forum How to overcome writers block?

Started March 28, 2018 by Lucy

tune

Please I'm writing a novel; I need some advice to continue the story when I'm not just feeling it.

“Lucy”, when I try to overcome writers block I do a few things, one is that I creat a character board and just fill it with pictures and things that reminds you of you character. This helps you get to know your character and may spark a few ideas on how to continue. Another thing to do is to just take a break, take a hot shower, read a book, make yourself a snack! All of theses things give you time to think about your story. Well, I hope this helped!

Thank you :)

You can take a break and come back with a fresh mind. Drink some water, watch a show or something. Another idea is to keep a notebook and fill it with things you like or like to read/write about, and flip through that. You could also take some writing prompts off the good ol' internet. A tip to keep in mind - you don't have to write chronologically. If you're stuck at the beginning but know how you want it to end, write that! If you're writing about your MC's past, but you've got this great idea for a fight scene, write the fight scene!

Just write! Put one word after the other even if you feel like you're just plodding along going nowhere! I promise you are going somewhere. With each word you write, even if it's not on your current novel, you're becoming a better writer. Even writing critiques for other people helps!
If you honestly can't write, then read. Read lots of things in your fav. genre. Read lots of things in your least fav. genre (i know. trust me, i know.) But it helps. I reread my fav. authors and analyze style and structure and stufffff.
Those kinds of things give me inspiration to write even if i'm not feeling it.
Also: know that writer's block is in your control. You can physically push that block away by just writing. Write a word. Then a sentence. Then a paragraph. and even if it's not the most eloquent thing you've ever written, the block is still gone! Woooooh!

I make sure I have a solid plot outline before I start actually writibg, since working through writer's block while writing the plot is MUCH easier than working through it while writing the actual book. Then in the middle of writer's block, I'll talk about it endlessly with anyone who will listen. XD Those two things help me a LOT.

Thanks everyone, I'll try each of your advices

You can stop writing until you feel like you can write again. I'm a Pantser, meaning I don't plan out my plot before I start writing. I literally just get an idea and decide that writing an entire book about it is a good idea.
I also find listening to music helps a lot, especially when I go on my walks. That helps me get ideas.

Hey! I'm a pantser too, I hardly ever have solid plans before I start drafting. Whenever I get stuck with the main story, I focus on world building - I like to draw maps, or pictures of the characters, or make YouTube playlists of music that goes with characters. I think its good to take long breaks too. Sometimes the block isn't just laziness - it could be that something is wrong in the story that you haven't noticed yet. I'ts good to take a step back to think it over every now and again.

Hey! I'm a pantser too, I hardly ever have solid plans before I start drafting. Whenever I get stuck with the main story, I focus on world building - I like to draw maps, or pictures of the characters, or make YouTube playlists of music that goes with characters. I think its good to take long breaks too. Sometimes the block isn't just laziness - it could be that something is wrong in the story that you haven't noticed yet. I'ts good to take a step back to think it over every now and again.

Don't you sometimes get lost in the details of your world?

Meh. Occasionally. I have to go back and check for details earlier in the chapters if I'm not careful.

@Lucy - yes, I can get lost sometimes, but it's cool to see the subtle details of the world reflected by the writing. It can be hard to keep things consistent - for example I cant seem to decide the climate of one of the realms in my story. In the second chapter it was covered in snow, and three chapters later it was a desert! oops.

@doug LOL I know the feeling. One time I made a character ware a vest, and in the next chapter (which took place an HOUR later, no climate change, NO REASON TO CHANGE CLOTHES) they were wearing a jacket
I also once changed a villians name. It was Alex, and then latter in the chapter, it was Brier. WOOPS

Its hard to catch little mistakes like that - that's why having someone else look over writing is so helpful, with all of the details in your mind its hard to catch little stuff.

Or even big mistakes like changing your point of view from first person to third person.

Did that once

I've keep changing back to first, but luckily, I've always caught myself.

@Lucy - yes, I can get lost sometimes, but it's cool to see the subtle details of the world reflected by the writing. It can be hard to keep things consistent - for example I cant seem to decide the climate of one of the realms in my story. In the second chapter it was covered in snow, and three chapters later it was a desert! oops.

hahaha well… strange things happen XD

Oh, and I just remembered one of the ways I overcome writers block: I never delete shit, unless the word is a typo or something. I do that to keep the story going. I can change all that stuff in the first editing stages, but not during the writing phases.

Try doodling out ideas! It doesn't matter if you're an artist or not, just kinda… doodle away. Doodle scenes that already happened, then build off of that. Tbh it really helps me develop characters and story lines by doodling it. I could just be biased or something cause im an artist but oh well. It helps

What I do is I act as if my book as gotten a big fandom and I write out one of those fandom tumblr posts about a character. E.G. "__ characters as iconic vines" or "my opinion on all the ____ ships". It helps me get better characterization and gives me just at least something related to the novel to write if I'm really stuck. After that, if I still can't think of anything, I just write anything, even if it's bad. Soon I'll think "Oh! Well what if ___ said to __…" and I write another few pages. I hope this helps!

Oh, and I just remembered one of the ways I overcome writers block: I never delete shit, unless the word is a typo or something. I do that to keep the story going. I can change all that stuff in the first editing stages, but not during the writing phases.

There's actually a website for that now - its called Earnest, and it's just a word processor where you type and the site won't let you backspace. It's supposed to help keep you writing. I've used it a couple times and it's been really helpful for me. (though I cant get it to save to my desktop so I have to copy paste into word, annoying.)

Something that helps me get through my writers block is reading over what I already wrote. It doesn't work all the time, but sometimes I'll get ideas for something that I decide that I want to have happen later on in the story.

Oh, and I just remembered one of the ways I overcome writers block: I never delete shit, unless the word is a typo or something. I do that to keep the story going. I can change all that stuff in the first editing stages, but not during the writing phases.

There's actually a website for that now - its called Earnest, and it's just a word processor where you type and the site won't let you backspace. It's supposed to help keep you writing. I've used it a couple times and it's been really helpful for me. (though I cant get it to save to my desktop so I have to copy paste into word, annoying.)

Could you post the link? I can't find it.

https://www.moreofless.co.uk/earnestwrite
I like the tool, but I've had some problems with saving lately.