• Read this: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?288931-Guidelines-for-Participation-in-Outwitting-Writer-s-Block

    before you post.

How do you handle the dreaded writer's block when it hits?

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
12,852
Reaction score
3,041
Location
Not where you last saw me.
We have a number of really good threads asking for help coping with specific cases of writer's block, as well as a sticky "Famous writers on The Block" detailing well-known writers' thoughts and strategies for handling the dreaded block. And, of course, articles abound across the web offering tips and techniques for overcoming the block.

Bringing it closer to home, I thought it'd be nice to discuss strategies we've tried—those that failed as well as those that worked. Or even those which work at times but not always.

One of the things I've noticed when I'm blocked is that if I completely clear my mind, the words come. Unfortunately, that usually happens within ten minutes of giving up and going to bed. The 'puter's off and by the time I run to the office and boot it back up the breakthrough is gone forever. Once I suffered through this a few times I trained myself to make sure I had a pen and paper AND a small hand-held recorder on my nightstand. The reason for both is how my mind (particularly my memory) works: having the pen and paper is super for getting down an idea on a direction to take when I'm blocked because I don't know what to write next whether it's an action within a scene or a scene itself. The recorder works better for recording words and phrases I've been trying to capture. The recorder I have is a tiny 1.5" X 3.5" Olympus that I've had for absolute donkey's years and it's super handy for sticking in my jeans pocket when I'm out and about.

Do you have tips to help your poor, suffering friends here?
 
  • Like
Reactions: bahamaswriter

AW Admin

Administrator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
18,772
Reaction score
6,284
I'm writing this from the perspective of someone who has had to write, both because of academic deadlines, and because if I don't write, I don't eat. And quite often, I don't get to choose what I'm writing; the client does. So I'm often writing things that aren't exactly inspiring. It's a job. And sometimes, getting those words out is a painful struggle.

Spark File
When you do get a spark, and idea, a thought, write it down, or record it. If you've got someone you can talk to about your writing (without them rolling their eyes, or being miserable) talk to them. Email yourself. Have a notebook handy where you can jot things down. Use your phone to leave yourself a voice memo, or a portable recorder. But keep those ideas; don't evaluate them, just save them. You can evaluate later. This technique of making quick notes about an idea sometimes called a Spark file. You can use a Google doc, a notebook, or a digital memo. Smart phones are good for this, too.

Stop pressing the Write Now button.
Sometimes writing doesn't happen because we're pressuring ourselves too much. Sometimes you just have to get up and walk away. Do something else. Read for an hour, or (this one often helps me) go do something outside, something that isn't writing. Walking, shoveling snow, gardening, visiting a friend. Watch a movie, or listen to music. Sometimes your hind brain needs to chew on things for a while; doing something else lets that happen.

Stop When You're On A Roll
When you're writing, stop at at point where you know what you want to write next. Make a note about what happens next, what you want to write next, and stop. That give you a place to start next time, instead of staring at a blank screen.

I know it seems counter intuitive to stop when you've been struggling, but if you stop with a known what-to-write-next, while you are writing that next bit, quite often something else will unfold as you're writing.

Try the Non-linear Approach.
Some of us are inexorably driven to write linearly. That's a perfectly reasonable working method; but when you're struggling to write a particular scene or section, consider trying to write something that happens earlier or later in your narrative. I'm officially giving you permission to skip ahead.

Get in Touch With Your Inner Muse (or characters)
If it's just not working, try writing about what you want to write. Have a dialog with yourself, in writing. Just write; you're writing just for your eyes, you don't have to even keep it, but writing about your writing often nudges your hindbrain into gear. There are multiple ways to go about this; write to yourself, asking questions and trying to answer them, writing about what you want to write but don't know, write to one of your characters, as if you're writing them a letter, or even, have one of your characters write a letter to you or to another character.

