Ask the Author–Do you get writer’s block, and if so, how do you overcome it?

You have probably heard of writer’s block. It seems like a fairly common phenomenon. A few people deny its existence, but many writers will tell you that there comes a point where you kind of hit a mental wall, and it is an enormous struggle to break through to continue with the story. So, this week, the question for the author is: Do you get writer’s block, and if so, how do you overcome it?

To answer the question, yes, I do get writer’s block, and how I overcome it depends on what kind it is. In my personal experience, there are different kinds of writer’s block. These include losing motivation because you’d rather be doing something else, not being able to figure out how to make the story sound right, or having external influences engaging your mind enough that writing just doesn’t come, even if you really want to do it. Here are the solutions I’ve found to counter each one.

So, you have been writing a story, but you’ve gotten to a point where it isn’t the exciting beginning, but it hasn’t reached the climax, and you have to figure out how to make things interesting, and it’s hard. You have another story idea you want to explore, or you have an art project you want to take on. Perhaps you want to try playing a game. Those things aren’t all bad, but if you find yourself avoiding your story because you’ve hit a boring spot, there are a couple of things to try. First, make sure you know what the climax will be. If you have to, skip the boring parts and write the climax, or that scene near the end that has been hovering in your mind for forever. Knowing what it is can help you know how to get there, and writing something you love can renew your interest in the story and get you excited about filling in the gaps. If drawing is your thing, you can draw a few scenes, or even try to storyboard your story. Stick figures totally count. Sometimes even that can reawaken the feelings that prompted you to start your story in the first place. Whatever you do, just don’t give up.

Maybe, you’ve hit a spot in the story where you’ve been writing well, but somehow what you’ve written just isn’t feeling right and you know if you keep writing, that won’t feel right either. In this case, the best thing to do is rewind a little. Usually, there is a plot issue that needs to be cleared up. Sometimes it’s because the direction you’ve chosen to take isn’t very believable. Sometimes it is because the characters have acted contrary to the personalities you have given them without having had a reason to change. Sometimes it is because there isn’t enough conflict, and sometimes it is because you have strayed from the plot of the story and started down a side path that only distracts from the main plot rather than helping. There are many different things this could be, but the best way to deal with it is to find where you have deviated and correct it. Just don’t give up.

Then there are times when life simply gets in the way of your story. Something big happens. You move, or you get a new job. Maybe it can be an illness. Maybe some sort of loss. Maybe it can be something good, like a new family member. Whatever it is, sometimes life just makes it hard to write. Even if you have time, you sit down to write and it just refuses to come. Whatever you are trying to write just seems so far from where you are mentally and emotionally that you can’t connect with what is happening on the page. This is the hardest type to breakthrough. Sometimes you can force yourself to write anyway and it starts to come back, but sometimes the best thing to do in this case is to just let yourself have a break. Let yourself work through the life event. Sometimes it only takes a few days. Sometimes it takes quite a bit longer. Maybe you can still write, but chance your focus and do some journaling instead. Usually, when you are ready, you’ll be able to come back to what you were working on. Or you’ll find you outgrew it, and you can start on something better. You have to follow your heart on this one. It will tell you whether it’s best to force yourself to write through the block, let yourself take a break, or start something different. Just don’t give up.

Really, there isn’t just one right answer to overcoming writer’s block. Whether you have to take a break, fix a problem, or renew your energy, just don’t give up.

Have you ever had writer’s block? What did you do?