What do you do when that pesky well of inspiration runs dry? How do you deal with the dreaded writer’s block?
Saira posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page:
I’m confused, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember and it was always my way to ‘get away from reality.’ I mean, I could really get inside my characters minds and just enjoy telling their story but now I’ve hit a giant brick wall… no ideas flow and if I get one I don’t like it, or I can’t go off of it. I don’t know how to get over this brick wall of writer’s block, it’s almost as if I’ve lost all desire to write… but I LOVE writing and I don’t want to give it up… how can I get past the brick wall and start the work on my novel? How do I reignite inspiration?
SairaCee.BlogSpot.com
Randy sez: A lot depends on what’s causing your writer’s block, Saira. I can think of a couple of reasons you might be blocked:
- You’ve written everything you had to say. When you run out, you run out. It’s that simple.
- You’re trying to create and edit at the same time. This is like driving while pressing both the gas and the brakes all the way to the floor.
If you’ve run out of things to say, don’t panic. You’ll get your inspiration back, but you need to take a break and do something else for a while. Read some good books. Watch some movies. Teach a kid to read. Play chess with your cat. Fly a kite. I don’t recommend trying to find your inspiration in a bottle. Your brain is a fantastic machine. When it’s out of gas, fill the tank, don’t throw in sugar.
If you’re trying to edit yourself while writing your first draft, then stop. Right now. When you’re being creative, create, don’t edit. Give yourself permission to break every rule in the book on your first draft. As the saying goes, get it written, then get it right. The surest way to freeze you up is to insist that every word you type be perfect. If you need some outside motivation, visit Dr. Wicked’s “Write Or Die” page. (I confess I’ve never taken the Dr. Wicked challenge, but a bunch of my writer friends swear by this.)
Truth to tell, I’ve almost never had writer’s block. That’s probably because I usually start writing when there is just barely enough time to get the book done before my deadline. That’s a powerful motivator.
When you know that you have to write 3000 words every day to hit your deadline, and you have three hours to write per day, then there just isn’t time to have writer’s block. You write your thousand words per hour and that’s that. If you get behind, you wake up one morning in a cold sweat wondering how in the name of Gandalf you’re going to hit your deadline. Then you realize that your back hurts from all the writing you’ve been doing, so you call in sick and tell them you can’t work today because your back is killing you. Then you sit home in your underwear all day and write like a maniac and put eight thousand words in the bank.
As Mark Twain said, when you know you’re going to be executed tomorrow, it concentrates your mind wonderfully. Ditto with a deadline, which is probably why they call it that.
If you don’t have a dragon-breathed editor breathing fire down your neck, you can get the same effect by finding yourself an accountability partner. My buddy John Olson sets a weekly goal and tells his friend Pete. If John doesn’t hit his weekly goal, then Pete gets $100. This works awfully well, especially if you can’t afford the hundred bucks. You might be up late on Saturday and email in your quota at 11:59 PM, but you will hit your target. And if you miss your quota once and have to shell out the $100, you’ll never do it again.
What do my Loyal Blog Readers do when writer’s block strikes? Leave a comment and share your secrets for beating the dreaded disease!
If you’ve got a question you’d like me to answer in public on this blog, hop on over to my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page and submit your question. I’ll answer them in the order they come in.
Well, I don’t know that I’m very good about beating writer’s block, which in my case is laziness. But lately I’ve taken steps to try and get used to writing: I actually have been using the Write or Die program (online version, which is awesome), and I made my sister into an accountability partner. If I don’t write a set quota every week, then I have to clean the bathrooms for her. So far I haven’t had to get out the bleach and toilet scrubbers, so that’s good!
I tried Dr Wicked’s Write or Die after I read this post. It’s amazing! I wrote 500 words in ten minutes and granted they’re not the best words of all time, but they’re not bad! Plus, 500 words in ten minutes would be 3000 in an hour! My hands would probably fall off it I tried it, but still nice to know it’s possible! I really recommend it.
The accountability partner also sounds like a great idea, I think I’ll set one of those up nice and soon.
Thanks Randy!
For me, the problem is depression. I was doing well, meeting my monthly word goals, writing almost every day. And then things went bad at work, and I started getting sporadic. Then something else went wrong and I stopped. The something else went wrong and I could barely function.
I’m feeling mostly better, but it’s still been over a year since I got any real words down on the page. I’ve managed to do some outlining. And right now I’m working on background mythology for a setting I’d like to use. But there’s no waking up at 3 am just needing to say something before I explode.
At this point, I’m not sure if I need to jump start things, or if I need to give myself more time to heal.
I hope you get some good answers, Saira, because I’m right there with you. I could use a good answer. 🙂
Feeding the well is what works for me, so I never stop doing that, cramming in as much reading and film watching as will reasonably fit into my life and not distract me from my writing work. Finding that balance can be tricky sometimes, especially if I’ve hit upon a really great writer and want to gobble up all his books (like right now with Charles Martin), but well-filling is what does it for me.
