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WRITER'S BLOCK & HOW TO GET THROUGH IT ⤵︎
july twelfth, 2024

⥤ My advice, tips, & experiences for those who are struggling with pushing past a specific part in their story or stories, better known as writer's block. Here, I will share what has helped me overcome creative blocks, what helps me feel more connected to the stories I'm writing, & how I try to avoid writer's block.

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UNDERSTANDING WHAT WRITER'S BLOCK IS

"Writer's block is a non-medical condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Writer's block has various degrees of severity, from difficulty in coming up with original ideas to being unable to produce work for years." - Wikipedia on Writer's block.

Whether you're someone who's new to the writing world or an old hand at the craft, writer's block tends to creep in when least expected. Even in other mediums of art, whether it's painting, creating music, drawing, dancing, cooking, we all experience a creative block one way or another. It doesn't necessarily only affect writers or the act of writing. Really, whether you're a writer or not, you know what it means to experience a block in your craft or passion.

There are a few different common causes to writer's block. Personally, what affects me the most is the act of overworking myself or draining myself dry with writing. I tend to focus in on my stories for a while & work on them diligently for a few months, which always ends in a strain of creative block. I've always looked at writing as something I need to continuously build up & drain. I write, write, write, & write some more, until it's all drained from my brain, then once writer's block hits, I try to build up my writing ideas until motivation / inspiration hits.

Some other common causes are lack of inspiration / motivation, distraction by other events in life, or issues that stem from the author's work, itself. I also tend to lose my inspiration & motivation a lot when it comes to writing. I'm very much so a mood writer, which can be unfortunate when I push to write every day. Sometimes, there's just no motivation to say anything. In those cases, I either give up (most common), or I force myself to write something, even if it's bad (not that often, lol).

WHY HAVING WRITER'S BLOCK DOESN'T MAKE YOU LAZY

To handle this chapter the way I want to, I've been doing a lot of research into the history of writer's block, what causes it, the differences from person to person, etc. One thing that's been a common dominator in every article I've read is the idea that having writer's block makes an author lazy.

As I've gotten older & I've come to take my writing more seriously, the need to constantly be perfecting / practicing my craft is a huge boulder that rests on my shoulders. When I'm not actively working on a story every day or I go through periods of writer's block; where it feels impossible to even write down how I'm feeling, let alone a character, I feel a pang of guilt. I feel like I'm lying about being an author, especially when it's beyond difficult to write something, anything. That, of course, turns into feeling lazy for not writing, writing, writing. Go, go, gooooo.

I'm here to say that it does not make you lazy to have writer's block. It does not make you lazy to take a break. Rest does not equal lazy. Rest in every aspect, not only physically rested, but mentally, as well, truly pays off in the act of writing. Taking time away from your work is important to gain that rest you need. The way I see it, a few days of not writing is better than weeks to months spent stressing over not getting enough done.

I know, as someone who wants writing to be their full-time career, I often feel guilty or lazy over not writing enough, because I don't want someone else to get the impression that I'm lazy. It's something I struggle with at times, something I know others struggle with, as well. I've gone most of my life hearing that being an author wasn't a real job or that I need to 'grow up' & go for something else. So, when it comes to situations where I don't feel as though I'm doing enough to validate the fact that being an author is what I'm good at, I instantly feel lazy.

There's a difference between being lazy & not being able to find the words you want. I want to write, I want to complete my books, & I want to have work out in the world that I'm proud of. Often enough, though, life just strolls through & takes away any inspiration. In these instances, I like to take time away from writing to reflect, really experience things going on in my life, spend time in nature, & listen to music. All of this will play a role in every point made in this chapter.

STORIES ARE MORE THAN JUST WRITING

Spending the time to write the book is obviously a huge part of the book's overall creation. You must spend time in order to write a book. With that, there is still so much more that goes into making a book come together. There are many, many different factors that play a part in bringing a story to life. It requires planning, drafting, aesthetics, soundtracks, daydreaming, talking to others about your story. All of it. Even when you're not actively typing out your story, there are still a dozen different ways to contribute to your story that aren't necessarily writing, but an addition to the process.

Sometimes, with writer's block, it's not that an author doesn't have ideas for their stories that they'd like to write, it's the action of sitting down & committing to the page in front of them that's blocking them. For me, I usually have a plan of where I'd like to take my next chapter, I just can't physically get myself to sit down & put my ideas into words. In these cases, I like to put my creative energy elsewhere & focus on other aspects of my story that aren't necessarily writing.

This varies from time to time, but my usual activities I like to do when facing writer's block are listed below!

- Making playlists for my stories: I love using Spotify to make my playlists. Songs are often what help me drive home a character's personality & often gives me ideas for scenarios that will play a part in my story!

- Making inspiration boards on Pinterest: This is a helpful way to gain visual inspiration on your story & characters. I love using pictures as inspirations for things to add to a story or character's background. I often make these boards as a tool to come back to when I'm needing a push to write.