Write Something Completely Different
Try writing something completely different, something that isn't part of the WIP. It can be anything; it can be a blog post, freewriting, a letter to a friend, a book review. Free writing, or a journal entry, or poetry if you're usually all about prose. Mix it up. Just write something else, and don't pressure yourself. Consider it a limbering up exercise.

Switch tools
Try a different tool If you're a long-hand writer, try using a keyboard, or using a different kind of writing tool (pen instead of pencil, a different color of ink, a fountain pen, or a pencil). If you're a keyboarder all the way, try using paper and pen or pencil. Just try it. Sometimes it helps to copy over something you've already written on the WIP; just a page or two, and think more about the copying than writing something new. Then re-read what you've copied. Sometimes this is enough to start your writing engine.
 

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
14,476
Reaction score
23,914
Location
Massachusetts
Website
elizabethbonesteel.com
The most common cause of my writer's block is information overload. When my life is otherwise chaotic, it can become impossible to focus on a single story, or even a small piece of one--I keep getting distracted by the to-do lists in my head.

For me, organization is vital. To get past the block, I need to have time set aside to devote to writing, even if all I do is stare at the page. And it needs to be a pretty big block of time, even if I don't get anything down: if I'm anticipating something (like an appointment or a scheduled phone call), it's hard to shove the extraneous thoughts out of my head long enough for me to get to the story.

But really, getting a handle on the not-writing is most important. If I have too many balls in the air, I'm far too exhausted to write even when I have down time. Although like AW Admin, the times I've had external deadlines I've managed one way or another, probably because in those cases writing achieves parity with everything else on my list. I should probably figure out how to prioritize it even when I don't have someone waiting for me to finish a piece - I do it because I love it, after all, and that should make it important enough.
 

AW Admin

Administrator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
18,772
Reaction score
6,284
I should probably figure out how to prioritize it even when I don't have someone waiting for me to finish a piece - I do it because I love it, after all, and that should make it important enough.

I think this is key; having a time and place to write that's reserved.

It's awfully hard to manage, especially if you have a regular job, a family, and a life.

But it's important, and yes, you do deserve the time and the space.

Sometimes it's easier to write somewhere else, where Life is at a bit of a distance; a coffee shop, a library, even a table at the food court.
 

Elle.

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 10, 2018
Messages
1,272
Reaction score
734
Location
United Kingdom
Might not work for everybody but sometimes when I block on something, I go for a walk with my headphone and some music. I often find that the combination of the two loosen my mind and allow it to wander. By word and thoughts associations I normally come up with new stuff and then use the notes section of my phone to write it down and make sure I don't forget it.
 

mrsmig

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.
Staff member
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 4, 2012
Messages
9,843
Reaction score
7,068
Location
Virginia
I've been blocked for the past six months due to issues with my publisher, which resulted in my withdrawing my rights in December. The disappointment and frustration over those issues took all the joy out of the writing process. It's only been recently that I've been able to write on something resembling a regular basis. I did a couple of things that helped me get past the block:

1) I accepted that I was blocked, and stopped beating myself up over it. Absolving myself of the guilt over my publisher's failures and my resultant loss of steam was cathartic.

2) I chat periodically with other authors who've also left the same publisher. We bitched and moaned a lot in the beginning, but now it's more about exchanging tips and encouraging each other. A couple of the authors are feeling blocked as well, so knowing that there are people out there experiencing the same heartache makes me feel less alone.

3) Because I'd gotten out of the habit of writing regularly, I set myself a very small goal of 100 words a day. Some days I only write 100 words. Most days I write more than that. But I write every day, which is the whole point, and I'm starting to get a bit of that joy back.

4) I had stopped critting here on AW, but I'm easing back into it now. Looking analytically at others' writing - no matter the skill level - greases the skids, so to speak, and makes it easier to do the same for my own. I'm reading more, too, and that helps.
 

Kiteya

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 25, 2018
Messages
56
Reaction score
2
When writer's block hits me, or I just get too lazy to write, I pick up a writing book. This can be a guide on plot, characters, setting, anything really. Reading one of these books can serve as great motivation to get back to writing. Some great ones are:

"The Art of War for Writers'' by James Scott Bell

"Characters, Emotion, and Viewpoint" by Nancy Kress

"Novelist's Boot Camp" by Todd A. Stone

Basically, reading a book on writing can help a lot. It can be a big motivator!
 

