Three Ways I Overcome Writer's Block

 

As a writer, I encounter some level of writer's block with each book I write. Typically, at the one-third point in my first draft, I hit the dreaded wall. The culprit most of the time is imposter syndrome. I look at where I am in the story and where I want to be, and the gap between feels impossible to bridge. I convince myself I'm not capable of shaping a complete mess into a story readers will actually want to finish. The books I've written in the past were all flukes, and I have no skill. The secondary reason for my mental blocks is thinly tied to my imposter syndrome- perfectionism. I want my rough draft to look like it's ready for publication. Not an achievable goal. 

Here are three things I've found that help me overcome my own worst writing enemy--me!

1.) Give Myself Permission to Write an Ugly First Draft 

After several years of perfectionism leaving me more paralyzed than successful in the writing process, I've decided to give myself space to be a bad writer. As I wrote my first few books, I would read earlier chapters before sitting down to write more. When I say read earlier chapters, I mean lots of earlier chapters. The longer the book got, the more chapters I would read. And while I read, I edited. This stole so much time from writing, and made me discouraged, because I was focusing more on grammatical flaws than the story I wanted to craft. After attending a class at a writing conference taught by one of my favorite authors, I was presented with just the truth I needed. Instead of editing during the rough draft phase, I needed to get the story out on paper, no matter how ugly it looked in the beginning. "Get the clay on the wheel, " she said. There is plenty of time to make it pretty and make it flow, but I can't do that before getting the story onto the page. Somehow, letting the story be a little bit of a mess in the beginning has eliminated some of the writer's block that used to sideline me for months. 

2.) Ask Questions

Sometimes, I hit the wall when I don't know what should happen next, or when I feel the story is falling flat or lacking suspense. This is the time to ask questions. 

-What is the worst thing that could happen to my protagonist right now?

-If my character made a bad decision, how would the consequences impact the story?

-Is my character hiding a secret? What would happen if someone found out what they are hiding?

-How would this scene change if I wrote it from another character's point of view?

Questions like these often spark ideas that make me want to keep writing. 

3.) Bounce Ideas Off Another Writer

Talking with other writers about my stories has helped me on more than one occasion. I can tell the story is dragging, but don't quite know how to fix it. If asking questions doesn't work, I have writing friends I call for a brainstorming session. Somewhere in the mix of ideas I find one that works or sparks other directions I can go to keep the story flowing. 

After nearly ten years of writing, I've found these tricks helpful in overcoming writer's block in most situations. Now, here's hoping I remember to use them when I'm in the thick of my current rough draft!

Have you ever considered writing a book? If you have, I'd love to know what genre! Let me know in the comments below for a chance to win an ebook copy of The Purple Nightgown. 

THE SCARIEST PRAYER I EVER PRAYED

Many authors tell me they knew they were called to write when they were young. That wasn't true for me. I did love books, though. As a child, I spent so much time in the library that the librarian let me help put books back on the shelves after school. In elementary school, I checked out four or five books at a time and raced through them before the next day. At night, I'd hide under the covers with a flashlight and read until I fell asleep—though that didn't happen very often because I always wanted to finish the books first. I even wrote my first "book" when I was around eight years old. It was called Danny Goes to the Circus. Danny was my younger brother. I wrote the story, illustrated it myself, and proudly stapled it together on notebook paper.

Years later, in high school, I continued to write. I filled notebooks with poetry. Looking back, most of it was probably fueled by teenage angst, but I loved writing it. One day, my English teacher asked everyone in class to submit three poems. I was so excited. At a time when I desperately needed encouragement, I hoped she might tell me mine were good. My parents were divorced, and my mother was struggling with mental health issues. Life was difficult, and a little affirmation would have meant the world to me. After the poems were all turned in, my teacher read them aloud to the class without identifying the authors. She read mine. When she finished, she said she was sure she'd read them somewhere before. In other words, she didn't believe I had written them. I was crushed. What I didn't realize until years later was that she must have thought they were good poems. Good enough that she couldn't believe a student had written them. Unfortunately, I wasn't confident enough to see it that way at the time. After that, I didn't write again for many years.

Then, when I was in my forties, I heard a minister say something that changed my life. He suggested that if we looked back at our childhoods, we might discover clues about God's calling on our lives by paying attention to what came naturally to us. I realized that my love for books might mean something. Around the same time, I was watching "Murder, She Wrote." For the first time in my life, I found myself thinking, I want to be Jessica Fletcher.

Not literally, of course.

But something about her life appealed to me. That, along with the words from the minister, made me wonder. Was it possible that God was calling me to write? So, one day during my lunch hour at the bank where I worked, I sat down at a computer and tried to write a novel. Three pages later, I quit. I stared at the screen and thought, I must be wrong. I can't do this. Then a quiet voice whispered, Try one more time. I didn't expect anything to change, but I took a deep breath and tried again. And something happened. Suddenly, the words began to flow. Ideas appeared. Characters came to life. My fingers moved across the keyboard as if they'd been waiting for permission.

That feeling has never left me.

