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.