Snitchcat

Dragon-kitty.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
6,344
Reaction score
975
Location
o,0
It's fascinating how we each handle the block. So many processes, and each as unique as the person that the process works for, though there are common themes.

At the moment, I've hit the block on a WIP. In general, I analyse the (root) cause of the block and work on resolving the cause. Over time, I've found it's mostly "I don't 'feel like' writing", however, that's caused by Life™ demanding my attention and the fact that I need multiple creative projects to keep my focus. It's only been recently that I've distilled my actual process into a procedural list.

So personally, I do the following -- usually all at once:

  • Analyse the block and pinpoint the root cause:
    • If the root cause is Life™, satisfactorily fulfill the demands of Life™ first, then write as a reward
    • If the root cause is 'boredom' (i.e., one single creative outlet), then switch to a different type of creative project
    • If the root cause is lack of energy, then figure out where the energy is being spent and redirect as needed; if redirection isn't feasible at the time, deal with whatever is taking the energy then return to writing (this one is similar to the Life™ scenario, but the difference lies in the fact that the thing leeching the energy is usually just one issue)
    • If the root cause is lack of interest in the WIP, analyse why -- sometimes, I've gone off in the wrong direction; a correction brings back the writing spark
    • If the root cause is the medium used, I switch mediums -- this used to happen frequently when I was writing on the computer 'cos of work. When I returned to writing WIPs using pen / pencil and paper, the block disappeared.
  • If I can't pinpoint the root cause, it's time for a true break from writing -- other creative projects take over, or I'm outside doing something else instead.
  • And if a break doesn't work, then it's time to free-write -- whatever comes to mind, whatever I want to record tangibly. Usually, by the time I'm done, I've automatically switched back to the WIP and am progressing on it.
Occasionally, none of the above work, at which point, I practice calligraphy in another language or watch something or play a game or just doodle (which can be amazingly fun and relaxing).

I've also learned to take my time resolving the block: there's no pressure and no time limit. (Deadlines are a different thing.)

And since I have kitties: spending time with them is essential, and that time spent has helped me relax and re-focus. (Of course, when the kitties sit on your work and work implements, then that's a different matter altogether. :tongue )
 

Bacchus

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 23, 2016
Messages
614
Reaction score
150
I feel like already standing on the shoulders of greats and repeating what has been said above, but 2018 was a bad year for my writing following a couple of stressful life events (near death of an ageing mum - had travelled up to say goodbye and discussed her life and funeral arrangements), near death of a cat (hey, these furry little blighters get under our skin), both amazingly pulled through but the stress told, plus the end of an eight year relationship all left me a bit emotionally fried.

I am enjoying writing again now but it has taken time and, for what it's worth to others (possibly not those who depend on their pens to keep the lights on):-

-Don't beat yourself up when you can't write. Think of a singer losing his or her voice - nothing can be done until it's back, trying to sing will make it worse!
-Have other pastimes - I achieved a few "practical" things (painted a boat, converted a panel van to a motorhome, pruned a huge tree ten years overdue...)
-Allow yourself to get "well" and then write a little. A few sentences but good ones. Remember that you can actually write! Read the sentences, celebrate that you have finally written something and don't try to force more just yet.
-Offer a bit of critique - it helps you to get back in touch with your inner writer.
-Look at other styles or genres. I wrote some poetry and my first ever shorts and flash - flash is terrific because you can have the whole thing done in a day and, again, remember that you can write!

I have two novels in the trunk and I set myself the arbitary goal of having a third at least halfway through first draft before looking at self-pubbing the first (I need to know that I can produce) - I had two false starts with it, but am now about a quarter of the way into book three - I am happy with where it's going AND am enjoying the creative process.

