This is a chapter that I felt was necessary to include because every writer deals with writer's block at one point or another. Now, for those of you who are new to the term, writer's block is where a writer gets stuck, not knowing how to continue their story. Either that or they have hit a roadblock or plot hole that they don't know how to fix.
I have a few tips on preventing and, hopefully, curing writer's block if you are interested. In my experience these things are what work the best for me. Keep in mind that you might be different! I'd love to hear how you battle with writer's block so feel free to let me know in the comments. That aside, let me share my tips.
Tip #1:
First of all, there's a really basic way that you can avoid the worst of writer's block. And that is to plan. So if you haven't started writing your story yet, please plan. It will save you a whole lot of stress in the future when you reach a dead end where you can't turn back. I have a chapter on how to plan if you think that will help you.
Tip #2:
So you have an idea in your mind of what you want to write, but you just don't know how. No worries. We've all dealed with this at some point. I talked in my chapter on writing good descriptions about taking what you are trying to write out of context. What this means is that you should cut all connections of what you want to write from your story and just write a description. Write it exactly as it comes to mind and when you are done, then apply it to your story, cutting what doesn't make sense and editing it so it does. Go check out the chapter that I mentioned has this to read more about it in detail.
Tip #3:
If you think way back to the beginning (ish) of this book, I had a chapter called "Finding the Plot" that basically focussed on finding inspiration for a story idea. Now, you can still try and look for inspiration even if you already have a plot because the reason for your writer's block could be that your story is missing something and you can't place it. So you should consider that and look for inspiration when dealing with this "condition". Some places I listed for inspiration were dreams, personal experiences, listening to people's stories, movies/books/TV, music, and school. Another thing I said you should do is think "what if" about everything. Literally. Everything. What if something different happened? What if so-and-so did something they didn't? What if something wasn't impossible? I highly suggest checking out my chapter because I haven't even begun to touch on these things in this chapter.
Tip #4:
Sometimes all you need to do is take a break from writing. The break can be as long as fifteen minutes to a week. If you've been swamped with writing and pressures to update, ignore it. Go out with your friends. Get some exercise. Try something new. Studies have shown that exercise actually improves how much you will absorb and how fast your brain will function. It wakes you up, gets the blood flowing, and gets you pumped on adrenaline. Adrenaline is fantastic. In the long run, it doesn't really matter what you do, so long as you take a break from writing for a little while. When you return to your story, you'll have a fresh mind. You never know -- maybe the writer's block will be gone.
Tip #5:
Sometimes what you need to do is some freewriting. It will get the ideas flowing and maybe help you in your actual story. I'd suggest doing fifteen minutes of writing about some random topic every night until you either come to the conclusion it isn't helping or your writer's block is cured.
Tip #6:
The brain works in mysterious ways. Something as small as a change of scenery can make a huge difference. If you've been writing in the dark of your basement ever since you started your story consider going where there is light or even writing outside if the weather is nice. Or you could go somewhere else entirely, like a café or library. Maybe the place you usually work is too noisy or, on the rare chance, too quiet.
Consider when your mind works at it's best. What time do you usually study? Do you focus best at morning or in the evening? I've always considered myself to be an evening learner, but many people are the opposite. Try writing at a different time of day. Or sleeping more often. Don't attempt to write when you are insanely sleep-deprived.
Unless that's your thing. Who am I to judge?
Tip #7:
Much like the last tip, writer's block can stem from too many distractions. The trick is to get rid of them. If you are OCD or ADD/ADHD or even claustrophobic then there is a good chance you won't be able to write in a cluttered room. Even people who aren't either of those things might have trouble being around a lot of things. Consider separating yourself from a crowded room or the television or even your little brother. If you are listening to music, that might be a problem (it's ironic because I'm listening to music as I write this) because while some people find it relaxing, others are easily distracted.
By the way, an interesting fact for those of you who do like to listen to music as you write: I did a project a while back on if music helps the brain work or not. As it turns out, it does in most cases, but some genres work better than others. For instance, non-lyrical songs are best. If you're into classical, that would be fine. Or there's always the option of EDM which would probably be highly more preferable to most of you. That was basically my research in a nutshell. I won't get into the "why"'s of it, though.
Tip #8:
If plot holes are preventing you from writing, the only solution is to rethink things. You either need to remove an element from your story or add one. I would recommend not removing anything if you can prevent it; that should be your last resort. Try to add elements to make it all right before taking anything away. Who knows? Your story or characters may become more complex in the process.
Tip #9:
This relates back to tip three in finding inspiration. You should read lots of works other than your own because it will expose you to new ideas and ways of approaching things. Plus it will give you a break from your own book and, possibly, genre. Keep in mind that this doesn't only apply to reading -- television shows or movies and plays are wonderful, too.
Tip #10:
A lot of people find that it's easier to write out of order than just writing every event one after the other. If that sounds like you, the source of your frustration could be that you long to write another scene but it isn't until later. Admittedly, my brain definitely doesn't work that way but if yours does then, by all means, write out of order! That way you can come back to the parts where you are stumped later, hopefully with new ideas and the solution.
Tip #11:
For perfectionists, this next tip will challenge you. The problem is, some people are so focussed on editing as they go and perfecting every sentence, every word, that they get stuck. My tip is for you to just write! Don't worry about how it will end up. Write crap if that's what appears in your mind. It really doesn't matter. Once you have the ideas on the page, it will be a lot easier to revise. Who knows? In your carelessness, you might inadvertently create something interesting.
I sincerely hope that those tips help you. Writer's block is a tricky beast but by doing a few things, I believe it can be defeated. Like every other chapter, I'd love to see your comments. Thanks so much for your support!