Never heard of Dr Wicked. Off to check this out!
Just checked it out. There is no way I can work with Dr. Wicked.
I sit down to write, and friend-husband needs something. So I hear my name called several times, while I finish the sentence I’m on and mentally bookmark my thoughts. Then I get up and take care of whatever. I come back to the computer, read the last sentence, type another one or two before the next call comes again.
It ain’t happenin’ fast in this house. There is never ten uninterrupted minutes.
I feel for you, Judith. Been there myself.
My problem now is I’ve researched, I’ve Snowflaked, I’ve done character sketches, I’ve done the scene list, I know what I want to say and the last chapter is written in my head, but I can’t start the actual writing. The brilliant initial hook will not come! I will settle for a mediocre hook. But, that doesn’t come. So, I sit with precious time ticking away looking at a blank page.
Lynda,
I think you’re a perfectionist. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
I believe you have to, as Randy says, “give yourself permission to be dreadful.” You have an idea of how your wondrous chapter should be written in your head, and when you try to write down that amazing idea, anything you write doesn’t seem to live up to your expectations.
I think you have to lower your expectations and expect that what you write is going to not live up to the idea you originally had. However, this is definitely not a bad thing, because although it might not seem like it at first, you are probably going to write something BETTER than you first imagined! You just have to start clocking the hours. It’s not always going to be fun, sometimes you’re going to be writing things that you dislike, but other times you’re going to be writing some amazing new material.
Since you have character sketches and a scene list, you can report back to these AFTER you write, and check to make sure everything matches up. If it doesn’t, you can then make a judgement on what needs to be changed. You might find that on the whole, the new material you’ve written adds something to what your expectations initially were.
Like Randy said, the process of creation should not involve tireless editing-as-you-go. In my opinion, when you write you should only be using what is in your head, and you should be scrounging to desperately sketch out the outline of a chapter in any way you can. If you get writer’s block at a certain area, throw some random idea in that somehow is linked to a theme. For example, if your theme is based on purification and a return to innocence, have your character go through an elaborate internal thought dilemma, only to find the answer to that process by observing a child happily playing in a sandbox. This is a random example and it needs work, but random works! You might look back and think that your “filler” is horrible, but at that point you will be free to change what you have, because you finally have something to change!
That’s my take. Randy’s suggestions were excellent: reading other books, experiencing life, putting yourself in a position where you have something to lose by not writing. For me, writing and researching are separate periods. Right now I’m in a research period, so there will be no writing. I’m researching to polish off what I’ve already written. This might not work for everyone.
Julia Cameron’s “Artist’s Way” books / exercises may be helpful for some. She addresses the issue of writer’s block. http://www.theartistsway.com/books
My commonest cause of writer’s block is exhaustion, and now that my son is 14 it happens a lot less than it did when he was 2. In that case, the obvious answer – rest – works just fine.
When I need to get back into writing after a break (from exhaustion or family or work demands) the best technique I’ve found so far is to give myself a daily quota and fill it with absolute crap. I mean it. If I’m still busy, I’ll start with 100 words a day of crap. Gradually the quality and quantity goes up, until I’m productive again.
The best advice I have seen are these two and I swear they work 100%. Have been working for me –
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1.) My standard ten word formula for success as a writer goes like this – Read, Read, Read; Outline, Outline, Outline; Write, Write, Write; Repeat.
– Terry Brooks “OneRing.Net Interview”
2.) “Read and write four to six hours a day. If you cannot find the time for that, you can’t expect to become a good writer.”
– Stephen King “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft”
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FRAME this two lines somewhere in your mind permanently where you can remember it every day and these two advices will definitely make a great writer out of you. My own writing is boosted greatly following these two simple advices. Adjust the time down to 2-3 hours per day if you are in real great emergency, but 4 hours seem necessary.
3.) “Feeding the well is what works for me, so I never stop doing that, cramming in as much reading and film watching as will reasonably fit into my life and not distract me from my writing work.” – Lori Benton “Randy’s Blog”
Great advice. It will work wonderfully well for writer’s block. Thanks Lori.:)
What is that 3000 words everyday? Ok it is good to have a goal but it better be flexible or just doing a routine task takes the fun out of it.
Writing is greatest fun for the true writer who writes for the joy of it, takes out extra time for it because he loves it(maybe sometimes difficult but a way shows up with strong will).
@ Carrie Neuman, Depression can happen to anybody.
“I was doing well, meeting my monthly word goals, writing almost every day.” – you got bored of just meeting a goal for a long time.
It is very good that you have outline worked and have lots of background material also. What you need to do is just make your will power more strong, motivate yourself more by your desire to become great writer, and really take a note book and write words on it. Without practical all science is theory and without written words all outlines are thoughts.