There IS light at the end of the tunnel. If you can't see it today, don't strain your eyes looking. Allow yourself the day off, do something you enjoy -- explore the countryside, go to a museum, visit an art gallery -- and have another look tomorrow, and when you see it take baby steps, don't try to run.
 
Last edited:

pseudowriter

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 2, 2018
Messages
243
Reaction score
130
Location
American by birth, Scottish by Association
Website
www.armarnaforbes.com
This is gonna either a) sound stupid or b) make you hate me, but the best way to combat it, for me, is just write. I have found that as long as I get ass-in-chair and look at what I'm working, the juices start flowin'.

One technique I do while I write (that I later found out Hemingway did so must mean I'm doing something right, right?) is I never get to a "stop" point. What I mean is, I never work to the end of a chapter, and often, I'll stop writing mid-sentence between sessions. This somehow helps me get back in the groove. The next day, if I see a half-finished sentence, it's easier for me to pick up and complete it the next time versus if I'm looking at the blank page of a brand-new chapter.

If none of that works, I end up picking up a book that is... related? to what I'm writing. Similar voice or world or ideas or something - that generally is enough for me to warm up and get things going.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Howard Brian Edgar

mccardey

Self-Ban
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 10, 2010
Messages
19,171
Reaction score
15,732
Location
Australia.
I clean out cupboards. Sometimes it helps, but even when it doesn't, I have clean cupboards the next day, so there's that. But there is something about ordering spaces that seems to click a switch in my mind. Often the block - for me - is coming from an anxiety about which of the trails is the one I should be riding down.

I do think anxiety creates more blocks than the Inspiration Well running dry. I think the Inspiration Well just gets a bit too full and becomes intimidating.

ETA: Also - if I had an actual pony, I'd go for a ride instead of cleaning cupboards and I really think that would be much more effective in terms of chasing trails - but so far no-one has given me a pony. (I would look after it very well and clean up after it and groom it and everything, and you wouldn't even have to do anything. My birthday is in May please and thank you.)
 
Last edited:

pseudowriter

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 2, 2018
Messages
243
Reaction score
130
Location
American by birth, Scottish by Association
Website
www.armarnaforbes.com
ETA: Also - if I had an actual pony, I'd go for a ride instead of cleaning cupboards and I really think that would be much more effective in terms of chasing trails - but so far no-one has given me a pony. (I would look after it very well and clean up after it and groom it and everything, and you wouldn't even have to do anything. My birthday is in May please and thank you.)

In Scotland, you can adopt Shetlands from the local animal shelters in the Borders. Just sayin'. ;)
 

Kat M

Ooh, look! String!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 4, 2019
Messages
951
Reaction score
627
Location
Puget Sound
New plan . . . move to Scotland, collect pony.

Perhaps I'm too new to this to have a tried and true technique, or perhaps there are five million causes of blocks . . .

For mild block/fatigue, I go for a long walk or a drive with scenery.

I'm also lucky enough to have a friend who is intensely interested in my work. I can usually talk to her and even get her to read stuff. Sometimes she can identify the problem or give me an idea through one of her questions.

If that doesn't do it, I start self-analyzing, similar to Snitchcat.

I often get stuck because a plot point lacks proper characterization to make it happen. So I'll write "fan fiction" about my characters—back story, sequels, p.o.v. rewrites, whatever is interesting me. I'll discover new things about character motivations and have some satisfaction. When it stops working for me or I find my throughline, I go back to the main WIP.
 

