Ask the Author: Jenny Chapman
Answered Questions (2)
Jenny Chapman
The fourth book in the series "Tales from the Adventures of Algy" for young readers aged 7 to 10 and adults young at heart :)
The book will be published in spring 2018 and the title will be announced very soon!
The book will be published in spring 2018 and the title will be announced very soon!
Jenny Chapman
Generally, I wait and try to relax. But much depends on whether the block occurs while I'm in the middle of a book, or in between books.
A block which occurs between books is usually just a sign that the brain is tired, and not yet ready to start the new one, except in the case of the many writers who suffer from clinical depression. For them, the block is likely to be connected to their general mental condition, and lifting it will also be intimately linked to lifting their state of depression. But those who do not suffer from depression probably just need to rest. I find that by far the best way to deal with this is to undertake some physical activity which is not concerned with writing in any way - walking, gardening, decorating the house, any kind of domestic task or hobby which gives the brain a break from thinking and keeps it fully engaged in concentrating on some other task. In the case of Algy's stories, getting out and about in the local environment in which the stories are based both rests the brain and at the same time allows it to passively acquire many new inputs and ideas, which in due course will feed into further books.
However, a writer's block which occurs in the middle of a book is much more serious and frustrating. In my experience, if a book is not started until the story and structure are thoroughly thought out, and yet a block occurs in the middle of writing (without external casues such as family worries or other stress), then it's often a sign that something is wrong with the story itself, and it needs attention. Once again, it's useful to give the brain some time to relax and work things out on its own. It can also be very valuable to get a second opinion, if you happen to have another experienced author or story doctor to consult.
A strategy I often employ, which may be useful for others who come up against a block in the middle of writing a book, is to jump to another part of the book which is not causing problems. If the block is occurring because of an inherent problem at one point, it is encouraging and productive to work instead on another part of the story which does not seem to present the same problems, and then return to the problem section later on when it may become more obvious what is wrong.
If this strategy doesn't work, and the block is not caused by general depression or external factors interfering with concentration, then it's probable that the brain is overworked, and once again needs time to rest and relax :)
A block which occurs between books is usually just a sign that the brain is tired, and not yet ready to start the new one, except in the case of the many writers who suffer from clinical depression. For them, the block is likely to be connected to their general mental condition, and lifting it will also be intimately linked to lifting their state of depression. But those who do not suffer from depression probably just need to rest. I find that by far the best way to deal with this is to undertake some physical activity which is not concerned with writing in any way - walking, gardening, decorating the house, any kind of domestic task or hobby which gives the brain a break from thinking and keeps it fully engaged in concentrating on some other task. In the case of Algy's stories, getting out and about in the local environment in which the stories are based both rests the brain and at the same time allows it to passively acquire many new inputs and ideas, which in due course will feed into further books.
However, a writer's block which occurs in the middle of a book is much more serious and frustrating. In my experience, if a book is not started until the story and structure are thoroughly thought out, and yet a block occurs in the middle of writing (without external casues such as family worries or other stress), then it's often a sign that something is wrong with the story itself, and it needs attention. Once again, it's useful to give the brain some time to relax and work things out on its own. It can also be very valuable to get a second opinion, if you happen to have another experienced author or story doctor to consult.
A strategy I often employ, which may be useful for others who come up against a block in the middle of writing a book, is to jump to another part of the book which is not causing problems. If the block is occurring because of an inherent problem at one point, it is encouraging and productive to work instead on another part of the story which does not seem to present the same problems, and then return to the problem section later on when it may become more obvious what is wrong.
If this strategy doesn't work, and the block is not caused by general depression or external factors interfering with concentration, then it's probable that the brain is overworked, and once again needs time to rest and relax :)
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