I spent the next year learning the craft of writing. Because writing isn't just inspiration—it's work. It's learning structure, pacing, characterization, dialogue, and all the countless skills that turn an idea into a novel. But then reality set in. I realized how much effort it would take to become a published author. I understood the sacrifices involved. The time away from my family. The commitment. The possibility of failure. Before I invested years pursuing this dream, I needed to know whether it was really God's plan for my life. So, I prayed the scariest prayer I have ever prayed, and I set a fleece before the Lord.


Now, I know some people would say I should have simply trusted God and followed His leading. They're probably right. But at that point in my life, I needed reassurance. And God, in His kindness, didn't scold me for that. He met me where I was. My fleece was simple. I asked God to make it snow during a specific week. That may not sound like much, but there was one problem. The week I chose was in April. I was living in Wichita, Kansas, and although I didn't know it at the time, Wichita hadn't received measurable snow in April for forty years.

Forty years.

Had I known that little fact beforehand, I might have chosen a different sign. But I had to know. The unspoken agreement was simple: if God answered, I would believe He was calling me to write—and I would follow.

So, what happened?

Did God answer my prayer?

He did.

During the week I chose, on Friday, it snowed nine inches. Nine inches. Later, when I learned that Wichita hadn't seen measurable April snow for four decades, I nearly fainted.

But God had answered.

Five years passed before I signed with my first major publisher. During those years, I collected lots of rejection letters. There were disappointments. There were moments when quitting would have been easier. Did I get discouraged? Of course. Did I give up? No.

Because of the snow.

Whenever doubt crept in, I remembered that April snowfall and the promise behind it. God had answered my prayer. He had called me to write, and He wasn't going to abandon me halfway through the journey.

Today, after more than fifty books, I can see His fingerprints all over my career. Looking back, I'm grateful I prayed that scary prayer. I'm grateful I was willing to ask. And I'm grateful God was gracious enough to meet me where I was.

What about you?

Is there something God has been nudging you toward? A dream you've been afraid to pursue? A door you've been hesitant to open? You may not need nine inches of snow to find your answer, but if you're willing to seek God's will and trust Him with the outcome, you may discover that the thing you're most afraid of is the very thing He created you to do.

Sometimes the scariest prayer you'll ever pray is also the one that changes everything.

Please visit my website to find out about my books. You can also contact me through my site.

Leave a comment, along with your email address, and you could win a copy of my upcoming release, FATAL FINALE!  

Nancy

WHAT'S HOT in Inspirational Mystery and Suspense

Marji Laine here. 

This sounds like an emotional and heart-warming suspense! I'm intrigued! 

Trace 
by Kari Trumbo

---

Trace has seen it all . . . except success and love.

He's done the training. He's tried to fit in. He even had to watch the woman he loves marry another man. Sometimes life isn't fair. When he completes his training, it seems like things might turn around, until his boss finds out Trace went behind his back to get an endorsement from someone else. Now, his new career is at risk. One job. That's all he gets to prove himself.

Lupe Pena is hiding in plain sight from her father. He's threatened her multiple times and now, he wants to marry her off to a man in El Salvador, just to be rid of her. All she can figure is that she reminds him too much of her mother, who died in childbirth. Life hasn't been easy, but she will not leave the only home she's ever known so he can be comfortable.

When she hires the Northern Guardians, she isn't sure about the young man they assign to her. He's only three years older than her and has a temper like her father. But he channels it for good, not evil. Can she learn to trust him, and can he manage the anger that seems to take over when things don't go right? Or will Lupe's father succeed in sending her far away where he doesn't have to think about her anymore?

If you're looking for a story of transformation, love and forgiveness through the love of Christ (all wrapped in a heart-pounding suspense), read on!

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

We have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!

On Tuesday, Suspense Sister Marji Laine will tell us what’s hot in inspirational suspense and mystery.

Wednesday, we’ll hear from Suspense Sister Nancy Mehl. She’ll talk about how she became a writer. She’ll also share a little about her upcoming release, FATAL FINALE and will give away a copy.

They'd started back to the house when they heard a male voice behind them. Then a shot rang out.
"Run!" Kaely said.

When bestselling author Erin Delaney's novel gets picked up for a movie deal, she eagerly awaits her friend Kaely Quinn-Hunter's arrival in Tennessee before they head to California to observe the film's production. However, when Kaely does not arrive at the scheduled time and Erin can't reach her by phone, her concern grows.

A cryptic phone call from Kaely's kidnapper confirms Erin's worst fear--she has exactly six days to save her friend's life by solving his twisted clues. The message comes with a warning: Contact the police or FBI, and Kaely dies. But Erin works for the Sanctuary Police Department, and Kaely's husband is with the FBI, putting her in an impossible situation. As Erin races against time, she's forced to crack the kidnapper's chilling puzzle before it's too late.

BUY IT HERE 

Friday, author A. D. Lawrence will share the ways she overcomes writer’s block. Leave a comment and you could win an eBook copy of her intriguing book, THE PURPLE NIGHTGOWN.

Step into True Colors -- a series of Historical Stories of Romance and True American Crime

Marvel at true but forgotten history when patients check into Linda Hazzard’s Washington state spa in 1912 and soon become victim of her twisted greed.

