Maria Murnane
I'm no stranger to writer's block, which at times can feel paralyzing. And stressful. And did I say stressful? I've learned to battle this dreaded affliction with three strategies:
1) When I feel stuck on a scene, or if the creative muscle to write clever dialogue or interesting descriptions just isn't there, I make placeholders in ALL CAPS and move on. For example, in the first draft of my latest novel I included placeholders such as:
*DESCRIBE RESTAURANT HERE - HAVE IT RUSTIC AND ON THE BEACH
*HAVE HER WALK ALONG THE BEACH ALONE AND FEEL SAD
*ADD IN SOME DETAIL HERE ABOUT THEIR PREVIOUS TRIP TOGETHER
It's not pretty, but the ALL CAPS thing works because it keeps me focused on the plot. If I've learned anything at all about writing novels, it's how important it is to keep the story moving forward. I can always go back and edit later.
2) When I've done the above but have no idea where to take the plot next, I go to the gym and bring my phone. I jump on the stationary bike with my Kindle Fire and start watching TV. Inevitably I'm struck by an idea, so I whip out my phone and email myself a note. I'm not sure why exercising helps me so much, but it works every time - and it keeps me in shape. A win-win!
3) When I come up with an idea for something to include at some point in the book, I add it to a cleverly named document called "To include at some point." This is basically an eclectic list of bullet points, but it's a great way to make sure those bursts of inspiration don't get lost.
I'm not sure how scientific my approach is, but it works for me!
1) When I feel stuck on a scene, or if the creative muscle to write clever dialogue or interesting descriptions just isn't there, I make placeholders in ALL CAPS and move on. For example, in the first draft of my latest novel I included placeholders such as:
*DESCRIBE RESTAURANT HERE - HAVE IT RUSTIC AND ON THE BEACH
*HAVE HER WALK ALONG THE BEACH ALONE AND FEEL SAD
*ADD IN SOME DETAIL HERE ABOUT THEIR PREVIOUS TRIP TOGETHER
It's not pretty, but the ALL CAPS thing works because it keeps me focused on the plot. If I've learned anything at all about writing novels, it's how important it is to keep the story moving forward. I can always go back and edit later.
2) When I've done the above but have no idea where to take the plot next, I go to the gym and bring my phone. I jump on the stationary bike with my Kindle Fire and start watching TV. Inevitably I'm struck by an idea, so I whip out my phone and email myself a note. I'm not sure why exercising helps me so much, but it works every time - and it keeps me in shape. A win-win!
3) When I come up with an idea for something to include at some point in the book, I add it to a cleverly named document called "To include at some point." This is basically an eclectic list of bullet points, but it's a great way to make sure those bursts of inspiration don't get lost.
I'm not sure how scientific my approach is, but it works for me!
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
