StoryCraft Novel Challenge Day 28: This is how to push past Writer’s Block
The worst thing that could possibly happen: you’ve got Writer’s Block. You’re stuck, and you don’t know where to go next.
First of all, don’t panic. Writer’s block is such an intrinsic part of the writing process that we all go through it at some point. When you hit a block in your writing, it can come from a variety of different places, so it’s important to look inside yourself to figure out where your block stems from.
Life is getting in the way - Whether it’s psychological or physical, sometimes life happens, and there’s nothing we can do about that. If you’re too stressed or dealing with major events, it’s okay to take a little break and come back to writing when you’re in a better place. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Very few of us have ever been able to write consistently when dealing with a crisis. Do what you can when it feels right to you. The book will always be waiting.
You’re trying to write a perfect book - This is one of the most common sources of writer’s block. So many of us are perfectionists, and it’s really hard to embrace being messy in the drafting process. The reality is that the Zero Draft, as we call it, is simply a sketch. It’s not supposed to look good, so don’t stress yourself out to write something good. If you’re getting stuck because you don’t feel you’re writing well enough, then try embracing writing something bad. You will have subsequent drafts to fix it. Write “good enough for now.”
You’re trying to edit and write at the same time - Writing and editing are two different skillsets, and you can’t do them both at the same time. If you’re not drafting freely, you’re going to get caught up. It would be the same as trying to add fine details to a painting when you’re supposed to be getting down the base coat. You need that base coat in order to finetune later. Writing should be just writing.
Something is wrong with the story - Sometimes we can’t push forward because an element of our story just isn’t working. When this happens, it’s helpful to go back to the outline and try to figure out if there’s an easy fix. Is the emotional journey strong enough? Do you actually have enough story to sustain an entire book?
You’re burned out and need inspiration - Part of the writing process is being inspired and resting, and when we try too hard to work work work, it can burn out our creative mind completely. When this happens, it’s important to rest, read, watch great films, play video games. Do the fun things that bring you inspiration, and go back to your wishlist. Are you actually writing the book you set out to write?
As writers, we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves, but remember that this is hopefully just one of many, many books you will write. The more often you write and work through drafts, the easier it can be to let go of the perfectionism and allow yourself to get down a base coat.
The real writing happens with re-writing, so for now, look at your Zero Draft as simply another part of your outline. The Zero Draft is simply a sketch or a blueprint. It might not even look like a novel, and that’s okay. Do what you need to do to get the words down so you can take space and come back to it fresh in revisions.
You can’t edit a blank page, but you also need a complete draft before you can start editing.
Our online course, StoryCraft: Writing Your Novel features our complete process as well as some critical discussions about the craft and how to work through blocks. You can join the Beta for $150 off with SCBETA.
Share your tips for Writer’s Block with hashtag #StoryCraftNovelChallenge, and tomorrow, we’ll talk about setting good habits.
Happy Writing,
Jess and Theo