often feel like a giant puzzle with pieces scattered across the table and the edges almost complete. There's no right or wrong way to put the puzzle together, it's purely based on what works for you. I like to do the edges first and then pick a spot or prominent color and start there. And other times, I just want to put the flower together because it's really pretty and makes me happy.
Try to approach writing the same way. There's no right or wrong, there's only what works for you and what doesn’t.
Working with an author coach or finding a writing community are other ways to navigate the dreaded block. With a wider community, you have fellow writers who know your pain and are more than happy to talk you through it or offer suggestions.
An author coach does the same. They can also provide feedback on what you've written so far and ask you questions you may not have considered, such as: who are you writing for? What do you hope to achieve with the end result?
On top of that, a coach can also help you get organized. Never ever doubt the importance of some well-done organization. It does wonders for you. I've been working on Phoenix's Call for many years and it has gone through many iterations. But it wasn't until I sat down and went through all my rough drafts, organizing them into their own separate documents by chapter, that I was able to get a clearer picture of what I needed to get done. This in turn allowed me to focus on my next steps.
Regardless of how you approach your writer’s block, the final piece of advice I will leave you with is that no matter the outcome of the project or your feelings towards, it never throw anything away. Even if you have just a scene written or a character thought out, hang on to it, because you never know when inspiration will strike and when your brain will be like, “Hey you know we should work on right now?”
For more on my thoughts regarding writer’s block, check out Episode 2 of I Got Nothing, a podcast for exhausted writers.
