Our Archnemesis...Writer's Block

Okay, so Friday I talked about planning a story, so let's see how we stand...

• How do you plan out a story?
• How do you (personally) overcome writer's block/get inspired?
• How do you pick the perfect word?
• How do you see into a character's mind and write from that point-of-view?

Alright, today's topic will be: OVERCOMING WRITER'S BLOCK and FINDING INSPIRATION!

This is something all of us writers face every now and then (sometimes more than every now and then!), and can be SO annoying!  You finally get the time to sit down and devote an hour or two to your story, but to your deep, monstrous chagrin...

 ...nothing comes out.

So, what do you do?  


Let's look first at a few causes of writer's block.  1.) Fear!  Yes, deep down, it's easy to be afraid to put pen to paper/finger to keyboard because you might mess up, botch a passage, fall short of your mark, etc.  You may not even realize this!  The same thing happens to ALL artists (because writing is an art, right?).  You have to face that blank canvas without fear of messing up.  2.) Kinda tied to the first one is trying to create a finished product with the first draft.  You have to realize that the first draft is called "rough" for a reason!  It may not have all your best descriptive phrases and polish that you see in the finished novels of others, and it's okay.  That comes later.  3.) You're body's not ready to write!  There are many many factors that contribute to your creative juices either flowing or freezing, and some of them are from your body and how you treat it.  If you're tired, stressed or otherwise fatigued, your brain may be saying "no way, I don't feel like writing right now." A good way to remedy this (though it doesn't replace taking an occasional nap!) is music.  I've never met an artist who said that music doesn't affect them and their art in some way.  Music can relax you, put you in a mood, and inspire you!  I almost always put on some music while I write (in fact, I'm listening to some right now).

So, now that we've established some causes to writer's block, how do we get rid of it?  I mentioned putting on some music above, and that's certainly an excellent way to get the juices flowing.  Different types of music affect people in different ways (this is actually a really interesting study if you ever get the chance), and you're the only one who can decide what kind gets you out of your ditch.  For me, music without words is best, since singing distracts me instead of helping me focus.  I listen to a lot of classical music, usually, or orchestral soundtracks (I actually have a youtube playlist of my faves in that area, which I can just let play in the background).  The sweeping, epic themes help me to think in sweeping, epic ways!  


Do some reading.  Always try to be reading a novel, play or story of some kind, even if you're not intently reading it every day.  When I get uninspired and mentally paralyzed, reading something from someone else can help my brain start to think creatively.  Sometimes I come to the computer after just doing something very demanding (say...exercise or cleaning the house), and my mind is still in that mode (aka, not writing mode!).  It's like jumping out of a hot shower into the throes of winter!  Your body's not going to adapt very quickly or painlessly, and neither is your mind.  Reading for a little bit can get your mind off of whatever you were doing, and more on writing and thinking creatively.  

 Having an outline, like we talked about last post, will help too.  Having an overall plan can get you focused on what you need to write.  Another factor that can help is location.  Make sure that wherever you're writing, you feel comfortable with your surroundings.


With attention to the aspect of drafts (no. 2 among the causes), keep this in mind: when you're writing a story, don't let yourself get bogged down in lengthy descriptions, final composing, details and the like if it's keeping the plot from moving forward.  When you're working on your first draft, you've got to keep the story moving.  There will be plenty of time to work on details later, after you're done with the chapter/arc/whole thing.  Being too detailed through the first pass can bog you down.  Now, it doesn't always.  In my case, I include a lot of details and descriptions in my first drafts, but I have to stay aware that if I begin to get stuck on something, I need to move on and keep the plot moving.  

I briefly mentioned writing down ideas as they come in the last post.  I'll say again: when you get an idea, no matter when...WRITE IT DOWN!!!  Keep a little notepad in your pocket, and when you're buying groceries, taking a walk, eating breakfast, feeding your pet snow leopard, planting magic beans, and you get an idea...you'll be able to jot it down real quick and save it for later.  Then, when you get stuck in a creative hole, pull out your little notebook and look at what you have!  You never know what might spark an idea.  


I think that about covers it!  Hope that helps you get out of the accursed rut that is: writer's block.


You know what that means?  It's time for...

WORD OF THE DAY!!!

Aegis - [ee-jis]; also spelled Egis

1.) n. Classical Mythology. the shield or breastplate of Zeus or Athena, bearing at its center the head of the Gorgon.  2.) n. protection; support

Origin:
1695–1705; < L < Gk aigís shield of Zeus or Athena, prob. from aig- (s. of aíx goat) + -is n. suffix, from a type of shield made of goatskin

Example: Leaving with a pitiless frown, the cloaked man abandoned the ragged girl to my aegis without explanation.

 Well that's all for now!  Next time we'll cover finding the perfect word, the golden fleece of all writers!  Or something similar, in any case...

May your quills always be inspired,

J Cole 

 

Image: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net