{"id":578,"date":"2017-11-14T19:39:56","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T19:39:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/?p=578"},"modified":"2022-05-30T15:41:21","modified_gmt":"2022-05-30T15:41:21","slug":"how-to-stop-writers-block-and-start-writing","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/articles\/how-to-stop-writers-block-and-start-writing","title":{"rendered":"How to Stop Writer\u2019s Block and Start Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We all know the scenario: you have the urge to create, to compose a poem or to write a story, but a huge barrier slams down between your imagination and the page. The dreaded writer\u2019s block.<\/p>\n<p>You have three options to deal with this block:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Come back another day in the hopes it will be gone.<\/li>\n<li>Sit and stare at the paper or white screen all day long.<\/li>\n<li>Work actively against the block.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Serious writers can\u2019t afford to bow down to writer\u2019s block. Time is too precious. Like Jack London said, \u201cYou can\u2019t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, you\u2019ve come to the right place. Here be clubs.<\/p>\n<h2>Reasons for Writer\u2019s Block<\/h2>\n<p>Writer\u2019s block may stem from some kind of inhibition that comes between you and expressing your thoughts. In order to overcome this inhibition, you need to pinpoint its source. Here are some common creative reasons for writer\u2019s block. Which one is stopping you from writing?<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Reason #1: The Quest for Perfection<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>A creative idea has unfurled in your mind in exquisite detail, and you sit before your notepad or computer, expecting it to transfer quickly and smoothly onto the page. Yet nothing you write seems to compare to the brilliant vision in your mind. And the longer you struggle, the more your masterpiece fades from your memory. You might even start to question whether the story is worth telling.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cause<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0<\/strong>You\u2019re seeking perfection. It does not exist. As Voltaire said, \u201cPerfect is the enemy of good.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #1<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Be lenient with yourself. A second-grade draft is better than a first-grade nothing. Don\u2019t try to nail the exact vision in your mind. Try to bracket it. There will be time later for editing and polishing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #2<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Instead of writing the story itself, write about the story, as if you\u2019re telling a friend what\u2019s so great about it. Try to catch your enthusiasm and that sense of perfect vision. This will help guide you later as you transform the vision to actual words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Reason #2: The Blank Page<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>You\u2019re sitting in front of the blank screen or writing pad, and you can\u2019t bring yourself to defile the virgin white expanse of emptiness. The story in your mind is either vague or complicated, and you don\u2019t know how to approach it.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cause<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Beginnings are scary.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #1<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Don\u2019t start with the first scene of your story. Imagine that\u2019s already written, and start with the second scene or with any scene you feel more comfortable with. You can always come back to it later.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #2<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Take a writing prompt that gives you a first line to continue, or snatch a random line from a song you like. That will move your starting point past the obstacle, so you can continue any way you wish. Having the first line already written gives your story or poem a certain voice and character that, if you manage to capture, may guide you as you continue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Reason #3: What\u2019s Next?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>You\u2019ve written an amazing scene, and now you don\u2019t know quite how to follow it. Or perhaps you\u2019ve just given your protagonist a painful choice to make, and you\u2019re not sure what they\u2019ll do. Or perhaps you\u2019re in the middle of a dialog and you don\u2019t know how your antagonist should reply. So what\u2019s next?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cause<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019re not familiar enough with your plot structure or your characters.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #1<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Stop writing and get to know your plot or characters better. If it\u2019s plot, break it down to acts and scenes. Brainstorm the best settings for each scene, and how to open it. Imagine your novel or story as a film in your mind: how would you shoot the scene? On what would the camera pan and focus? If it\u2019s your characters, try writing an interview with them where you question how they acted in that particular scene. Having them talk about it in your mind will help you hear them more authentically.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #2<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Try the \u201cmany options\u201d approach. Instead of trying to hit on just the right scene, write down ideas for as many scenes as you can. Instead of trying to nail that perfect dialog line, write down as many alternatives as you can. Then choose the best and develop it from there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Reason #4: You\u2019ve Gone Stale<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>You feel lethargic and you\u2019ve lost your passion for the central message that is driving your story. You can\u2019t engage with your imaginary world \u2013 instead you are staring at the keyboard, trying to summon up some enthusiasm for your work.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cause<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0You may have been driving yourself too hard toward that single goal of completing your story. Working to creative exhaustion is counterproductive.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #1<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0If you\u2019ve filled your daily quota, and you feel satisfied with how much you\u2019ve written today, then the simplest solution is to take a break and do something else. Try a brisk walk outside to air your brains and creativity. A nice warm shower (or bath) can do wonders. Cooking works great. Whatever you do, don\u2019t brood about your story, but let your mind wander and be refreshed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #2<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Still not satisfied with the amount of writing you did today, and you\u2019re loath to quit your desk just yet? No problem. Simply switch to some other writing activity, one with a fresh start and all the accompanying new enthusiasm. Take a random writing prompt (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.allwritingprompts.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.allwritingprompts.com<\/a>). Brainstorm ideas for other stories. Work on a blog post or a poem. Surprise yourself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Reason #5: Too Personal<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>You\u2019re writing a heartbreaking scene or poem, and suddenly you worry your prose hits too close to home, revealing too much about yourself. Or you\u2019re exploring some new, dark places and they scare you.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cause<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Bravo! You\u2019ve left your comfort zone.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #1<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Breathe deeply. Your strongest writing comes from working outside your comfort zone. Give yourself time to come to terms with what you\u2019ve created, and work through what it means to you. Come back to your writing another day and see if the added distance allows you to accept it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #2<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0If you can\u2019t come to terms with what you\u2019ve written, revise it until you feel more comfortable with it. Take smaller steps outside your comfort zone\u2014build up your confidence slowly and surely.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Reason #6: Lack of Confidence<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Also known as: you suck. Everything you write sucks and doesn\u2019t deserve to exist: the characters\u2019 emotions fall flat, their observations are unoriginal, you are using clich\u00e9d phrases, and there\u2019s no sparkle or excitement to make the reader turn the page. You can\u2019t bear to put any more energy or passion into something that is so bad.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cause<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0<\/strong>You\u2019re judging yourself too harshly, or you\u2019re not in the right mood to appreciate your writing. That doesn\u2019t mean you should stop writing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #1<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Forbid yourself to re-read what you\u2019ve written. Lower your head and forge through despite the bad feeling. It\u2019s just that: a bad feeling. Tomorrow you may feel better, and then you may discover that what you\u2019ve written today is just fine. Most of the time, given the perspective of time, you won\u2019t be able to tell apart the parts you thought were brilliant as you wrote them from the parts you couldn\u2019t stand.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solution #2<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0Do a reality check with a beta reader. Let them read your work and comment truthfully about it. Go to someone you trust, and then do trust their review. If they say it\u2019s good, then it\u2019s good, no matter if you can\u2019t see that at the moment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Which One Is You?<\/h2>\n<p>Whatever reason you have for being stuck, look up the relevant solutions and wage war against your writer&#8217;s block. Best of luck!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","categories":[25],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/578"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}