Matthew McAndrew
Thanks for asking! My answer: I don't have writer's block. I have writer's overload. Too many ideas and only certain places to put them at certain times. If my purpose in life is to pump out novels, then I will never die.
Of course, I do deal with challenges, but I never call them 'blocks' because I know there's always a way through or around them--I've just gotta find it.
For instance, if my main character doesn't seem to be working the way I thought s/he would, I'll work on the characters surrounding him/her. That often gives me the insight I need to understand the main characters and their struggles better.
When I come up against a problem, I start asking myself questions: why? What if...? How can I...? What happens if I do this...?
Doing that, and really thoroughly studying the problem itself, always brings about a solution. The main thing is to not just give up and drop it, leaving things as is because you're too impatient to get to the bottom of the problem. I don't advise hopping to another project, either--that always seemed counterproductive to me, unless you just desperately need a mental break. Power through the challenge in front of you until you're satisfied with your own work. If you can't be happy with THAT, what's the point of writing?
Of course, I do deal with challenges, but I never call them 'blocks' because I know there's always a way through or around them--I've just gotta find it.
For instance, if my main character doesn't seem to be working the way I thought s/he would, I'll work on the characters surrounding him/her. That often gives me the insight I need to understand the main characters and their struggles better.
When I come up against a problem, I start asking myself questions: why? What if...? How can I...? What happens if I do this...?
Doing that, and really thoroughly studying the problem itself, always brings about a solution. The main thing is to not just give up and drop it, leaving things as is because you're too impatient to get to the bottom of the problem. I don't advise hopping to another project, either--that always seemed counterproductive to me, unless you just desperately need a mental break. Power through the challenge in front of you until you're satisfied with your own work. If you can't be happy with THAT, what's the point of writing?
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more