Writing words on paper is the hardest and most important. Just do it. You will get better and better as you do it. That is the ultimate way for improving your writing. I am telling from personal experience. From a starting as dabbler in English writing I have become now at least intelligible writer :). And how many things I have learned about craft by practice are immense. Also English is my second language. But as you can see I can write at least good enough.
@ Lori Benton, You are on exactly the write track. Thanks for sharing your own personal wisdom with us and helping us:)
@ Judith Robl, Yes that is very BIG interruption and concentrating on something while being interrupted continuously actually irritates and kills every desire to do that thing. You are in great trouble. You may have to tell your friend-husband to interrupt you least while working in sweet words and charming him. If he is friend enough and cares for you he will understand. If he still continues you may have to get extra uninterrupted time at night, or some other time when you are interrupted least. If that is also not possible, keep a notebook with you and jot down sentences in it when you like and feel like it. You will have to concentrate harder to keep many things in your mind. Try meditation(Close your eyes and try not to think anything for five minutes so that the brain can rest).
You can come out of this problem also, adapt if needed and improve more. Many writers have lots of problems but to write problems need to be solved and that is on us to do. Be courageous and determine to write better and keep reminding yourself you are taking this trouble to become a better writer because YOU want it badly. Best of luck.
@ Lynda, If it is mediocre let it mediocre. Anything mediocre can be changed latter to better and then to more better. Also hooks are generally written at last getting the best piece and with clear mind when
the whole story is in the mind.
Just start, make a fast run to end of the whole story. Keep putting the words on paper – and that is the most IMPORTANT part. Once you have completed edit and improve. Anywhere you ask every successful writer will tell you same thing from Terry Brooks to Stephen King, from Robert J Sawyer to Randall Ingermanson.
It is clear that you have all the outline and story in your head. That is very good. Now lift your hand and TRY to write something or anything on paper that looks like your story. I had written my first chapter in passive voice even while knowing the “show do not tell” rule. But that was all I could manage to do and it was so difficult, and I was depressed with my writing. But after two days I wrote again another chapter(never try to edit at start or you will get in more trouble), and it was whole lot better. Time has passed, I have improved and I have lots of thoughts to make the first chapter in active voice. When I will start second rewrite it will be lot easier and better. The time passed in between will improve it a lot.(That is why edit later and write first what you can write).
Robert J Sawyer also clearly tells that he write in Passive voice and even in inferior quality just to finish the story, and then he does 2-3 quality rewrites or more and the story turns out wonderfully.
So my dear Lynda, start writing NOW(or you will never do it) and Finish the Fight(Halo 3 tagline:))
@ Sheila Crosby, Do not call what you write as crap. It is your effort. First drafts are generally not any good. Try to improve the quality of crap(calling it crap actually sends signals to your subconscious brain that you are writing something waste and that will make your writing more bad). It is very great dedication of you to actually write something on paper and also get to your word limit. Take more interest in it when writing it also(beware of making it in routine desk job instead of fun hobby). You are doing great already. 🙂
Also read synopsis of a large number of novels on “wikipedia”. It will give lots of more ideas, make familiar with what is already written and also to avoid cliche’s. But most of all you will get lot’s of wisdam and ideas. It is my personal experience/wisdom I have learned from day 1 and it is working very good for me. Try it.
And the final advice summing everything – Keep reminding yourself every time –
“I LOVE Writing my story and that is what I WANT TO DO, as I ENJOY writing the MOST”, and that is why I started writing.” 🙂
My critique group and critique partner–each for a different type of writing–are big motivators. Knowing my critique partner will be showing up at 7 pm sharp tonight got me to finish another chapter yesterday–a chapter I almost certainly would not have finished without that deadline. Since I meet with both the group and the partner twice monthly, that gives me four built-in deadlines every month.
Lynda,
I am by no means an expert, but perhaps (since you already have characters and scenes sketched out, which sounds like a great start) you can start by going through your list of scenes and deciding how each one should be written for the greatest effect (identifying the conflict or change each scene is intended to show, what emotions the reader should feel during this scene, whose point of view it should be told from, what sensory details should be included to heighten mood, any snippets of dialogue that would be good, what transitions should be used at the beginning and end of each scene to flow seamlessly into the next scene, what method would work best such as flashback, narrative summary, dramatic action-packed play-by-play, etc.). Then, instead of trying to come up with a brilliant beginning-to-end-all-beginnings, just pick the scene you are most excited to write and dive right into that. You can come back to the beginning later after you’ve gotten rolling. 🙂 Maybe that will help! Good luck.
@ Melissa, thanks for this good advice. I have been almost following the same process subconsciously, but you named the variables precisely which clears the process in the mind.
Andrew, Kinjalkishor, and Melissa,
Thanks for your input. All very good advice.
