BRAVE THE PAGE Excerpt: Writer’s Block

Brave the Page, our brand new NaNoWriMo handbook for young writers, is available to order! Partly a how-to guide on the nitty-gritty of writing, partly a collection of inspiration to set (and meet) ambitious goals, this is our go-to resource for middle-grade writers. Check out this Brave the Page excerpt on how to beat writer’s block:

Your story is in front of you, you’re ready to write, but your mind is blank. You call out to your imagination, “Help! I need you!” but there’s no response. You stare. And stare. And stare. But no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to get a single word down. You try going for a walk. You try talking to a friend. You try screaming into a pillow. But still, the words won’t come. 

If this scenario sounds familiar, you, dear Writer, have a case of Writer’s Block. 

The good news is this diagnosis isn’t fatal. Your story will survive! Just take one or more of these over-the-counter remedies to get your ideas flowing again: 

Grab your Writer’s Block and give it a great, big hug. Don’t try to fight or hide it because that will make it worse—instead, accept that you’re stuck. And then acknowledge that all writers (including the most famous ones) have also faced this challenge. Next, tell yourself that there’s a way to unclog your ideas. You might not have found it yet, but it’s out there. Learning to honor and accept these creative impediments will help you see them for what they are: a part of the beautiful and sometimes angst-ridden creative process. Write through your block. Write nonsense. Write what you had for breakfast. Write about how you hate not knowing what to write. Your words might not make sense. They might not relate to your story. They might feel like a waste of time. But, eventually, the very act of writing will shake your imagination out of its deep slumber and you’ll find that you’ve landed back in your story.   
Talk it out with another person. Call a friend or corner a family member and tell them you can’t think of what to write next. Give them a rundown of your plot or a brief summary of the last scene. Talking about your story with another person can help generate new ideas and enthusiasm.
Talk it out with your Inner Therapist. That’s right, next to your Inner Editor’s office is your Inner Therapist, a licensed practitioner who loves to listen and help solve complex problems. Here’s how it works: you ask questions, and then write down your Inner Therapist’s responses. Take a look at this example:

ME: Why can’t I think of anything to write? 

INNER THERAPIST: That’s a great question. I wonder if you could try to answer it yourself. Why can’t you think of anything to write? 

ME: Let’s see. My protagonist is stuck in jail, so there’s not a lot she can do. I feel like I backed my story into a wall. Or into a cell. Now nothing can happen. 

INNER THERAPIST: Interesting dilemma! I wonder why nothing can happen in jail? What does she think of the food? Do prisoners ever get food poisoning? Is your protagonist going to try to escape? Or does she meet any other prisoners? What if there’s a prisoner who looks just like her? Or like her mom? Or grandmother? 

ME: Those are good questions. I like the idea of her seeing someone who looks like her. Thanks! 

Meet with your mentor. Remember that mentor of yours, the one who’s available 24/7 and totally free of cost? That’s right, we’re talking about your favorite book. Take some time to flip through it. Re-read your favorite parts. Or read a random page or two. How does the author push the story forward? What are the subplots in the book? Are there any plot twists? Remember, you should never copy another person’s work, but you can definitely take ideas and make them your own. For example, let’s say the protagonist in your favorite book loves to spy on strangers, you could have your protagonist spy on a friend or family member. Or let’s say there’s a chapter in your favorite book that’s told entirely in verse (poetry), you could try writing a chapter of your story in verse.