Adventures In Sweatpants

What is Writer’s Block?

Writer’s block is the insanely frustrating feeling of sitting in front of your story and having absolutely no idea what to say. I’m currently in the process of writing my first novel. I’ve had to learn how to navigate my own periods of writer’s block through trial and error. Some methods work better for me than others. A couple of the tricks I use help me feel more productive, which makes me feel more creative. A couple may seem a bit unconventional, but you never know what will spark your creativity.

Feel free to share your methods for breaking writer’s block. I’ll take all the advice I can get! And misery loves company.

1: Schedule Time To Write

As much as I love carrying around a notebook and jotting things down when the mood hits me, it’s not a very productive way to write a novel. I had to make writing a part of my everyday schedule to get those ideas down. I understand we are all busy, and the truth is you may not be able to write every day. That’s ok. Don’t beat yourself up for having a life. However, if your writing is important to you, devote time to it and hold yourself accountable. Make sure your schedule is attainable so you don’t get frustrated. You’ll be surprised how much you get done when you make it a priority. 

2: Create Habits That Foster Productivity And Creativity

It took me time to figure out what got me into a creative headspace. For me, it starts by having a routine around the time I schedule to write. I prefer to write in the morning when I have more energy and fewer distractions. That doesn’t mean I step up to my desk every morning feeling like the next Neil Gaiman. I had to create habits for myself, a Pavlovian mental checklist, to get in the mood to write. For me that includes making coffee, getting out of my pajamas, picking up around the house, and doing a bit of editing on whatever I wrote the previous day. A little Hozier on the playlist helps too, but maybe that’s just me. 

The truth is I can be prone to laziness. Creating habits around my routine keeps me productive and helps me feel more creative. That’s the key for me. I do not write in my pajamas. I take care of the chores that might call to me when I’m stuck and looking for an excuse to stop writing. I edit my previous day’s work to feel productive and to get myself back into the story. You might think the monotony would stifle creativity, but I find the opposite true. I need it to trick my brain into work mode. Remember that no matter how good your imagination, the story won’t write itself. Establish habits that motivate you to write all those brilliant ideas down. 

3: Look For Creative Inspiration

Who speaks to you creatively? I’ve found certain authors and musicians get me in the right mindset to write. Neil Gaiman, Patti Smith, Hozier, and V.E. Schwab are a few of my favorites. Something about each of their works puts me in the mood to write. I’d even recommend making a playlist for yourself as you go through your pre-writing routine. It’s an extra element to help get you in the right headspace for writing. I’d love to know which artists make your list!

4: Get Up And Move

This tip may seem counterproductive, but I can’t fight my nature. I have a hard time sitting still. This is not helpful when I’m trying to write, but I can’t help it. It’s genetic. My dad used to pace around our apartment so often, he’d shaved a trail in our shag carpet. I inherited his need to move and if pacing around my house allows me to get my creative juices flowing, then so be it! Sometimes I need to get out of the house completely. I take walks outside, bringing my phone with me to record a few ideas as they come to mind. I still have to hold myself accountable to the writing. I can’t just wander around my house all day and expect the story to write itself, but giving myself license to move is helpful.

If you’re stuck, try stepping away from your desk for a few minutes. Get your blood flowing. Stretch, pace, do yoga, whatever feels good to you. I really believe it helps stimulate creativity, especially if you’ve been trapped in your seat trying to force words that just won’t cooperate.

5: Work Through It Out Loud

In addition to pacing around the house, I talk to myself. Out loud. Molly, my Labrador, can attest to this. Yes, it looks strange, I do my best to remember to close the shutters, but it helps. There is something about having a conversation out loud, even if it’s with your dog, that gives you a chance to work through scenes when you’re stuck. I often start by reading what I’ve already written out loud. Then play with where I want the story to go. It may feel silly, but you never know what will work for you until you try it. I mentioned recording notes on your phone and that is also really helpful. Sometimes I have to hear it to figure out how to translate what is in my head onto the page.

6: Set A Daily Word Count Goal

As I said, I can be lazy so this comes down to accountability. Set a daily (or weekly) word count goal that is attainable without being too easy. It’s much harder to give up and walk away if you have a tangible goal that you make yourself hit. Maybe that means skipping the scene that has you in knots, but at least you walk away still feeling productive. This brings me to my next point…

7: Move On To The Next Scene If Necessary

There have been a few scenes that got me really frustrated. I walked away for over two months at one point because I couldn’t see a way through them. It wrecked my confidence and made it all the more difficult to pick the story back up again. Thankfully, I did learn a lot from the experience. Now if I can’t see my way through a scene, I move on to the next. Funnily enough, it often helps me with the one I was stuck on. It’s also helped me learn to have more patience with myself. That can be a hard lesson and one I still fail at from time to time. But giving myself the space to let go and move on to the next permits me to be more forgiving of myself when a scene won’t come to me. 

8: Approach Writing Like Any Other Job

This is a tough one for me. I had to stop thinking of myself as a mom with a hobby and start taking myself seriously as a writer. This is also where those habits around my writing routine come into play. If I get up and get dressed and approach my writing the way I would any other job, I’m far more likely to sustain a good schedule and hit the goals I set for myself. 

Writer’s block has frustrated me nearly to the point of quitting on more than one occasion. Why stare at a blank page in aggravation when the only one who cared whether or not I wrote, was me? Getting stuck became an excuse to walk away. Thankfully though, I’m learning to be patient with myself. I’ve learned to keep writing, even on off days by allowing myself to make mistakes. And I’ve been surprised how often holding myself accountable has forced my hand, and created space to break through a bad block. 

It’s so easy to be dismissive of our own aspirations. It’s easy to throw up our hands and quit. After all, when you first start writing the only person you are accountable to is you. But if you don’t see yourself as a professional, no one else will either. Even if you’ve never published a word, treat your work as a priority just as you would any other job. You are worthy of the time and commitment it takes to write. Trust yourself and choose to make your writing a priority.