I’m pretty sure that most of us have experienced writer’s block at some point or another. It’s that dreadful feeling where the words won’t come, no matter how hard you try, It’s frustration mounting as you push yourself to get something, anything down. Desperation as you fail. Pushing through can be effective if you’re suffering from laziness disguised as writer’s block. But when you’re truly blocked, that’s not really going to work. The ideas aren’t there. The motivation isn’t there. The love isn’t there. The words aren’t there. It’s the most horrible feeling. But even when it feels endless and you become convinced that your days as a writer are over, remember, writer’s block is only temporary, and usually, it’s alerting you to the fact that there’s something deeper going on. Today I’m going to go through a few reasons why you might be feeling blocked, and then give some suggestions for how to get past it.
Creative Burnout
Have you been working on the same project for a long, long time? Have you been chewing through words at an accelerated rate recently, such as during NaNoWriMo? Are you spreading your creativity over too many projects at once? You might be suffering writer’s block caused by creative burnout. Try taking some time away from your novel to rest for a little. Do something to recharge your creative batteries, like going for a walk, reading a book, watching a good TV show, going somewhere different, or talking to friends. I have a whole post on the subject if you need some suggestions. It is impossible to keep pouring out idea after idea if you’re not also collecting new ones from outside sources, so take some time away to refill that well of ideas before going on.
Story Problems
Sometimes writer’s block is your subconscious’s way of letting you know that there’s a problem in your book. Maybe there’s a plot hole that’s stopping you from progressing, or you’re trying to push a character to make a decision that, due to their personality, they wouldn’t actually make. Step back and take a look at your novel to see where you might be going wrong. Are the character decisions consistent with the people you’ve built? Is there a logical error you need to go back and fix? Is the bit you’re writing actually the way the story should go? Try brainstorming a few different options for how your story could progress. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas yourself, talking things out with writing friends is an amazing way of getting those ideas moving again.
Shiny New Ideas
Writer’s block can also be caused by the appearance of a shiny new idea. These can make you feel that your current book is not worth writing. the ideas stop coming, and all you want to do is move on and write this new thing that you feel will be so much better than what you’ve already got. Shiny new ideas are enticing, but they often get in the way of real progress. As writers, we need to finish our projects instead of flitting from one to the other all the time. Guaranteed, if you switch projects, sooner or later you’ll feel a new idea coming on and want to chase that one too. Instead, write down this shiny idea, add in all the details, and capture it’s basic form on paper. Then lock it up and promise yourself you can write it when this book is done. With temptation shut away, you might be able to get back on with your writing in peace.
Falling Out Of Love
Maybe you’ve been plugging away at this book for a while. You’re dedicated to it, and no shiny new idea is taking your mind off finishing. But you’re starting to wonder why you’re even bothering any more. You’re not sure that you like this book any more. All your enthusiasm for writing has just up and left. In short, you’ve fallen out of love with your book. This is a good time to step back and take some time to remind yourself of all the reasons why you started writing this book in the first place. Make a list of everything you like in the book, from characters, to lines of dialogue. Really go looking for things to write down. Talk about your book with another person. Create a Pinterest board based on your story. Get a writing friend to read some of it so they can gush over it. Remind yourself of everything that is good about this book. It is possible to find the magic and love for writing again, but sometimes you have to be very mindful about it.
Boredom
Sometimes, you think you’re blocked, but really, you’re just bored. The story isn’t compelling. You’re just so tired of trying to finish this scene. At this point, you’re probably bored of your own story, especially if you’ve been stuck in the same spot for a while now. Stop trying to push through that scene. Is there something else that could happen here instead? What if you switched the character roles around? What if the scene isn’t actually necessary at all? Or you could try writing a three line summary of what’s supposed to happen in the scene, and then move on with the plot with the promise that you’ll come back and write this bit later. If you’re bored, shake up what you’re doing in the story and write something that actually excites you.
These are just some of the reasons why you might be feeling the pinch of writer’s block. Creative block is rarely the whole story, and identifying the reason for your struggle makes it so much easier to tweak what you’re doing and get back on track. And the more in tune you are with your writing process and the reasons why you feel blocked sometimes, the easier it becomes to stay inspired and creative. Hopefully this list gives you somewhere to start!
These are just some of my thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. What kind of writer’s block do you tend to get? How do you combat writer’s block when it comes knocking? Or are you one of these rare people who never actually get blocked in the first place? I’d love to chat with you down in the comments!
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