Insights from MasterClass

My Insights from MasterClass

Hey guys! I have teamed up with Wattpad and MasterClass to share some tips and tricks I have learned from my MasterClass instructor to help me through my writer's block and how to find inspiration in my writing process. I have been interested in MasterClass for a while now, so this #Sponsored opportunity was super exciting! MasterClass offers an immersive online experience that allows you to take lessons from the world's best writers, chefs, TV and movie stars, and much more.

If you love learning new things or expanding your knowledge in something you already love, you can learn more about MasterClass here! #Sponsored

I will also link the trailer to the MasterClass I took with Neil Gaiman (who is one of my favorite writers and watching his ad a couple of months ago really made me want to get into MasterClass).

Neil Gaiman's The Art of Storytelling:

So I've always been a very academically oriented person. I love going to school, which I believe is why a lot of my works are oftentimes set in a school centric setting. I like the aspect of taking notes as the professor speaks, as well as having a book on the side, things to highlight and write down. Being in school also pushes you forwards, with deadlines and study hours, a lot of my stories were written in between classes, sitting on the floor right outside the classrooms' door.

After graduating from college I entered this deep writer's block one that comes and goes every now and then. It hindered my writing process, and honestly gave me a bad case of imposter's syndrome. Taking a Class online has been incredibly helpful in learning ways to tackle my writer's block and put my writing in motion for my future projects.

Here are some of the tips I've learned so far:

Anything is a form of inspiration, write it down. I usually specify my interest for certain stories in notebooks or word documents, though I never thought of keeping everyday information in a dump notebook/file. Anything that inspires you or any fleeting thought can be used for story ideas later on, you do not have to focus on an idea the moment you get it, it can go into your notebook and months down the road, as you're flipping for inspiration you can find one or more things in your brain dump that connect together and create a fantastic story out of that. It can be music, plants, videos, stories, or the name of a street, as long as it sparks something inside of you it can go in your notes.

Let your story breathe. If that doesn't work, delete some of it. I think one of the hardest things for me when it comes to writer's block is knowing that I want to write the story but my brain just won't let me. This is why the piece of advice Gaiman gives is a bit intimidating, and yet brilliant. He mentions walking away from your story for a few days, or weeks, or even months if necessary and checking back on it, to see if your drive for the story comes back as you re-read it. However, if this does not work it's also a good (and terrifying) idea to delete some of the last things you wrote. Gaiman suggests this because at some point while you were working on your story you made the decision that led you to stop writing. It is then your job to find where you took that turn and follow the flow back into your story.

Know your characters inside and out. One of my favorite things about my MasterClass experience was having a workbook PDF, which I personally went to an Office Depot and printed it out, though that's not required. (I love highlighting and taking notes on the side of the paper, because even if I don't feel super productive at least it looks aesthetically pleasing). Like many writers I also enjoy filling out character sheets (DND anyone?) with backstories and favorite colors, though sometimes I feel like I know my characters as much as I know a person on a dating site, stating all their favorite foods. This is important, but it's also important to be able to hear their voice and know what drives them, what they really want and that might come with things that surprise you they would do for it. Being able to hear your character's voice might also push you through a block since your character might just not fit into the narrative you were trying to push them through – which is where we go back to deleting some of your text.

Some stories are not meant to be written ... or finished. This one might be a bit of a hard pill to swallow, it was for me, but it makes sense. Sometimes you lose the passion for a project and it doesn't have to do with you, but with the project. Earlier this year I began writing a story set in college again and opened it with a road trip to get to the university only to realize a chapter later on that I didn't want to write another college story, I wanted to write a road trip book and that's why it was challenging for me to continue that story. Sometimes story ideas don't belong in your writing screen but your ideas document, and there you can mix and match with other ideas and you get something even better, something you will be passionate about and that will grab your hand and move you along the chapters easily.

We all get blocks. It's easy to think that only you don't know what to write next, we are after all in a writing platform where other writers who might not be blocked share their stories, but I promise you you're not alone. You can go to the forums and ask for advice or maybe seek out buddies to do writing sprints online. There are a couple of websites that will help you with word counts and scenes, the tools are out there to help you along the way.

One of my favorite quotes from the class was:

"Every now and again, the mists will clear, and you'll get a wonderful view of the valley on the other side or the town that you're heading towards. You know what's happening. And then the mists will come back in again, and once more you're creeping along. But that's how you write a novel." – Neil Gaiman

Giveaway Time!

So, separately, I have decided to give away two one-year MasterClass subscriptions. Like I mentioned before, I am a very academically driven person and would love to share the opportunity with other people who also enjoy learning settings to take some Classes online as I have. Comment down below about something you'd love to learn more about and I will randomly select and send passes to two of you guys.

I will announce the winners at the end of the month so you have all September to share your thoughts :)

Shay