Part Five: On Writer's Block
Lots of young writers (and writers of all ages) suffer from writer's block. So let's talk about what writer's block is and how to get past it.
Definition and Causes of Writer's Block
So what exactly is writer's block? It's the inability to write, whether on a particular writing project or writing at all in general. It's a painful malady that affects writers at some time; some writers are more prone to it than others. The writers who don't experience writer's block often or at all often state emphatically that “There is no such thing as writer's block.” Well, why do so many writers suffer from the inability to write?
What causes writer's block? Author Rhonda Leigh Jones informs us:
“Writer's block is caused by anxiety that what is written won't be good enough. Eliminate that worry by giving yourself permission to write a 'bad' first draft.”
Those are wise words. In her wonderful writing book Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott has devoted an entire chapter to writing “[Awful] First Drafts.” (Only she uses a very vulgar word instead of “awful.”) Anne Lamott writes about those awful first drafts:
“All good writers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts.”
I feel better already. :)
Lamott continues:
“I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts.”
Reassuring, isn't it? :)
Lamott then confides in us:
“The first draft is the child's draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later....No one is going to see it.”
I really like how Anne Lamott explains the writing process, and I've found it very true for me as well:
“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first drafts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something—anything—down on paper. A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft—you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft—you fix it up. You try to say what you have to say more accurately. And the third draft is the dental draft, where you check every tooth, to see if it's loose or cramped or decayed, or even...healthy.”
And Rhonda Leigh Jones tell us basically the same thing:
“The author who never suffers from writers' block is willing to risk all by writing badly. Much of that 'bad' writing goes on to become something wonderful.”
So really, most of us just need to RELAX, get down our ideas on paper, then shape, revise, and polish.
My oldest son is 17, and he just finished an online SAT/ACT prep class which addressed the timed essay...which means that he HAD to turn in that awful first draft...and be graded on it...and know that his timed essay will constitute a substantial portion of his ACT markings.
He freaked.
So he tried to write everything perfectly the first time.
And he did not do well. No, not at all. In fact, I haven't seen him so frustrated since the XBox 360's hard drive died a violent death. Seriously.
So he's had to work on practicing writing under pressure and on planning his essay points quickly because 25-30 minutes isn't much time to write, especially when one's college career is on the line.
(NO pressure, though....)
But even when he's not writing timed essays and has the opportunity to write multiple drafts, he still insists on trying to write a perfect first draft.
And then he wonders why he struggles so much with writer's block.
I keep telling him that if Ernest Hemingway, perhaps the best writer of the 20th century, wrote 39 drafts of his masterful short story “A Clean, Well Lighted Place,” then writing more than one draft is entirely necessary.
After teaching writing for twenty years to students from first grade through university and publishing several books myself, I'm convinced that good writing really happens in the revision stage when we're re-seeing and re-writing our previous draft(s).
So, to sum up the main point here: Be willing to write badly so that you can write brilliantly. (You may quote me on that! <grin>)
Now let's look at some other practical ways to avoid writer's block and complete a long story....
Tips to Avoiding Writer's Block
For me personally, I haven't yet run into writer's block on long stories, but I do have several unfinished one-shots or shorter stories that I've put aside for now and hope to return to and finish, some on account of time, but others because I got myself good and stuck. However, I have completed a 56-chapter story (re-edited to 60 chapters) of 140,000 words, and my current story is at 43 chapters and 120,000 words, and I'm about 3/4 done. So I do have some experience of writing and completing longer fan fiction stories/books.
One way that helps me keep writing is to have a firm posting schedule. I post a new fan fiction chapter each weekend; each chapter is 2500-3000 words, sometimes longer. Keeping to a schedule helps me to keep pushing forward because my readers get very impatient when I'm late in posting. Some readers have stayed up all night on the East Coast while I post by 2AM on the West Coast, just to read a new chapter of my stories. That's dedication! Knowing that I have readers depending on me helps me to keep writing.
Another way that helps me to keep writing is to end each chapter with a cliffhanger—an unknown situation of some sort that creates a feeling of anticipation in the readers (and also in the writer!). I'm always excited to start writing again in order to figure out what's going to happen next. So writing cliffhangers (called “cliffies” in fan fiction circles) keeps readers and writers interested. Readers sometimes complain when they have to wait a week for the next installment to find out what happens, but they do enjoy a good story!
Let's see some other methods for keeping writer's block at bay and being able to finish long stories.
Roald Dahl, author of James and the Giant Peach and other novels, advises writers to stop writing in the middle of a sentence. Then when you come back to write the next day or whenever, you can pick up where you left off and have something to write about immediately. You can finish the sentence and often just keep on writing.
Several other methods from a variety of websites are as follows:
Create an “ideas file” (mine are on Post-Its I've stuck on blank pages in a notebook) so that you can always find a new idea to work with. I do this both for new story ideas and for plot ideas for longer projects I'm in the middle of.
Work on more than one story at a time, so when you get stuck on one, you can work on another (I do this, too).
Don't try to write perfectly—just get it down on the page in any old way, then revise it. Conquer the blank page, even if you think it's garbage. Write the way you talk—just get words on the page, any words! You can come back later and revise it into better writing. Don't be too hard on yourself or expect too much of yourself—just write!
If you're stuck, then re-read what you wrote most recently. Quite often, you'll get yourself back into the writing mindset and/or ideas will occur to you to help you start writing again.
Try writing somewhere else. If you write on your bed, try the kitchen table. For me, I try writing in a Starbucks or at the library if I'm having problems concentrating or am just coming up empty. Or try writing at the park or anywhere outside for a change.
Try some writing exercises (freewriting, photos as writing prompts, quotations as writing prompts, etc.). Or write about not being able to write! Just write something...anything! Then you should be able to return to whatever you're trying to write and keep the ideas flowing.
I sometimes go back and re-read encouragement from my readers. I keep a file on my computer where I've saved my favorite reviews and comments from FanFiction.net and Wattpad.com, and re-reading those gives me the courage to start writing again. :) Encouragement really helps!! :)
I hope that you've found these tips on identifying and avoiding writer's block helpful. It's no fun when it happens, but I hope that you now have some decent tools in your arsenal to help you overcome the despised malady of writer's block. :)
Happy Writing!!