What to do about a writer’s block?
First of all: DON’T PANIC! TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND READ THIS:
Many writers think it’s the worst that can happen. A temporary inability to write. They’re sitting at a table and are staring at a blank piece of paper (or an empty computer screen I might add) and they think that they have nothing to say (or write). Believe me when I say: you are not alone. Some of the greatest writers in literature had problems with getting started and they’ve found various ways to overcome their writer’s block. So how did they do that? Here are some tips:
1. Don’t be too hard on yourself
People tend to be too critical on themselves when they first start writing something. Don’t do this! Just turn the critical part of your brain off. I know that this isn’t easy because it’s just too tempting to think that you’re going to write something that is going to be the greatest thing ever written. The problem is that this is probably your main cause of your writer’s block. Above all there’s a time and place for criticism: it’s called editing.
“People have writer’s block not because they can’t write, but because they despair of writing eloquently.” --- Anna Quindlin
"You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence." --- Octavia Butler
2. Take a little ‘writing vacation’
If your writer's block has been going on for a while it’s not a bad idea to take a deliberate break (or vacation) from writing. Remember: This is not the same as giving up writing. Just take some time off. How long? This can be different for everybody: an hour, a day, a week or a month. Just start writing when you feel like writing again.
3. Get ideas
Everybody gets ideas in their own way but here are some suggestions:
- Use internet/books/magazines: You could search for pictures of you main characters or locations. When you are writing about (for example) dinosaurs you could get more information about how they lived, names and excavations.
- Carry a notebook with you (everywhere). When you get ideas, no matter how strange they may seem, write them down. Maybe you can use them later.
- Go outside and do something. Go to the movies, talk to friends, go to the beach, walk with the dog, etc. Go and do something you like doing.
- Go off topic, write about something else. Something completely different. Something that you normally wouldn’t write about. A ‘change of scenery’ will definitely get you some ideas.
- … So how do you get your ideas? …
4. Establish a writing routine
Make a writing schedule. Just say: ‘I’m going to write 200 words today’ or ‘I’m going to write 3 pages this weekend.’ It doesn’t matter what you write if it’s something for your story or not. It doesn’t even matter if it’s good or not. Just write.
"I write 2,000 words a day when I write. It sometimes takes three hours, it sometimes takes five." --- Nicholas Sparks
"I set myself 600 words a day as a minimum output, regardless of the weather, my state of mind or if I'm sick or well." --- Arthur Hailey
"And I'm a slow writer: five, six hundred words is a good day. That's the reason it took me 20 years to write those million and a half words of the Civil War." --- Shelby Foote
"I have to get into a sort of zone. It has something to do with an inability to concentrate, which is the absolute bottom line of writing." --- Stephen Fry
"Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer." --- Barbara Kingsolver
5. Write!
I think this one speaks for itself. If you want to write something just concentrate and go for it!
If you still don’t know what to write. Try searching for some writing exercises on the internet. Here’s an example of a writing exercise:
Improvisation:
Have a friend give you three random words, then use those words in any way, shape, or form. Write a poem, a novel, a short story, etc. Just go crazy! You can write endlessly.
Of course, if you don’t have anyone around, you could get a dictionary, open it at a random page and select a word randomly (do the same for the other 2 words).
The idea behind this exercise is something similar to a warming-up but in this case a warming-up for your brain. You can write about things you haven’t thought off before, without the pressure of coming up with something.
Try it out and you’ll see it works!
6. Talk to other writers
They will definitely understand it. Probably most of them had a similar experience, they have been blocked and survived. You can learn from each other.
It can happen that you’re not comfortable with revealing your writer’s block to other writers. In this case, try asking questions about the subject like: ‘Have you had a writer’s block?’
An easy place to find other writers is the internet. Like here on Wattpad for example!
WHAT NOT TO DO:
1. DO NOT: Quit writing forever.
2. DO NOT: Set strict, rigorous schedules.
3. DO NOT: Panic!
Thank you for reading this. May all your wishes come true.
~ Moonpsyche6 ~
Copyright © 2011 Moonpsyche6. All rights reserved.
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I would love to know:
Did this help you?
Do you have any other tips for your fellow writers?
Also, how did the writing exercise go?
YOU ARE READING
How to write a novel (tips every writer could use) ~ Moonpsyche6
Non-FictionHow to write a novel contains tips every writer could use. Don't know how to start? Suffering from a writer's block? Here you'll find tips and maybe even answers to questions you may have.
