Writer’s Block and how to overcome it.

Have you ever spent ten minutes staring at a blank page… or started a new paragraph and had no idea what to write? Writer’s Block is one of the most frustrating phenomena an author can face. The inability to write, especially when under a deadline, can have far-reaching consequences and negatively impact your career. Fortunately, there are things you can do to snap out of this frustrated state of mind.

Before I kick off this section of my book writing guide, I would like to point out that my idea of writer’s block is very different from others: I don’t actually believe in it. I believe there are periods during which you feel ‘blocked’ – when the words aren’t flowing, and you’re more likely to procrastinate and avoid your manuscript – but I don’t believe in the inability to write. These periods are simply the inability to write well.

Journalists are proof that writer’s block is not insurmountable. A journalist will write an article (or multiple articles) every single working day, without fail. They don’t report to work and fail to do their jobs because ‘they have writer’s block today’. Instead, they might sit back at the end of the day and think ‘That wasn’t my best work’. For me, that’s what writer’s block is. And, being our own worst critics, when a novelist can’t produce his or her best work, they feel they cannot write at all – aka, Writer’s Block.

Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block

Now that we’ve established that writer’s block is a state of mind, let’s look at some ways to combat it.

1. Step Away From Your Manuscript

Sometimes, your brain needs a rest. If you’ve been staring at a blinking cursor for fifteen minutes, the chances are that you’re not going to have any great epiphanies in the next twenty. So get up – go for a walk, eat something, phone a friend, read a few pages of your book… you need to let your subconscious do the work while you distract yourself. When come back to the screen, you’ll have a much better chance of breaking through the ‘block’.

2. Change Your Location

Every few days I pack up my laptop and work from a coffee shop. I have my favorite, but the venue varies from time to time… wherever I go, however, I feel freshly inspired. There’s nothing like a change of environment to get the creative juices flowing. You might prefer a library, a shared office space, or even a different room in your house. For me, it’s a cafe. Probably because the smell of fresh cake never fails to get me excited.

3. Journal through the Writer’s Block

The aim here is to document your stream of consciousness to work through the writer’s block. Try to diarize your thoughts as they occur. Do not edit as you go. The point is to get the words flowing without stopping. It’s liberating, you should try it! I prefer a notebook and pen, but your laptop will do just fine.

4. Write by Hand

For this, you will definitely need to set your laptop aside. The act of putting pen to paper engages your brain differently from typing. Scribbling down ideas and random sentences is a great way to get your inner muse to come out and play. Also, never discard any of these ramblings… you never know what gems you might be able to salvage later.

5. Read through the Writer’s Block

Almost every author I know started out as a reader. Without even realizing it, we draw inspiration from other works. Reading sparks our imagination, and immersing ourselves in someone else’s writing puts us in the right headspace for creativity.

6. Hold a Brainstorming Session

My favorite thing to do when wrestling with a plot, or my world-build, is to get a coffee with a friend and bounce my ideas off them. The friend in question has been with me through about twenty books, so he is well-versed in the art of listening. Sometimes, it’s not advice you need, but to be able to speak the problem out loud so your brain can come up with a solution. The friend serves as a sounding board, much like a therapist, and at the very least deserves a cup of coffee for listening to your ramblings.

If you prefer not to disclose any part of your plot mid-book, write it all down. Brainstorming looks different for each of us – so make a spider diagram, a Pinterest board, a mind map… whatever works for you.

7. Make a Playlist

Character Playlists are the epitome of cool. I’ve only recently started making my own, and I love the tone they set. I’ve created Playlists for past projects such as Rainfall and The Legacy Trilogy, and I’ve also created playlists for the characters in my current WIP. These really ground me in the character’s mindset and create the perfect ambiance when writing from their respective POVs.

Music is highly emotive, so the right playlist can get you itching to make words.

8. Timed Sessions are perfect to punch through Writer’s Block

Remember how I said that I didn’t believe in Writer’s Block? This exercise will prove it. Set a timer and pick a project – be it a piece of flash fiction, a random thousand words, a short story, or a fresh chapter of a brand-new manuscript. Start writing as soon as the timer begins and don’t stop until the buzzer sounds at the end of the session. You might hate what you’ve written, but I guarantee there will be words on the screen.

9. Exercise

I promise I won’t be hashtagging #fitauthor any time soon, but getting moving really does seem to send oxygen to the brain and get the creative neurons firing. Walk the dog, jump on your kids’ trampoline, go to a Pilates class… pick your poison, just get moving, and let the magic happen.

10. Be Kind to Yourself

If you are really hating your writing and the problem isn’t going away, give yourself a break. Spend time with loved ones, go out for dinners, on holiday, or simply find something else to do for a while. Loving what you do is key, especially for novelists, and sometimes you need to be reminded why you started writing in the first place. You know what they say… absence makes the heart grow fonder!

I hope these suggestions help you overcome your Writer’s Block, but remember… it’s only a state of mind, so it cannot last forever. Writer’s Block is temporary, but your words will last a lifetime. And if you need further encouragement to write that book, our step-by-step writer’s guide is always a great place to start!

Until next time, write hard!

MD x