Working Through Writer’s Block « Feeding The Need To Write

Working Through Writer’s Block

21Feb08

This is the second installment in the Writing Series. Go here to learn more about this series and find other titles.

Every writer of any genre is going to go through writer’s block, often more than once on any single project. The good writer’s don’t let this stop them from writing. If you’ve been with me through my writing journey you noticed that I’ve personally have gone through several lengthy writer’s blocks. I’ve compiled many different ways to combat my chronic blockage.

But first you should understand what writer’s block is. When you are sitting in front of your computer or your writing notebook and you stare into the abyss and your hand won’t move, that’s writer’s block. When you know what you want to happen but you can’t find the right words to say it, that’s writer’s block. Even when you don’t know what you want to happen next, yeah that’s writer’s block. It’s a frustrating, annoying, maddening, sanity testing, wearisome period we as writer’s must all go through.

Take a step back

Whenever I realize that I’m suffering my infamous blockage, I take a step back, literally. I get up from where ever I am and go somewhere else. One of the things I love about laptops is that it gives me that freedom. When I stayed on campus, I would leave my dorm room and go and sit near one of our water fountains, we had two on campus that were beautifully landscaped. Sometimes you just need a change of scenery to find the added boost to write. If it was too cold to sit out side I would go to our student union and sit in either the coffee shop, the TV lounge, or find a quite place in one of the many hallways and set up shop there. Another place I loved to go would be our library. This often served several purposes; we had wireless Internet so I could write and surf at the same time (something I couldn’t do outside yet), I commandeer another computer so I could surf on there and write on my laptop, plus I was right there to books that I could do reference research from (I still prefer books over the Internet for researching).

Do something else

If I had tried all those things and found that I still wasn’t writing, then I would pack up my laptop and do something up. Watch one of my favorite movies, grab something to eat, bug my best friend to take me to Wal-Mart, go to our meditation room and meditate. Work on a craft project (right now I’m learning how to sew). Write about how I can’t write (sounds weird but it works I swear). Call my mom on the phone. The point is do something that doesn’t necessarily relate to writing, or that particular writing project. This is one of the main reasons I work on so many writing projects, the Big Three, a short story (which the poll is still opening but will be closing on the 4th of March, if you haven’t voted please go do so now!), my Live Journal, my PF blog, my general blog, and this writing blog.

Put it to bed

This can be the hardest for any writer, when to call it a quits on a story. I personally have the hardest when to call it a quits. Out of all the writings I’ve done I’ve only put one story to bed, my first one. What I usually do is go on a hiatus from the story for months, I preplan the day I want to re-look at the story and go from there. Usually by that time when I look at it again, the words just come. I like to think it’s because the characters have been screaming at me in my subconscious to finish their story. Sometimes you just need to walk away completely or you’ll do more damage than good.

Rediscover your inspiration

What was it that first inspired you to write this piece? Was it a movie, a book, a shirt, plate of freshly fried chicken that your mom made two years ago? Whatever it is, rediscover it. Watch that movie over and over until that spark happens again and the ideas start flowing. Reread that book, wear that shirt (or if you didn’t own the shirt find an image of it on the Internet and stare.), ask your mom (very nicely) to fry you up some chicken for dinner (and then do the dishes to thank her!). Don’t worry if your original inspiration doesn’t do it for you, find a new one. Maybe it was a particular character in the movie that inspired you…find another movie with a similar character or the actor that played the character. Read a new book from the same author (works best if it’s a series). Writing is a art and in art you need inspiration, if you find yourself unable to create maybe it’s because you are no longer inspired.

Writer’s block can be the most trying time in the life of a writer but it can also be the cause of the most satisfying time. I can’t really describe the joy I get when I finally crank out something worthwhile after a major writer’s block. Often the times when I was looking for my inspiration, or doing something else, I gain a better aspect of what I want my story to be and it becomes that much better. Another thing I like to do is read through what I already have, this helps me find where my plot holes are and also mistakes in spelling and grammar. When I get to the end of what I have I sometimes get hit with inspiration on what to write next, and just continue writing.

These are just some simple tips to help you through your writing blocks that I have found that work for me, but just like are things creative it’s really up to you to find the situation that works best for you. Does anyone else have ways they deal with writer’s block?

Happy Writings,