Lydia Stoner
asked
Karen Witemeyer:
I am going off what you said to Cintia, and with your first strategy. I do focus on the positive and I have a lot of encouraging people around me, and I have some amazing ideas, but I get writers block, and then I become my own worst enemy. I am looking for advice that can inspire me and make me follow through with my dream. I know I am young, and I think that gives me a disadvantage. So do you have to help me?
Karen Witemeyer
Hi, Lydia.
First off, I'm excited that you are interested in writing. The fact that you have ideas running around in your head is a gift. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new idea and plunge into writing. It's the finishing part that is hard. Writing is work. And much of it is not easy.
Professional writers on deadline cannot afford to be sidetracked by writer's block, so we force our way through it. Sometimes that means writing garbage just to fill the page. It gives us something to edit and fix, but more importantly, it keeps us moving forward.
My way of battling writer's block is to figure out my story before I start writing. I'm not a full-on plotter. I don't write outlines for every chapter, but I do write a detailed synopsis before I begin. I need to know who my hero and heroine are, what their main conflict is, and around 3 big plot points that will emerge during the story to keep the excitement building and the pacing moving forward. Once I have those pillars in place, I can sit down and write. I follow my road map pretty closely. Sometimes I veer onto a side road if a new idea occurs to me, but for the most part, I stay on course. Having a direction is what allows me to avoid writer's block.
So, if you tend to get writer's block after the excitement of starting a new project wanes, I would encourage you to spend some time brainstorming different plot possibilities. Get a basic road map of where you want your story to go. Then sit back down and write. It won't always be fun, but nothing beats the satisfaction of finishing a manuscript and writing "The End."
First off, I'm excited that you are interested in writing. The fact that you have ideas running around in your head is a gift. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new idea and plunge into writing. It's the finishing part that is hard. Writing is work. And much of it is not easy.
Professional writers on deadline cannot afford to be sidetracked by writer's block, so we force our way through it. Sometimes that means writing garbage just to fill the page. It gives us something to edit and fix, but more importantly, it keeps us moving forward.
My way of battling writer's block is to figure out my story before I start writing. I'm not a full-on plotter. I don't write outlines for every chapter, but I do write a detailed synopsis before I begin. I need to know who my hero and heroine are, what their main conflict is, and around 3 big plot points that will emerge during the story to keep the excitement building and the pacing moving forward. Once I have those pillars in place, I can sit down and write. I follow my road map pretty closely. Sometimes I veer onto a side road if a new idea occurs to me, but for the most part, I stay on course. Having a direction is what allows me to avoid writer's block.
So, if you tend to get writer's block after the excitement of starting a new project wanes, I would encourage you to spend some time brainstorming different plot possibilities. Get a basic road map of where you want your story to go. Then sit back down and write. It won't always be fun, but nothing beats the satisfaction of finishing a manuscript and writing "The End."
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