Some writers can’t stand the idea of beginning a new novel. Others fear slogging through all those pages in the middle. And then there’s the challenge of finishing. The long process of writing a novel offers unlimited opportunities to get stuck. I’ve been determined not to experience a dry spell in my writing career. Here are my tips on how to avoid writer’s block.
- Become an obsessive rewriter. Go over sections you’ve already rewritten again and again. This is something I do for frighteningly extensive periods of time, but at least I’m not blocked if I’m rewriting. And you may actually improve the prose. It’s possible to find something wrong with the same paragraph day after day after day. Don’t worry if that chapter ends up in the garbage because it turned out not to be necessary for the story. At least you were writing. That’s better than being blocked.
- Do fun things that take up your time so you feel guilty for not writing. I’m not talking about productive activities. I’m talking about totally wasting your time. Watch TV, shop for vintage buttons on eBay, walk to the store to buy cinnamon popcorn. You could say I do these things when I’m stuck. But I’d rather be doing them, so that’s not being stuck, that’s giving myself a treat. After frittering away my time I’ll feel guilty enough to get back to work.
- If that guilty feeling doesn’t come, remember that you’re worthless unless you get some work done. After all, we commit ourselves to writing because it’s supposed to be a passion – a chance to express ourselves and create something worthwhile for others to think about and enjoy. Why waste this short time here on earth buying junk on eBay? Once you have your novel back up on the screen, you’ll feel like you deserve to exist again. This ends up being more of a relief than idling away your time.
- Write your novel while watching Reality Shows. I don’t get much done that way, but it’s better than staring at a flashing cursor that would seem to be accusing me of being stuck. And it reminds me that other people are being very productive creating distractions like Reality Shows. Why should I let them eat up my time with that garbage when I could be creating novels (hopefully not garbage) that would be welcomed by others who need to be distracted from their work?
By Stephanie Lehmann