Dianee

Registered
Joined
Apr 10, 2018
Messages
44
Reaction score
5
Location
Ithaca, New York
Hi,
I don't write for a living, so I don't have the pressures that perhaps a professional writer faces. With that said, I love to write and have written a lot. A few basic things help keep my creativity flowing:
1. Keep screen time to a minimum. I'm a bit extreme in this in that I do not have a television and typically spend less than an hour a day on my computer and phone. I hand-write my first drafts with a pencil rather than on computer. If I spend too much time in front of screens, my creativity is zapped! (also, information overload online zaps my creativity)
2. Meditation keeps my mind open and often if I am at a sticking point in a story, if I meditate, I will find a clear direction to go in.
3. Spend time outside everyday and take walks. I drag my old dog out no matter the weather and try to spend some time savoring nature.
4. Try to not over-pack my schedule, giving my mind time to wander.
Although I run into block sometimes, typically when I'm overextended or have stressful life events occurring, I am often able to write several pages a day and typically pleased with my writing. However, I am terrible at keeping a routine and not disciplined enough with sitting down everyday to write... we all have our challenges!
Good luck :)
 

MindfulInquirer

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 13, 2018
Messages
64
Reaction score
5
I often find writer's block whether as a musician or a writer is just a matter of getting the engine going again, like you'll notice how sometimes you're just facing that empty sheet of paper or Text document on the PC and you're distracted by whatever, you'll procrastinate like crazy etc... but once you force yourself, some kind of muscle in the brain gets going and it's like you go from 0 to 8 in very little time. Like it's more like a mechanism than an actual creativity issue. I'll even return to the first parts I wrote just to get me going now that I'm oiled up and finetune them. I really see it more like getting on that treadmill and the first few minutes feel like forever, but then you'll just inevitably get into it. Unless you're completely dry, in which case, why are you even writing during that period, wait a couple of months it'll come right back with gusto.
 

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
12,852
Reaction score
3,041
Location
Not where you last saw me.
I often find writer's block whether as a musician or a writer is just a matter of getting the engine going again, like you'll notice how sometimes you're just facing that empty sheet of paper or Text document on the PC and you're distracted by whatever, you'll procrastinate like crazy etc... but once you force yourself, some kind of muscle in the brain gets going and it's like you go from 0 to 8 in very little time. Like it's more like a mechanism than an actual creativity issue. I'll even return to the first parts I wrote just to get me going now that I'm oiled up and finetune them. I really see it more like getting on that treadmill and the first few minutes feel like forever, but then you'll just inevitably get into it. Unless you're completely dry, in which case, why are you even writing during that period, wait a couple of months it'll come right back with gusto.

That "completely dry" is kind of what writer's block is. It's not being lazy or being easily distracted or being the Grand Poobah of Loyal Procrastinators. Writer's block is when the words won't come and the harder you try, the more recalcitrant they become. It can happen because we've been drained by life circumstances but it can also happen when the planets are perfectly aligned, you're there disciplined and ready (oh, yeah), but words—for some reason the words didn't get the memo and they're NOT there. Well, there are words but they're curse words, not the words you're looking for.

There are some useful tips in the thread, some with real possibilities for me and maybe for other sufferers, and we thank you. So keep those coming—if you've got 'em, share 'em. <G>
 

April Swanson

Happy Beeps
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 7, 2018
Messages
904
Reaction score
66
Location
Far, far away (but not far enough)
Website
aprilswanson.com
The more I understand my beloved Block, the more I realise it's stemmed from me taking writing too seriously. In a bid to be more productive, more savvy in marketing etc, I've thrown up lots of rules about what I 'can' write, and how I 'should' write. Basically, I've forgotten how to relax and have fun with my writing. The more I work on chilling out and lowering standards, the easier the words flow.

I think I can speak for all of us when I say that Writer's Block is the worst. The worst!
 

Simian

Registered
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
I'm not sure it helps, but for me it's all about avoiding distractions. I need my partner to be out of the house and sometimes I even turn off my cable box (with WIFI) just to stop those detours to the internet for "research" :)

Put it this way, the most writing I ever get done is always on airplane flights, so I tend to work the logic of that backwards.

Also, wine helps.
 

Introversion

Pie aren't squared, pie are round!
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Messages
10,612
Reaction score
14,744
Location
Massachusetts
I often get blocked in a way that I call "pushing on a rope". Words spill out but they're doing nothing, just piling up in curly drifts of telly pointlessness.

