How to Overcome Writer’s Block
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While drafting a book can and should be an exciting and fun process, at some point you're likely going to encounter the dreaded writer's block—if you haven't already. This happens when you hit a creative rut and can't seem to get any words or ideas down on the page, discouraging you from writing at all.
Writer's block can be incredibly stifling and, in the worst case, it can keep you from finishing your draft at all, so in this article I want to address how to overcome writer's block and get back in your writing groove. These tips are designed to help boost your motivation, replenish your creative energy, and make you feel inspired to write again.
Remove Pressure
The tip for overcoming writer's block is to remove pressure. You're likely writing a book because you feel super passionate about your story, but all too often that passion can become overshadowed by external pressures that you place on your writing. These pressures can often be what leads to writer's block.
Perhaps you set a deadline for yourself, either that you want to reach a certain number of words or finish your draft in a specific time frame. Now that the deadline is fast approaching, instead of feeling motivated to write, you now dread it, keeping you from writing at all. Perhaps you're a perfectionist and you're upset that this draft still feels messy and that it's not yet to the standard you want, so you now wonder if you should even bother at all.
Some people may perform well under these sets of pressures, but most crumble under pressure. Plus, it adds necessary stress to your life and can take the joy out of writing, so unless you have a specific deadline to meet because you are working with a publisher or a literary agent, try to release yourself from these arbitrary dates. Give yourself the space to let this book come to you at the pace it does while also committing to specific times to write.
If you are in the position of having a deadline from a literary agent or publisher, but you're just not able to meet it, I would encourage you to be upfront with them and ask if there's any room to move the date to give you more time. It’s common in the traditional publishing industry for deadlines to get moved around–even whole book launches get moved around very frequently because agents and publishers understand that writing is a creative act. Sometimes it needs more time to be perfected, especially if you are dealing with writer's block. They will understand that you are in a rut and should want to give you the space to get out of it.
Remember, writing is an art and a freeform type of process. It should be given the space to be imperfect and messy, especially in the first draft phase. Setting arbitrary goals can make the process artificially faster and hurt your morale, which is the last thing you need when you’re trying to finish your manuscript.
I want to close off this point by giving you some tangible tips on how to remove this type of pressure. One is to rename whatever draft document you're working in. While changing the document name to include the terms “work in progress,” “WIP,” “draft,” or “canvas” may feel silly and simple, it can help your brain register that it's okay if the draft isn’t perfect yet because it’s reflecting that your manuscript is not yet final.
Another idea would be to change the font or the spacing of your manuscript draft. Again, while this may feel like a small change, giving yourself more control over the look of your manuscript can make it feel more like a creative space for you. These seemingly silly and small changes can help you remove pressure from yourself and realize that this is a place for you to be creative, open, and experimental.
Create Space for Your Writing
My next tip for learning how to overcome writer's block is to create the space for your writing. One surefire way to perpetuate writer's block is to sit around and tell yourself that you're going to write whenever inspiration strikes you, because as you probably know, that strike of inspiration is quite rare. The truth is, many successful writers are successful because they treat their writing as a discipline. It doesn’t mean they have rigorous rituals when they write; it just means they create a space and the time to write and then commit to it.
If you already have a writing routine of some kind, honor it even if you are feeling writer's block. Don't let yourself use writer's block or lack of inspiration and motivation as a reason to not sit down and write. Even if you feel uninspired, follow through with what you set out to do, like you would any other task, and remember that even if you only get 10 words down in the allotted time, that's better than none at all. After all, you still wrote!
Now, if you do not have an established routine, I recommend creating one. For instance, tell yourself that during your 30 minute break, you’re going to sit and write instead of scrolling on your phone. Write something, anything, because these words are not meant to be perfect at this time–that is what revision and future drafts are for.
To motivate yourself further, you can create a specific ambiance that gives you inspiration and makes you feel encouraged to write. You could promise yourself to make your favorite hot beverage during your writing time or you could light a candle with your favorite scent. Again, these small things can actually spark that creative energy.
Ask Yourself Questions
My next tip for overcoming writer's block is to ask yourself questions about your story. Diving deeper into your novel's world and getting to know your characters can be a great way to both overcome writer's block and deepen your story at the same time. Try to do some writing exercises where you start to think about your story from different levels, especially if you are having trouble coming up with the next scene. These questions can help you come up with ideas for those scenes and also help you flesh out your characters and themes.
Here are some example questions you can ask yourself to start that critical thinking process:
Why can the story only be set in this location and period?
What has happened in XYZ character's past to make them who they are today?
What is one thing that the protagonist and the antagonist, if you have one, agree on?
What will the protagonist and the antagonist, if you have one, be doing in 10 years?
What are three other works of art–visual art, film, poetry, music–that reflect my story's themes?
What is the single idea I want readers to take away after finishing my story?
You can do this as a thought experiment or write out the answers on a page. The idea here is to get you thinking about your story from a whole other perspective, reigniting a creative flame.
Connect With Other Writers
Sometimes, learning how to overcome writer's block means connecting with other writers. Connecting with other people who know exactly what you’re going through because they have been there themselves can be rejuvenating. Although the act of writing is often something you do alone, it doesn’t have to be completely isolating. There are amazing support networks of writers working on different types of projects and sharing their experiences.
Some ways to find other writers to connect with are workshops and conferences, both in person and virtually. If you’re in a workshop setting, that can also help you stay accountable to writing, because you will often be turning in pages for critique–so if you're someone who needs an external deadline to produce, that can be helpful. Now, most workshops and conferences come with a fee, so that’s something to keep in mind. There may be affordable courses at your local community college or online writing organizations that offer virtual courses, either live though a video chat platform or self-paced. No matter your budget, you can find a place to meet other writers–just make sure there is a community aspect to the course.
I would also check online communities including Reddit, Twitter, Facebook groups, and YouTube. I've seen writers share their experiences and respond to each other via the comments on my YouTube videos and it’s really amazing and inspiring to see the community being built online.
There are many other reasons why it benefits you to connect with other writers. They can act as critique partners or beta readers. They can also just be someone who’s excited to spread the word about your book when it’s getting published. And most importantly, they can become a really close friend–one you wouldn’t have met if you weren’t both writers!
Read Something New
My final tip for overcoming writer's block is to read something new. I firmly believe that the best writers are also strong readers and that one of the best ways to learn more about writing is to see how other storytellers approach their work. This isn't about copying; it's about learning techniques and strategies that will better resonate with readers.
While reading within your own genre is valuable, especially if you are eventually planning to pitch literary agents, for the purposes of writer's block specifically, I think reading in a wholly different genre can be very illuminating and can light a different kind of creative spark. It helps you see new kinds of story techniques and tropes that can help you approach the way you use your preferred genre’s techniques and tropes. Reading short stories and poetry can also be inspirational as they will teach you about the craft of writing.
If you find it's hard to sit down with the written word because you do that enough already when you're trying to write, I totally understand. I would encourage you to check out a different form of consuming stories, such as audiobooks–I find those to be helpful especially as someone who reads all day for a living. And if you have trouble finishing a book or finding the time to read, consider joining a book club to help keep you accountable! It has the bonus of being another place to potentially find other writer friends.
I hope these tips helped you feel excited again about writing and eager to turn back to your story! Anytime you face the dreaded creative rut, use these tips on how to overcome writer’s block and see what sparks!
Thank you so much for reading and happy writing!