Easy Ways to Beat Writer’s Block
In my last post I talked about ways to get inspired for fiction. But what if you already have a list of potential story ideas a mile long, you start writing, and then BAM, right in the middle of the story you get stuck. You don’t know how to finish the story, or even how to proceed from where you are. Sounds troubling, right? Well, you can either look at it as burdensome writer’s block, or you use
it as an opportunity.
First, I’m a firm believer in the mantra that it’s better to finish a bad story, then to let a good one die. At least with a bad story, you can edit, re-write, or just shelve it for future reference. But if you let a story die and throw away the partial manuscript in a fit of rage, then you have nothing to work with in the future.
Second, remember that this happens to all writers. It’s normal. The only difference is how writers handle getting stuck in the middle of story/novel. I can tell you now, though, that if the writer is constantly being published, they probably don’t throw the work out in frustration.
The way you handle writer’s block depends on you. I know that sounds obvious, but you have to know yourself and how you work best in order to push through and finish a story. When I say "know yourself" I’m not referring to some self-help mumbo-jumbo, I’m simply talking about knowing what makes your writing click and what really inspires you to write. So don’t think I’m going all new-age on you, because I’m not.
To break through writer’s block, there are many things you can do. I’m going to list just a few here, but don’t limit yourself to just this list.
1) Work on a different project: If you’re like me, you probably have more than one writing project cooking at anyone time. Great! So if you get stuck working on one project, turn your attention to another one for a while. The key, however, is not to get discouraged and "forget" about the project you’re stuck on, otherwise you might not come back to it for a long time, and after that, it’ll be even harder to write anything.
2) Take your story in a whole new direction: Add some drama to what you’re writing. Think of something wild and add it in there. Remember, you can always take it out later. This works because we sometimes get "tunnel vision" on a particular plot line that just might not be working. Throwing your characters into a new situation might be what it takes for you to break free from the chains of writer’s block.
3) Free write: Sit down with a notebook and pen, set an alarm for 15 or 20 minutes, and just start writing. Write whatever comes to your mind. Even if you can’t think of anything to write, write about that. The idea here is to keep the pen moving over the paper. The purpose of this is to turn off your "inner critic," which can sometimes prevent us from writing anything at all.
4) Refer to your idea journal: You’ve been keeping an idea journal, right? If so, flip through it, you might just find some "gems" that get your imagination running in overdrive. If nothing pops out at you, find a phrase or other idea (at random) and try to fit it in with your story. This works in the same way as number 2.
5) Let the story "sit" for a while: But not for too long! Take a break. Take a walk. Get some fresh air. By putting your story aside for a while, you are giving your imagination a break. Sometimes we get so caught up in our work that we place too much pressure on ourselves. The result can be writer’s block. The length of your "break" depends on you. I’d say no longer than one week. Any longer and you risk forgetting parts of the story and making it even harder to continue. I’ve done this more than I care to admit. After one week, the story will start to wither in your imagination as you seek out other, more fresh, ideas.
Okay, so I just listed five easy ways to beat writer’s block. But more than anything, the biggest favor you can do yourself and your fiction, is not to dwell on writer’s block too much. If you get stuck, don’t get stressed out and try one of the methods I just listed. Not all of them will work for everyone, however, so you need to find what works best for you (this is why I said you need to "know yourself" earlier). There are also entire books out there that are devoted to such a topic. There’s no shame in using whatever resources are available to you.
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