How to Overcome Writer’s Block Like a Bestselling Author
Writers everywhere have or will lack writing inspiration. Whether you need help to overcome writer’s block, or are simply looking for inspiration for writing, read our today’s tip, taken from…
Writers everywhere have or will lack writing inspiration. Whether you need help to overcome writer's block, or are simply looking for inspiration for writing, read our today's tip, taken from Write Great Fiction: Revision and Self-Editing by James Scott Bell.
We all have times in our writing when the words get stuck, or the story we’re writing just won’t get going again. Sometimes, we sit at our desks and fail even to get an idea. Time doesn’t fly, but drags, like Igor shuffling across the mad scientist’s laboratory. If it gets real bad, we may think we’re characters in an actual horror movie called The Block That Would Not Die. This is what writer's block is.
The most important thing to remember at this point is not to give in to despair. All creative people have moments when the flow dries up. So know this: It can, and will, be overcome.
How to Avoid Writer's Block & Write Creatively
- Writing Warm Ups. Say you’re working on a novel, and you are about to begin your daily stint. Do some simple, free association writing exercises to get your creative juices flowing. Try writing without stopping to edit for ten straight minutes and let the writing take you on any tangents you wish. The object is not to write anything to publish, though ideas often come from this exercise. The aim is to get into a creative state of mind.
- Try a Creative Writing Prompt. Another creative writing exercise is to take a writing prompt and try to write a page-long sentence. Take an aspect of your story—a character sketch or scene—and write a sentence that goes for a whole page without using any punctuation and employing as many techniques as you like, such as dialogue, flashback, and description. This creative exercise will help free you from artificial constraints when you start your writing.
- Focus on Writing a Scene. Instead of seeing your whole literary novel, focus on the immediate scene you’re working on. Just concentrate on the scene within the frame, and nothing else. You’ll find revising is not so daunting when viewed this way.
- Have an Editing Strategy. Learn to identify the most important tasks for revising your manuscript, and start with the important ones.
The Best Writer's Block Method for Getting Over Writer's Block
One of the best writer's block method and part of overcoming writer's block is knowing any writing problems you have can be fixed. The phrase, “I can fix it,” is worth putting up in your writing space. All it takes is the right tools and experience, which you get both the more you write and proofread. Some changes to your story will be more painful than others and you may have to tear up a lot of your book and start over, but remind yourself that all this work is worth improving your book. Imagine the look on an editor’s or agent’s face. They are hoping to find that next great manuscript. Let it be yours and anticipate that it will be.
Today's tip was taken from Write Great Fiction: Revision and Self-Editing by James Scott Bell. Learn other writing tips and participate in our daily writing prompts to improve your writing!