What I think the problem is is that half my teachers have said jump in immediately with action while the other half said to do character development first or the reader won’t care about the action. Alas. I’m trying to find the middle ground. 🙁
@ Lynda, Listen to teachers but use your own choice when you get conflicting advice. You have already done a lot of character development first, and you are now at full stop. So jump in now and get in momentum as the book “48 mistakes in writing” says fiction is all forward motion many times.
Seeing your problem and thinking about it I wrote a scene as fast as I can(one page in MS word) for test. I did it in five minutes. The scene is a important one telling the introduction of my one main character to another main character for first time, which is meant to be written in detail showing each person’s characters.
After I have written it like notes, I realized I have thought of lots of very new and interesting things about the two characters which I previously never had thought. I discovered just anew dimension enriching both characters and their relationship.
The point being that practical made my theory lot better.
Writing the scenes itself will give you a lot of character development while writing. It is my own personal experience.
I described the scenes in short which I could not write fast(left for revision later) and just wrote what entered my mind as i saw in my mind’s eye the action taking place.
Also writing itself is necessary for better dialogue which is necessary for character development.
The only thing left for you to try is to jump in and you are already at a stop so why not try writing now itself.
Every teacher gives best advice according to him and sometimes the advice conflict. But as in life you have to learn a lot on your own. And now is the time to do it yourself.
Try it and see the results.
Also if you want to see what utter rubbish my first chapter was, and what I gobbled up in 5 minutes today I can e-mail you them. For that e-mail me at “kinjalkishor@rediffmail.com” if you want. I think it may boost your morale.
What I wrote as first chapter just moves the small scene a lot of words but it does take care of some details very well which I liked very well and the though process it put in my mind was very helpful. I started thinking on every detail to get the scene right. Like how many feet a 6 feet tall attacker should be away with long sword in hand at the precise moment when the hero should shift his wait(the first reaction), for dodging and try to catch the attacker’s wrist(motivation) as the attacker’s forward motion carries him forward dis-balancing him.
See the scene unit in this and more follows according to Randy’s 6 point scene formula.
What I wrote today completely changed the very powerful hero winning the challenge flawlessly to the changed version in which he falls in the challenge due to great pressure and then again rise from dust changing the situation using his rain. This rising from defeat hero is more stronger then the too powerful hero and enriched my character a lot. And then the other character also shows that he can also rise from dust when he is defeated by this previous character, thus making a common bond between them making the base of their starting friendship even more stronger. All this would have never been possible in the first version when the character study and outline was in my head.
TRY writing the scenes, they will definitely take you out of full stop, set you on your way on completing your novel and making it better in the process. Once you finish second and third edits will bring the manuscript at some good quality which you will like.(Which will never ever happen if you do not start writing now). Take out all doubt of mind and start writing. What is written can be changed to even better while rewrites and second rewrites almost always improve the first original. And do not worry the heart of your story will be set at first writing, which will not be influenced by rewrite as rewriting improves the language and story.
@ Lynda,
Here is a example –
Drenai The Legend – David Gemmell
Notes – (probable)
Druss challenged Death and Death came, and he felt darkness as one feels while dying. Druss defied death.
Final version in printed novel –
Death Death Death. Where are you, I am Druss and I defy you.
The Sun died in the heavens, the mountains receded in the mist. A pain clamped Druss’s mighty chest, soul deep, and darkness came before his eyes. A voice hissed from behind the veils of agony.
“You have hunted me through these long lonely years old man. Wait two score more years, and your brain will sink in dotage, your muscles will atrophy. And then I will come when you will beg for it. Meet me at Dros Delnoch if you want to die before that, for I will be waiting for you there.”
“Or will the Hunt will be one more time” said Druss.
The darkness cleared.
Do you really think the final version can be written at first writing?
Even a person like Isaac Asimov with IQ of 200 wrote only one short story “The ultimate question” at first draft which was printed at first draft quality. Almost everybody does rewrites. And they write first draft at whatever quality they can to have a finished manuscript to edit.
I was inspired to write late last fall when I moved to a new state. I’ve always loved reading & writing but never ever did I think I would or could write a novel. I was so excited to write that that’s all I could think about. All my extra time went to researching writing techniques & jotting down all of my ideas…but life took over. I met new friends, started going back to school along with a million other distractions. Now that the ‘spark’ is gone I’ve realized I’ve hit a writing block. But now the cool breeze of fall has hit the midwest & I can feel that writing bug biting me again. There’s something about the change of this season that reminds me of my story. So, maybe you just need a little inspiration; a reminder of what made you want to write in the first place. Was there a certain place that planted a plot idea? Go there & see if you can feel it again. Have you read a certain book that has a character you love? Reread it & see if it still resonates with you. Maybe you can find comfort in the familiar! Revisit your inspiration & maybe it can inspire you again! Good luck!