Alyssa Marie Bethancourt
I had a creative writing professor once who told us, "There's no such thing as writer's block; you're just trying to write the wrong thing." That sounded like nonsense to me at the time, but I've since discovered the kernel of truth in that (very simplified) soundbyte.
When I'm stuck on something, it's usually because I'm trying to push the story where I want it to go instead of where the narrative has naturally taken me. Stepping back and radically rethinking what I'm trying to do can help me see a way past the obstruction.
Also, sometimes it's just the wrong *time* for me to be working on a particular project. In those moments, it's helpful to have more than one story going, so I can take a break without letting my writing get rusty by stepping into another narrative. Fanfiction (that may or may not be intended for other people to ever see) is especially great for this.
When I'm stuck on something, it's usually because I'm trying to push the story where I want it to go instead of where the narrative has naturally taken me. Stepping back and radically rethinking what I'm trying to do can help me see a way past the obstruction.
Also, sometimes it's just the wrong *time* for me to be working on a particular project. In those moments, it's helpful to have more than one story going, so I can take a break without letting my writing get rusty by stepping into another narrative. Fanfiction (that may or may not be intended for other people to ever see) is especially great for this.
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