Coorlim’s Guide to NaNoWriMo 12: Writer’s Block
Image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month
Coorlim’s Guide to NaNoWriMo is a multi-part series on writing, creativity, and the work-life balance throughout the month of November. Today we’re talking about writer’s block.
Writer’s Block isn’t real
Okay, sometimes a writer can’t or won’t feel like writing. Sometimes you’re feeling uninspired. Or lazy. Or procrastination has you in its grip. Or you don’t know what happens next. But “Writer’s Block” isn’t an actual distinct affliction people suffer from. There’s nothing super mystic about the process of writing that gives it its own ailments, moreso than any other form of creativity or craft.
The most important takeaway here is that if you throw up your hands and go “WRITER’S BLOCK OH DARN” all you’re doing is giving yourself permission to slack off without trying to fix the problem.
Don’t do that.
Top 7 Reasons why writers don’t write
Don’t know what comes next
Can’t focus
Fear
Boredom
Not in the mood to write
Overwhelmed
Other shit to do, man
How to crush those excuses like a grown-ass adult
If you don’t know what comes next or you feel like you’ve written yourself into a corner, this may be because you’ve gone off script. Did you write an outline? Consult it. See where you had planned for the story to go next. See where you diverted from that plan, and get yourself on track, either by writing new scenes, or by eliminating ones that don’t take you somewhere useful. Even if you love them. Especially if you love them.
If you want to make big changes, you can, but make sure you extrapolate them to either link up with your story’s spine, or redirect that spine and see where your next ending lies.
If you find yourself unable to focus on your writing, then there might be something else bothering you. Something you need to get done. Go. Take care of it. Stop waffling. Then come back and write.
If you’re afraid to commit your protagonists to a course of action over a different course of action, then you need to buckle-down and work that kink out. What makes the most logical sense? What best suits the themes of your story? What’s the most entertaining? It’s easy to fall into an indecisive paralysis when presented with infinite options, but go with your gut. Write what reflects you, what reflects your story. Don’t worry about reception yet; you can tweak and polish during the revision phase.
If you’re having problems because your current scenes bore you and want to get back to the fun stuff, think about how your poor readers are going to feel! Cut those boring scenes out, or reduce them to a paragraph or two of exposition. Your stories need the connective tissue to get you from A to B, but if they’re dull, you don’t have to detail them moment to moment.
If you’re just not in the mood to write then don’t. You can’t force it. Trying will only frustrate you. Figure out why, and resolve that shit, then get back into the mood. Maybe tackle some of the non-typing parts of writing – planning, research, outlining – or go see a movie. Refresh yourself. Come back stronger.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the needs of your story, relax. Take a deep breath. Go back to your notes. Take on one small part of your craft at a time. Maybe make some diagrams to help you keep it all straight in your head. Simplify if you can. But get back to the point where you can continue.
If you have other shit to do maybe you should work out what your priorities are. Is “other shit” more important to you then writing? The go do it, and get back to writing. No? Then put it off and get your daily word count finished. But always be aware of how your prioritizing writing. Know how important it is. Don’t let the less-important stuff become a form or procrastination.
The Panic Button
And if all else fails, skip ahead and write a different scene. Don’t do this too often, because eventually you do need to go back to what you skipped, but keeping up a steady consistent workflow is extremely important.
Next time we’re going to talk about soliciting and interpreting feedback on your writing.
Questions? You are invited to either leave a comment below, or ask directly through the comment form.
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