Sometimes it helps to write a different scene. Or to have a character write a letter to a loved one. Or take a shower. Or wash the dishes and change the cat's litter box. Or read a good book and pretend I could've written it. Or read and post on Absolute Write, and act like I know what I'm doing.

--Introversion, pushing on a lot of rope lately
 

Winston S

Registered
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Location
Tennessee
I don't know that I even understand what Writer's Block actually is. It seems to affect everyone in different ways, and all of those ways are somehow lumped into the subject of Writer's Block. If I had to put my brain on the subject, I would say my Writer's Block is some amalgamation of procrastination and not understanding what is happening in my story.

1. I watched this interesting video last week where this lady was talking about Procrastination. She basically explained that it was caused by high levels of immediate, mental stress. So to relieve yourself of said stress, you do other things which are less stressful--Facebook, Youtube, TV/Netflix, Video Games--you know, the normal stuff.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that's exactly how I feel whenever I sit down to do actual work-related writing. For example, I'm writing in this forum right now, yes? I'm just typing along. My thoughts are coming to me in real time as I type. No problem. It's easy-peasy. But as soon as I switch over to Scrivener to do actual "work"... my stress meter sky rockets, and I nearly have an anxiety attack.

Why?

Well, at the moment, I'm starting a new book almost entirely from scratch. And that is a daunting task. It's like you're staring at a giant wall made of bricks. In reality, all you have to do is focus on laying one brick at a time. But I can't see that yet. All I see is the huge wall, and it stresses me out. So much to do. So much at stake. So, so much. It gets stressful real quick.

I've come to realize the reason I get stressed at this point in my process is because I'm not done organizing information yet. I have details and things to get sorted out or I haven't quite found my hook yet... something. Basically, my project needs better organization so that my brain can process one thing at a time instead of trying to process the entire thing. It's about making those little bricks.

2. The other time I hit Writer's Block is when I'm already knee-deep in a manuscript that I'm working on and I've come to the conclusion that something isn't correct with my story.

All production just stops. I figured it out pretty early on what my problem was. There was something I thought was wrong with the story/character/plot/scene or whatever. Just, something about a feature in the story wasn't sitting with me. It would bug me, and I couldn't let it alone. I could continue on with the story only so far, but eventually, the issue would be so big, I just had to stop until I figured it out. Usually, I didn't have the slightest clue what the actual problem was, and even if I did, I didn't have a clear solution for it, and even if I did, it would require a lot of rewriting, which invariably created a lot of stress in me, which made me procrastinate. HAHA!

My solution to this was to basically write about the problem, or the feeling of the problem. I don't mean continue writing the story. I mean in a separate file or document, literally I wrote my frustrations out. I would write it in very fine detail, and no detail was too small. Essentially, it's the same concept as leaving no stone unturned until you find the thing you're looking for. I discovered that when I did this, I would usually stumble upon the what the problem actually was. It would just come out of me, and when I'd write it, I would know it immediately. And once I knew the problem, then I could effectively figure on a solution, plan the corrections, and execute on those plans.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on Writer's Block.
 

Norman Mjadwesch

vacuous eyes, will bark at shadows
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
2,294
Reaction score
1,859
Location
Far Far Away
There seem to be a heap of things that work for most of us who get blocked: doing something different (mow the lawn, take the dog swimming, throw rocks at ducklings – not really, I’m just seeing who’s paying attention) seem to be common strategies and those normally work for me. But right now none of it’s working. When that happens I spend more time here at AW, which is good in a way (hanging out and learning about everyone else is great) but it’s also a symptom that I’m not in a very good head space (not always, you’re actually pretty good company). That’s why I haven’t been here very much after I signed up a year ago: I was churning through my work and didn’t want to divert my attention to anything else.

A couple of weeks ago I was booming. Now I have hit a wall. It’s not procrastination (that was in my uni days - I remember it well LOL), it’s just the inability to get going, despite the best intentions. I could tell you how much I think it sucks, but if I went into anywhere near enough detail about that I think I would get banned from AW.

