GUEST POST: Five Tips on How to Avoid Writer’s Block (Chris Buono)
Five Tips on How to Avoid Writer’s Block
by Chris Buono
“Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door,” says that old axiom. How true. If you aspire to be a published author, then that should always be your first job. What job is that? To come up with a plot idea that is better than everybody else’s—in your mind, at least.
So, let us say that you have a plot idea, a good grasp on your characters, know the conflicts in your story, and have a solid idea of where you want that story to go. Great!
Next, you start writing. Things are going well.
However, what if, dare I say, you hit the dreaded writer’s block wall? What can you do to beat it? Better yet, how can you avoid it altogether?
Below are five tips that just may be your solution.
Always Deal from Strength
When Sally Field had won the Oscar for Best Actress in Places in The Heart (1985), a phrase in her acceptance speech spoke volumes: “You like me. Right now. You like me.” What a fabulous quote!
That citation, I believe, many on a writing platform, such as Wattpad.com (of which I am a member), would love to say—regarding their material.
Still, I have seen writers on that platform ask readers to like them. By that, I don’t mean asking readers to click the “vote” star. That is not what I’m talking about here, regarding “liking.”
However, what I am talking about is that some author notes say to me, at their core: “Please don’t pay attention to the typos or errors, because this is an unedited, first-draft, in-progress story that you should still read. Please like me—rather, my material—despite the errors throughout, of which I know there are many.”
There is nothing wrong with a writer wanting readers to like what they have written and posted to Wattpad. Heck, I hope that readers like my work, too.
However, my point/opinion is this: apologizing for your work’s “errors,” at the get-go, is not the best way to “deal from strength”—as an aspiring author.
If your posted work—say on Wattpad—has errors, then pointing out that you are aware of those—and still are posting the story—I don’t think can help you very much.
Writing is a tough business. You need a very thick skin. For you to try to nip possible constructive criticism in the bud, by placing an “error disclaimer” note on your posted material, may work against you. Why?
If you are not dealing from strength—that is, being positive about your material, at every stage/phase/writing/posting (for example on Wattpad)—you can easily get bogged down with worry.
Thus, in turn, you may encounter writer’s block, and that is what we are trying to avoid here.
Don’t Brand before It’s Time
The axiom states: “You can’t sell what you don’t have.” How true—especially if you are just starting out on your novel-writing adventure.
I say that because, your main focus, at this stage of the writing game, should be on “product.” That is, “to write,” period. Once you have a manuscript, you can start pursuing some secondary writing particulars (e.g., querying, elevator pitching, branding).
A query letter involves a tight, short-descriptive, one-page note of both your book and yourself—addressed to either an agent or a publisher.
An elevator pitch, however, is more like a blurb of your book. It grabs, and can encourage more interest in your work. Since it is short, you can quickly recite it during, say, an elevator ride—if you happen to take one with a “power that be.” Thus, “elevator pitch.”
Branding—rather, trying to brand yourself—is quite popular in the social-media world. It is also something in which you can very easily get wrapped, confused, and overwhelmed.
So, what is branding or, rather, an author brand?
Loosely, it is an “instant recognition” of both you and your product—in this case, your manuscript/book.
For example, WATTYS winner Michelle Jo Quinn, a writer on wattpad and a Limitless Publishing published author, recently started a “short-story romance series,” of sorts, on Wattpad.com.
Now, if you removed from your mind Michelle’s other writings on that platform, she would still tend to be instantly “known/recognized”—in the Wattpad world.
By that I mean, mention “Christmas or Valentine’s Day anthology,” to a romance-enthusiast on Wattpad and, chances are, Michelle’s virtual “romance” anthologies would come up, be discussed, or viewed.
With her anthologies, Michelle has created a “love brand.” Thus, now, Wattpadders look not only to read those “shorts” but also to submit stories to her for publication in those virtual books. Therefore, Michelle has created a “brand” here, so to speak.
Similarly, USA Today bestselling author Kelly Anne Blount—aside from her great “writing” success via/on Wattpad—has created another “brand” for herself, so to speak. That is, the “Wattpad Block Party.”
Those three words, in the Wattpad world, and to some extent beyond it, have become synonymous with Kelly. The WBP is a “Kelly brand,” if you will.
The above are two examples of “branding” after the fact. That is, both Michelle and Kelly had, basically, a product, and made/developed a “brand” for it.
As an aspiring author, you don’t have such a product…yet. Therefore, trying to brand yourself can be difficult and/or frustrating.
Thus, at this point, if you focus mostly on trying to brand yourself, other areas of your writing may suffer. That is, any time that you pull yourself away from your main goal of writing, you can throw off your production, and writer’s block may result.
Know Your Limits
The Internet offers aspiring writers tremendous opportunities. One can build a good fan base, by way of it. One can get noticed, via it. One can get published, through it.
Still, with so many opportunities to write and interact online, it can become overwhelming.
Pressure, too, can also build. That is, if you feel that you must do/attend everything pertaining to writing, and the writing life. I call it the “what if I’m not in it” syndrome. That is, you involve yourself with everything “writing,” because you feel that if you don’t, you’ll never become a good writer or “noticed.”
Contests, Internet book parties, and other types of writer celebrations are all great. If you can attend those, that is fantastic!
However, as an aspiring author, you need to know your limits. You also need to accept those limits. If you don’t, you could stretch yourself too thin, be pulled away from you goal of writing, and encounter writer’s block.
Stick with Your Bread and Butter
Whatever genre for which you hope to write, that is on what you should focus.
It is easy to get excited about a new online contest, opportunity, or chance for exposure—that entices you away from your genre.
Still, you should think about “sticking with your bread and butter,” so to speak—your genre—when first starting out. That is your best chance to develop a solid story voice for your work.
If you are just looking to have “fun” with your writing, then, by all means, trying to write a host of different genre stories will give you that.
However, if you are serious about developing a “voice,” for a specific genre, then that is on what you should concentrate.
For you to take part in this, that, or the other online “writing opportunities,” just because each might be where interest is high, may only bring about writer’s block, because of your wavering genre focus.
Stop When You Are in the Writing Flow
From time to time, someone on Twitter will call for a “writing sprint.” Then, two or more writers will agree to wright for a short, set amount of time. Their focus will then be on reaching a certain amount of words, within that timeframe.
However, number five on our list here tells us to go counter to that abovementioned practice. That is, instead of continuing to write, when you are “in the flow” of it…“stop.”
Yes, you read that correctly. “Stop,” when you are writing well. There is one loose rule, however. That is, “stop” only if you are close to your word quota for that day and, only if you are “in the flow, not trudging along with it.
Cutting yourself short here, when you are “in the flow,” can help you to avoid writer’s block. That is because stopping suddenly, forces your creative mind to realize two things. One: it keeps the taste of creativity alive. Two: your creative side will crave to write more, when you permit it to do so again—because the creative side enjoys the feeling of the muse being with you.
In the End
The above tips have always helped me to avoid writer’s block. I hope that they benefit you in some way, too.
Good luck to you and, happy writing!
Author Bio: Chris Buono is an aspiring romance and horror author who writes full time. His contemporary romance Her Boss’s Surprise has 59K reads on Wattpad.com; his horror novel The Lake is currently a WIP, as are several other writing projects.
You can find Chris on:
Wattpad: ChrisBuono
Twitter: @CBuonoWritesU
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Chris...
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/1077
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