Getting Stuck: Overcoming Writer's Block

All writers have had it at one point. It’s been one of the greatest impediments to progress on books, stories, and any other kind of writing. It’s the reason why many writers stop writing and give up.

Yep. You know what I’m talking about. Writer’s Block.

Writer’s block is the term used to describe the sad condition of a writer who is stuck. It’s when you are not motivated to keep writing.

I’ve had it before, quite a few times. But over the course of the years I have been writing, I have discovered how to counter it in the best way for me.

I have also talked to other authors who have had it. Almost everyone who knows how to deal with Writer’s Block have a different cure. So what I’m going to do is tell you the way I can get rid of it. Then I’m going to tell you how to get rid of your case. If you haven’t had Writer’s Block, think yourself lucky. But don’t forget you’re probably going to have it at some time, so it’s best to be prepared.

Right off the bat, I’m going to tell you why I usually get it. If I take a “break” from writing, that can be one of the worst things for me. If I write every day and get into the habit of it, then I have a system going, churning out those chapters. But if I decide to go do something else for a couple of days, that’s when I’m in trouble. I forget where I am in my book, lose my streak, the fire dies, and before I know it, I’m stuck with Writer’s Block, with no motivation to get back to work on what I know I love to do but just can’t seem to get started doing again.

I first discovered the malady when I was in the middle of rewriting my first book. Remember I told you I had lost the first hundred pages of work I ever made? Well, I had kept going. I picked myself up and was back where I lost it all. By then, my determination to not be crushed by the loss had kind of died. I knew I liked writing, but by then the pain from losing a hundred pages had somewhat lessened, and as a result I lost motivation.

But wait! My book wasn’t even done. I couldn’t stop there! That’s what I knew. I tried to pick it back up, but I realized it was useless. I had to do something other than force myself to write when the words wouldn’t come. My solution was simple and quick. Hopefully it will work for you. If not, keep reading beyond the next few paragraphs and I’ll deal with that.

I simply read what I had written, from beginning to end.

Okay, let me quickly digress from telling you about my cure. Reading your own book a year or two after it is done is seriously pretty cool. A while ago I picked up my first book and was, surprisingly, enjoying what I had written. Of course, a ten-year-old’s writing can only be so good, but my story captivated me even though I was the one who had written it. Make sure you finish that book you’re working on, and one day you’ll have the same feeling!

Anyway, for my cure for Writer’s Block, I simply turned to page one and started reading. I once more was thrown into the excitement of the stag hunt which my trilogy opened with. I walked the wondrous palace in the city of Curnir and met the Druilts for the first time. By the time I reched my stopping point prior to contracting Writer’s Block, I had picked up the threads of my story, and I was able to keep weaving the tale together. I remembered the story and I remembered my characters and I remembered what needed to happen next. Most importantly, I remembered my passion. I knew writing was what I wanted to do. The simple reminder of reading what I had already written was enough to bring me back.

So first off, I would suggest doing that if you are caught in the throes of Writer’s Block. Often, a simple reminder to yourself of what your story is can be enough to set you back on the tracks from where your train derailed.

Sometimes that doesn’t work for everyone, though. You’ve read all eighty-six and a half of your chapters, but you still don’t feel like picking up.

Well, I want you to think back over your life. What is the time when you felt most down and didn’t feel like pursuing something you knew was right? What did you do to give yourself the courage to do it?

Maybe you had a nice long talk with Mom. Maybe listening to your favorite music artist was enough to inspire you. Perhaps going on a hike gives you the time to clear your thoughts. Did you pick yourself up after reading a favorite book?

Whatever it is, think about why it worked for you. Do you just need someone to tell you to get back to work? Some encouragement that your book is worth it? A quiet time to think?

Whatever it is, you know best what gives you motivation to keep going after you’re down. We all have been there, but something made us get back up, and you can find it.

That’s really how you can deal with Writer’s Block. For me, I need a push in the right direction, and figuring out the direction of my story by reading over it is the way I do it. For you, it could be different.

Whatever the way is, all you need to do is remember it. Talk to your mom. Go on that hike. Listen to your music. Read the book.

P.S. The favorite book might turn out to be your own. Writer’s Block is simple to defeat if you know how, and now you do. Put it on the back shelf and figure out the way to get it together again. If you’re a writer, you have it in you to defeat our worst enemy.