- Create graphics for stories: I love trying to gain inspiration for a story through making graphics for it. I love making TikToks & using apps like PicsArt & Canva to create other graphics. I also use Bing Images to create AI fanart for my stories.

- Daydreaming, planning, note jotting: All of these go together in a way. A good, fleshed out story requires lots of thinking & daydreaming. In cases where I don't physically want to write, I try to use this time as a way to think about my story. Run through chapters, go through parts I'm struggling with, & go over my notes. I love jotting down ideas when I randomly get them, so when I go back to write, I have ideas laid out.

HOW OUR ENVIRONMENT PLAYS A ROLE IN HOW MUCH WE WRITE

I don't even need to discuss the fact that our environment plays a role in what we write. The tone of our writing, the topics we talk about, the audience for our writing. My childhood & own personal experiences have always played a role in what I write about. It also, unfortunately, plays a role in how much I write.

I feel like it's not talked about enough, how at times, writer's block is caused by the people around us / the environment entirely. I still live at home, which is a big reason why I don't write as much as I'd like to. I'm either busy helping someone else or interrupted too many times & lose motivation. Whether you live at home, with roommates, or alone, your writing is affected one way or another. In my case, I'm constantly interrupted or I'm needed somewhere else in the house. It's also often very loud, which distracts me greatly.

It's very difficult living with people who don't understand what being a writer is. More than just, "You're always writing. Why don't you have a book finished yet?" ... I'm sorry, grandma. Writing a book takes more than five minutes & a dream.

Having dealt with this for all the years that I've been writing, I've found a few different ways to help. I like waking up before anyone else in the house & writing within that quiet time. I also tend to stay up a little later to get writing done. In these moments, I'm not able to be disturbed by anyone. I also like to use any free time I get outside of my home. Even if it's on my ten-minute break in the bathroom stall at work, I'm using it for something writing related.

When I was in school, I also used my free time there, as well. I would write down inspiration & jot notes while in class. I would also use time after finishing tests or assignments to spend towards writing.

OTHER WAYS I FIGHT AGAINST WRITER'S BLOCK

In the time I've been writing, I've gone through many, many spouts of writer's block. I even went an entire year without writing anything new. Throughout this time, I've come up with activities that don't involve writing that help me fight against the block I'm facing. These are more refreshing & rewarding activities.

WATCH MOVIES & SHOWS
One of my favorite ways to wind down from the day & relax is to watch a movie or show. I often watch my comfort movies or shows, ones that don't require a whole lot of mental energy to pay attention to. For me, I love watching The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Tiger King, Sister Wives, Dance Moms, or literally any horror movie.

This also adds as a bonus if you write fanfiction! You take watch the show or movie your fic is based off of & gain inspiration from rewatching! I love doing this with The Walking Dead, because I'm always needing new ideas for Alone.

READ
As Stephen King said, "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others; read a lot and write a lot."

Especially in a block of inspiration, reading other author's material is a great tool. I love focusing on reading when I'm not in the mood to write, because in a sense, I feel like I'm still writing, lol. My TBR is ever growing, so I always have something new to read. Right now, I've been reading a lot of poetry, spicy romance, & horror.

Then, of course, on the inspiration side of things, this can be helpful in pushing you to write your own story. Reading other stories & seeing how other authors word a certain thing or write a certain action can definitely help you define how you want to represent something in your own story. I also find inspiration in seeing other authors being passionate about their craft. Feeling their passion often brings out my passion in my own work.

LISTEN TO MUSIC
Double points if you listen to a curated playlist you made for the story, hehe. I love listening to music & try to listen to something every single day. Music is also capable of inspiring you in certain aspects of your story. I have a playlist for every story I've ever created on Wattpad, all of which can be found on my Spotify account. I'll always think of Alone when I hear Yellow by Coldplay.

TAKE A WALK, SPEND TIME IN NATURE, STEP AWAY FROM THE SCREEN
I also really enjoying taking breaks from the screen & spending it outside. I love writing outside, but also love using it as an escape from my phone screen. I love hiking, taking walks at my local nature center, laying in the grass, playing lawn games with my boyfriend, & of course, star gazing.

This is a great way to get a break from writing & your phone all together. An exception I make is to take pictures of pretty things I find along the way. I love forgetting about everything else & just exploring what's around me. I went on vacation a few weeks ago & spent much of that vacation off my phone, experiencing every trail & creek bed. I even found some natural clay to bring home!

TALK WITH OTHERS
I also believe it's very important to talk to others, whether it's online or in person. Bouncing ideas off of other people, talking to people who you trust, getting their input, it is all insanely rewarding. I thrive off of these conversations, especially with those who are just as passionate about writing or those I'm close with. It really allows so much growth towards your writing style, your plot, & the overall health of your story.