Heiress Stella Burke is plagued by insincere suitors and nonstop headaches. Exhausting all other medical aides for her migraines, Stella reads Fasting for the Cure of Disease by Linda Hazzard and determines to go to the spa the author runs. Stella’s chauffer and long-time friend, Henry Clayton, is reluctant to leave her at the spa. Something doesn’t feel right to him, still Stella submits herself into Linda Hazzard’s care. Stella soon learns the spa has a dark side and Linda a mean streak. But when Stella has had enough, all ways to leave are suddenly blocked. Will Stella become a walking skeleton like many of the other patients or succumb to a worse fate?

BUY IT HERE 

Congratulations to Crystal Stewart for winning May's contest! She's won a $100 gift card from either Amazon, Walmart, Christianbook.com, or Hobby Lobby!

Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!

THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

WE LOVE BOOKS

SUSPENSE SISTERS: MAY GIVEAWAY

Suspense Sisters: May Giveaway

Sit Down with Jessica R. Patch

by Patricia Bradley

Today we're going to sit down with Jessica Patch and talk about writing. I met Jessica in 2013 when we rode together to Cincinnati to an American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. For some odd reason, I called her Robin...I guess like Batman and Robin? And I've called her that ever since. Here's a short bio:

Jessica R. Patch is a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than thirty novels. Known for her pulse-pounding plots, emotionally charged characters, and signature twists, Jessica’s stories explore themes of justice, resilience, and the unshakable power of hope.

Whether weaving inspirational stories of danger edged with romance or crafting chilling thrillers that probe the shadows of the human heart, Jessica delivers fiction that thrills while shining light in the darkest places.

She makes her home in Northwest Mississippi, where she enjoys life with her family, a good cup of tea, and dreaming up her next edge-of-your-seat story usually over tacos and queso.

Leave a comment with your email address, and Jessica will randomly pick a winner to receive a copy of The Other Sister!

Patricia: When did you start writing?

Jessica: I started writing for publication in 2008.

Patricia Bradley: Oh, wow! That's when I returned to writing after working in the abstinence program in our state for 8 years! Okay, why romantic suspense novels? 

Jessica: I’ve always loved suspense and mystery and romance, so it made sense.

Patricia: Same here! What’s the hardest part of writing romantic suspense? 

Jessica: The words. LOL 

Patricia: Oh, my goodness, yes! So how long does it generally take you to write a novel? 

Jessica: I’ve written an LIS in 8 days but I don’t recommend it. Usually I like to write one in 30 days and revise in 10. For a trade? I write the first draft in 3 months and take a month or so to revise.

Patricia: I may want to put you in a book and...it takes me months to write a book! Are you a panster or plotter or somewhere in between? 

Jessica: I’m an outliner and a meticulous brainstormer. I know I need ABC but how I get from A to B to C, I’m not sure. I do know my cast and their GMC and the twists and villain.

Patricia: Oh, how I wish I could do that! I do have to know my cast and their goals, motivation and conflict, but I don't always know who the villain is... What would you fear the most if Homeland Security went through your computer? 

Jessica: Fear? Nothing. But I’d squirm. ;-)

Patricia: Yeah, me, too. What is the most rewarding or frustrating thing about writing? 

Jessica: Rewarding: Reader letters when the story has moved them in some way. Frustrating? Having to do it on days I don’t want to. LOL

Patricia: Absolutely about reader letters! And I've been there, have the headaches to prove it about writing when I don't want to! What are you working on now? 

Jessica: I’m working on revising my 2027 thriller: Long After We Left Her. 

Patricia: I can't wait! Tell us about your current book. It is amazing!

Jessica: The Girl Upstairs is a story about a former homicide detective who’s going through a rough patch in her marriage as they move into an idyllic small town in Maine, right into a fixer-upper. But the moment Gwen arrives, weird things happen and a bone is found by a hunter’s dog on her property. So naturally, she investigates to uncover a house with a dark history and secrets buried in her backyard.

Patricia: The Girl Upstairs completely captured me! Talk about twists that I didn't see coming! You can read my Suspense Sisters review of it here. Anything you want to add?

Jessica: I’d love for you to join me through my monthly newsletter and get Patched In. You’ll receive a free short thriller. https://jessicarpatch.com/subscribe/ And come hang out at my unhinged corner of the world: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jessicarpatch/

Here's the back cover copy of The Girl Upstairs. You can purchase it here.

“Jessica R. Patch weaves a dark, twisty tapestry that’s both unsettling and unexpectedly hopeful. Masterful.” –New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s old carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

Here's a little more about Jessica:

You’re invited to join the Patched In community at her website: www.jessicarpatch.com and receive a FREE short thriller, Nobody Has to Know.

Jessica is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management.

BUY LINK: Purchase from your favorite retailer https://jessicarpatch.com/book/the-girl-upstairs/

Leave a comment with your contact info for a chance to win an ebook copy of The Other Sister, "A twisty tale packed with juicy surprises.” –Kimberly Belle, internationally bestselling author of The Paris Widow

She thought she was the only one lying about her identity. Until she stepped into her sister’s life.