Writer's Round Table: Pros Give Advice on Writer's Block

A few years ago, a friend wrote poignantly about what it's like to be blocked. I asked some pro writer friends for words of encouragement.



This is from a well-known, NYTimes-best-selling author:


WRITER'S BLOCK
I am sittinghere looking at a fic I have not touched since 2007.  I have 135K done, including the last scene...or,about 2/3 of the total fic.  I am ALSOsitting here looking at a novel that was due three years ago, for which I havesomething similar to an outline and the first 50K written (only 100K to go,right?) 

I've beenwriting fanfic and profic since the 80s, and dealing with blocked, derailed,and MIA stories for most of that time.  Hereare some of the strategies that have worked for me.  (NOTE: some of these ideas aremutually-exclusive, because every writer writes differently.)

1. WELCOME TOTHE GULAG: Block out a specific time and place where you do the same thingevery day: sit in front of the screen and make words come.  Doesn't matter what you write, or even if youdon't write.  Just be there doing nothingelse (no shopping, no reading AO3, no social media) for that one or two hours(no more) each and every day (same Bat-time, same Bat-channel).  Eventually your brain gives up and you get towrite what you want to write.

1A. Ifabsolutely nothing else will come to your fingers, choose a favorite book (orlongfic) and retype it. 

2. FACE THEMUSIC: Between day job and commute (long) I was really bushed when Writing Timearrived in the evening.  I just didn'thave the energy—but I did have a deadline. Solution?  ROCK'N'ROLLBAY-BEE!!!  I wrote two novels to"Bad To The Bone".  Just thatone track.  On infinite repeat.  Loud. So pick a piece of music, declare it your writing music, and hit"Repeat" on iTunes.

2A: Earphonesare a great help.  Use the sport kindthat leave your ears free.

3. WELCOME TOTHE MACHINE: When I would dry up working on a piece—and we are talking YEARS insome cases—it was often because I was trying to take it in the wrongdirection.  I learned to recognize thatfeeling when it came and take a step back. (You can either wait for inspiration to come—I know! I know!—or try tonegotiate with your subconscious.  Or,yanno, try to REASON your way through to the answer.)

3A. Sometimesswitching to another project will help.

4. PRESENTCOMPANY: 95% of all fic is written in the present tense, for reasons thatutterly escape me (even though I do it too). Try taking your blocked piece and changing it to past tense.  Or first person.  Anything to get The Muse—AKA yoursubconscious—awake and grumbling.  (Whenyou have annoyed it enough it usually gets back to work.  Nobody knows how much annoying is the exactright amount, though.)

5. THE WALLPAPERIS ALSO A CHARACTER: Back in the beginning, when typewriters ruled the earth. Imade a solemn vow not to stop for the night before I had two pages (500 words).  And when nothing else would come, I describedthe background.  Or the weather.  Or the furniture.  (Amazingly, all those descriptions didn'tlook out of place when the book was done.)

5A: Thecorollary to this is THE MAGIC TCHOTCHKE: Every story needs one importantand well-described item.  It might be amagic sword, a 1967 Chevy Impala hardtop, a big stone ring built by Ancient astronauts.  Find out which it is in your story and showit some love.  And if your story doesn'thave a magic tchotchke yet, consider adding it.

6. INERTIACREEPS (MOVING UP SLOWLY): If you know what comes next, tell yourself.  Use any words you need to for writing downthe information.  Sometime this is calleda scene-by-scene breakdown.  It is veryfamiliar to the "treatment" for a film (most good books onscreenwriting will show examples of treatment style).  Once you have a version of what happens, youcan poke at it to see if it's the "real for true" version.  Then you are one step closer to finishing thestory.

7. EURIPEDES,YOUR PANTS ARE READY: There are essentially two kinds of writer: the Pantser,and the Outliner (I'm both.  Sue me.)  The Pantser begins a work with a vague ideaof where it might be going and an enthusiasm for the journey, and not muchmore.  The Outliner wants a roadmap, aGPS, and the location of every Rest Stop along the road before beginning.  The takeaway here is that BOTH METHODS WORKWONDERFULLY WELL.  Except if you're aPantser who's trying to follow a detailed outline.  Or an Outliner who's decided to just go withthe whole Inspiration thing.  Figure outwhich kind you are, and nurture that writing-self.

8. LOOSE LIPSSINK SHIPS (THE "I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP" REMIX): Writing takesemotional energy.  So does talking aboutyour WIP.  If you deny yourself theoutlet of talking about your story while it's in progress, you might just findthat (since you are looking forward to all those lovely comments) this givesyou enough oomph to unlock your Muse.

And don't forgetThe Broccoli Test, The Bechdel Test, interviewing your characters, and thestory's Blooper Reel.  (I'm hopingsomebody else will cover these in depth?)

Good Luck!

--- Dejah Vue, Writer of TwoWorlds 

If you'd like to contribute to the discussion, email me at mail@deborahjross dot com.