Q: How do you overcome writer's block?

This is the number one question aspiring authors on Wattpad have for me — and with good reason, because writer's block affects almost everyone at some point!

In some ways, I'm both the best and the worst person to discuss writer's block, because it's not something I've ever experienced. Well, not exactly. Let me explain.

I've been a writer since I was in my early twenties. I started out as a broadcast journalism major in college, then after graduation, got a job at a newspaper. Since then, I've written almost every day in some form. I won't get into how many years that is, but trust me when I say it's MANY, MANY YEARS.

I wrote because I had to. It was my job. And so I approach all writing like that, whether it's a news article, a romance novel, or a freelance assignment.

No words = no food. I love food!

This explains why I don't have writer's block in fiction, I think. BUT, that's not to say I don't have obstacles, and don't have unproductive spells. This is where I think I can be helpful to you, the writer who is blocked.

When I was a journalist, I obviously had to write stories quickly, often reporting then writing the same day they were published. Other times, I'd work on longer pieces for weeks or even months. In both scenarios, I'd sometimes find myself stuck at the writing phase. The words flowed with the sticky gooeyness of molasses and I couldn't nail the story.

It sucked.

At some point in my career, I realized why this was happening: I hadn't done enough deep reporting. I hadn't talked to enough people, gotten enough details, hadn't done enough research on the topic. Whenever I had enough (sometimes too much) detail, I could write with no problem. After I came to this realization, I rarely had issues while writing my articles, because I knew what I needed BEFORE sitting down to write.

That's great, you're probably thinking. But how does this translate to fiction?

For me, there's a corollary between journalism and fiction, but not in the way you might think. Here's how it looks in my mind:

Reporting/Researching/Interviewing = Plotting

When I'm stuck on a book, it generally means I need to think more about my plot. I need to return to my outline and notes, and really study how and what I've plotted. When I'm having a difficult time, or when I just don't feel like writing and am taking more than a few days off, I find that it's because I don't know where I'm going with my story.

If I'm not clear about the direction of my story, I can't move forward and write the book.

To me, writer's block is rooted in not having a clear vision of the story you're trying to tell. If you're experiencing this, you can do a few things:

-       Take out your notebook or notes app and heavily plot, with as much detail as possible, the next chapter or two. Then try writing just those chapters. This could shake your creativity loose. If you're still blocked, plot the next chapter. Then write. Sometimes entire books are written this way and that's okay!

-       Consider what is best for your characters. How would your characters handle being in this situation? If you don't know the answer, do a character sketch in your notebook. Some writers use astrology or tarot cards to flesh out characterization. I try to think of characters in a holistic way, as if they're real people. How do the real people in your life handle conflict and emotion? Translate this into your book.

-       Read and research how other authors have handled similar tropes. I am NOT advocating stealing from another author, but sometimes it does help to analyze how other writers have tackled certain things. For example: if you're writing a second chance romance and having a tough time with the third act breakup, read some second chance romances to see how the author handles it. This could jog your imagination into a solution that fits well with your story.

A note about plotting vs. pantsing. Some of us do heavily plot. I don't like to write without a road map. Other authors go buck wild and write whatever comes to mind. I have a difficult time flying by the seat of my pants, and feel it might set me up for a serious blockage, so I don't do it often. Even when writing a long serial like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I have a loose plan of where I'm headed, and often outline a few chapters at a time.

I suggest most newer writers should at least try to plot their stories. Give it a shot before declaring yourself a pantser. It might save you a lot of anguish.

There's one last thing I want to stress when it comes to writer's block: perfection. Often times, we get stalled or blocked in certain ways because we want something to be perfect.

You need to let go of that mindset.

Nothing will ever be perfect. No one IS perfect. I'm not, you're not, that amazing writer who sold a million books isn't, either.

Don't expect your first drafts to be perfect. Don't expect your final drafts to be perfect (although they should be better than the first drafts).

If you let go of perfection, you give yourself space to create. Let go of the unreasonable weight of perfection and make way for the lightness of creativity to enter into your mind.

PERFECT IS THE ENEMY OF GOOD. Remember that, always. No one but you is expecting perfection. Let that shit go. Trust me on this.

Please let me know what other topics you'd like me to cover! Some of you have already commented in earlier chapters, and I will definitely address those questions. I'm also going to reveal the cover for a NEW BOOK soon!

Until next week,

Tamara

xoxo