I know, for me personally, it's hard to find people in my life that are interested in writing. At least, to the same degree that I'm interested. I love finding others online, whether it's Wattpad or Instagram, who are similar to me & love writing! It's refreshing getting to talk to someone who understands the craft just like you.

If you're ever in need of a writing rant buddy, I'm always here!

TRY TO MINIMALIZE EDITING WHILE DRAFTING

I feel like every author I know does this, or has done this in the past. Editing too much while drafting, I've found, can lead to adding more work onto yourself than needed. It also can cause confusion & frustration over your own work if you're editing too much while in the drafting process. I'm definitely guilty of this one. I tend to want every chapter to be perfect, even in the drafting stage, which is difficult, when I'm still going through the motions of learning my story.

I read a quote, I believe on Instagram, that said something like, "Editing too much while drafting is like writing chapter one, editing it, but then getting to chapter two & realizing there's huge plot holes you created in chapter one from editing it."

What I take from that quote generally is that it's better to write your story as you go, don't stress about everything being perfect as you write things out for the very first time, & don't feel the need to do in-depth editing until later on in your journey. I've been trying to follow this as I work on my second poetry collection to publish. It's made the process a lot easier & a lot more welcoming if that makes sense. This actually leads me into the next point!

WHY AM I SCARED TO WRITE?

This is a personal thing, so I thought I'd share it here in case others struggle with this, too. A big reason why I let writer's block control my actions is because I'm often too scared to even open up my laptop, let alone actually open up the document & work on my story. It's kind of like, I think about how I desperately need to work on my story, I stress out about it enough where it turns into me dreading the act of writing.

Like I mentioned in the paragraphs above, I said that less editing often makes a project more welcoming. What I meant by that was that a story, to me, can oftentimes seem overwhelming. I think about all the chapters I need to get done, how behind I am, what I need to do more of, & of course, editing. It makes the whole process of even getting close to my computer in a ten-foot radius hard. When I break down those things & focus on them one at a time, it seems to make it a lot easier & a lot more welcoming. I don't feel threatened to fix a million things as soon as I click on the document.

As I've gotten older, writing has gone from being a hobby I did in my free time to something I want to pursue as a career. That often leads to writing no longer being that fun hobby it used to be. I still love writing & all that comes with it. I just dread when it comes time to work on a project when I'm ultimately drained from it. The last thing I want to do when I get home from an eight- or ten-hour shift at a full-time job is open up a Google Doc. No. I just want to scream & go to sleep.

I've come to realize that it's not necessarily me being too scared to open my laptop or the document, but too scared that I'm going to mess up my writing. Like I'm afraid of disappointing myself for not being able to write what I want to write or create what I know I'm capable of. Therefore, I save myself the disappointment by not writing at all. This can go from being a few days of procrastination to months, all spent secretly scared I'm going to make a mistake.

This does nothing but prolongs the writer's block. I say that as someone who actively does exactly what I'm saying not to do, lol. Do as I say, not as I do. Something I'm working on right now is sitting down, even when I really don't want to, to work on something. Anything. Even if it's not exactly the book I need to work on. One way I like to push start myself in these situations is working on my books in the order, the least needed mental energy to the most needed mental energy.

For me, Sad Girl Hours, which is my miscellaneous book, is my low maintenance, low mental energy books. Alone, on the other hand, is a high maintenance, high mental energy book. I try to do this as a way of still being productive & still working on things that need to be worked on, without burning myself out right at the beginning. The scariest part about writing is starting. If you can get yourself to start, the rest will come with time.

I wanted to make this chapter as a way to show that everyone deals with creative block. It might not be for writing, but for another hobby or activity they indulge in. Everyone goes through periods where their favorite activities might not be their favorite. Writer's block, for writers alike, is no different. It's normal. It sucks, but it's normal. It doesn't make someone lazy or invalidate their title as an author just because they're struggling with writer's block. It's okay to take time away, to rest, & to relax.

On the same realm, I do hope some of these tips & personal experiences helped someone out there who might have needed a push! Books take time & we can't be expected to give all of that time up all at once. I'm all about making writing welcoming, making it a fulfilling experience for others & myself. I want to share every bit of advice I can for those who may need it. It might feel like you'll never write again while dealing with a creative block, but I can assure you, you will.

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Date: July twelfth, 2024

𒐀 Hello, friends! I wanted to update this book sooner, but alas ... I had major writer's block, lol. I've had a creative block for a few months now. I work full time, which is something that has thrown my writing for a loop. I usually just force myself to write, because it's literally the only thing I want to do for a living. There are so many ways of dealing with writer's block, so I do hope some of these tips helped!

What are some things you do to help fight against writer's block?
(I love hearing how other people work through creative blocks. What works for one person might work for another!)

𒐀 Comment here if you have any requests for topics to be discussed in this book!

𒐀 I'll see you all in the next chapter!

May