Help! I Have Writer’s Block
So, you have a great idea for your story. You’ve set yourself up at your computer or writing pad and you’ve been busily typing or scrawling away. The story is flowing nicely and you feel like you’ve got this writing thing under control until … aaaah! The words just stop coming. You can feel the momentum slipping away so you just keep going but now the story is clunky and you don’t like what you’ve written. You delete the messy bit with the aim of re-writing but you find yourself stuck. Where should it go next? No ideas come. You grow increasingly frustrated or despondent. Maybe this writing thing is not for you after all?! Should you give up or maybe start on a new project? Never fear. You’re in good company.
Every author experiences writer’s block
Even the great authors or writers with multiple books under their proverbial belts get writer’s block. Though it’s a dreaded beast, the best way to view it is as a natural part of the writing process. Often writer’s block occurs at a point in the writing that your subconscious mind doesn’t like or feels is not a natural fit for the story - look at it as a quality assurance guide to your work. Being blocked is an opportunity to take a step back and see if there’s a stronger path for the narrative to follow. The answer is nearly always yes. The new path often makes the story more real or powerful.
So, how do you combat writer’s block? There are a few options:
Walk away: Time away from your writing can give you the space you need to let your mind resolve the issue that’s blocking your writing. Sit outside, cook something, have a coffee, ring a friend or family member, do your taxes. Whatever. Just change your thought patterns for a while.
Read away: Reading a book, be that your old favourite or something new, can get the subconscious creative juices flowing again.
Edit away: Go back to the beginning of your story and read it through to the blocked point. Sometimes the next step is obvious once you’ve retraced your steps or made some editorial changes along the way.
Run away: Doing some physical exercise, like going for a run or a bike ride, can let your ideas ferment in the background. And exercise is good for you too!
Hide away: Sometimes authors feel the pressure to write to a certain standard to keep their audience satisfied. Yes, we should keep them in mind, but when blocked, forgetting about the audience can help. Write for yourself or a friend or your mum. Keep it simple. And remember, you’re writing the first draft, not the final product.
Write away: This may seem counterintuitive initially, but sometimes just leaving the badly written rubbish or writing anything at all (in your story or somewhere else) can help. It’s a bit like keeping the creative engine idling before hitting the accelerator again once you’ve regained your bearings.
Put away: By this, I mean let go of this particular story. Whether that’s forever or just for now, time will tell. Sometimes starting on a new project or doing some additional research allows a change of focus and the words flow again.
Whatever you choose to do, don’t let the blinking cursor or blank page put you off. Writer’s block doesn’t have to stop you creating great stories. Happy writing!