Since I normally write in a non-linear fashion, my WIPs are almost always very segmented, while linking those segments together is one of my primary motivators. In my current WIP, fifteen of the first seventeen chapters are done, with the two missing pieces following one after the other. But those two, plus 18 & 19, are really long chapters. Once they’re finished, the back will be broken on this project, but at the same time I’m badly burned out. I know what I need to write (the words are in my head, the notes are on the page) but every time I sit down to the keyboard I draw a complete blank. No energy. No desire. Nothing. So I open other files and piss about and when I go to bed it’s just another day wasted. Those four chapters are pretty daunting, and while I know I can knock them over in a week (two tops), starting the first words leaves me flat whenever I try.

One strategy that seems to be unusually effective (just not ATM) is to do with tool choices. Others have said to pick up a pencil (a typewriter is an alternative), but I find that switching fonts has the same effect, which negates the need to double-handle the writing when entering everything into the drive. Normally I write in 12pt TNR, but for this WIP I’ve changed to calibri, and have even done the fancy dropped capital for the first word of each chapter, just for something different. Oddly, it gives my onscreen work a kind of bookish effect, which I find inspiring. NB: Not related to this thread, but I also do that when I edit (combinations of font type / font size / italics / bolded text, let me spot typos a lot more easily).
 

Norman Mjadwesch

vacuous eyes, will bark at shadows
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
2,294
Reaction score
1,859
Location
Far Far Away
Sorry, forgot to add:

To me, whenever I can’t write I feel very useless. Yes, it’s stupid and we all know it is, but for me the best way to salvage anything is to do something that I can use for my writing at a later date. Research falls into that category, and I can lose myself in it, often for weeks. Sometimes I might divert to other projects, or track down a friend I have not seen in ages, anything to add value to my life.

I am currently doing two of those things: looking for a book without knowing its title, and looking for a lost photo collection that my father’s step-siblings were responsible for when his mother died (I don’t even know their names, and he refuses to reach out even though this album was very important to him). Both of those pursuits are unlikely to amount to anything, but it beats the hell out of looking at a blinking curser.
 

charles19

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
102
Reaction score
1
Its funny how the subconscious mind works. For me, I may be doing something completely different, but my writing is always in the back of my mind. It sort of goes in and out of consciousness, but I am still working on the problem even though I am not completely aware of doing so. I also find that the point in my writing that needs to continue comes to the forefront of my mind at various times, and at some point, I achieve a breakthrough, and the answer is revealed to me. It is almost like a channel opens all of a sudden. As if I have hit on the right frequency. Finally, whenever the inspiration arises it is vital to go for it. It may be in the middle of the night or while sitting in a subway. I always have a pen and pad handy in case the Muses smile at me.

-Charles
 
Last edited:

screenscope

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 5, 2005
Messages
681
Reaction score
78
Location
Sydney, Australia
About ten years ago I had a year-long bout of writer's block (a mental anxiety episode that only related to writing), in which I became overwhelmed and panic-stricken every time I had the urge to write. It was bloody horrible!

I recovered by setting myself a target of one sentence per writing session, which, after a stop-start beginning, brought me back to 'normality.' It worked so well, that's still my session target today. It's now very easy to exceed expectations.
 

evangaline

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Messages
188
Reaction score
11
Ari Meermans wrote: "That "completely dry" is kind of what writer's block is. It's not being lazy or being easily distracted or being the Grand Poobah of Loyal Procrastinators. Writer's block is when the words won't come and the harder you try, the more recalcitrant they become. It can happen because we've been drained by life circumstances but it can also happen when the planets are perfectly aligned, you're there disciplined and ready (oh, yeah), but words—for some reason the words didn't get the memo and they're NOT there."

Oh God, thank you so much for saying that! I've struggled for the past year trying to get the 'muse' back to work but nothing's helped. I want to write, I need to write, but the inspiration isn't there. Maybe now.... Again, thank you for the eye-opener. Truly appreciate it.
 
Last edited: