There is one common struggle that all writers are too painfully aware of. This struggle is a little thing called writer's block. We all get it. But how do we get over it? Well I'm here to answer that question. *puts on nerdy glasses... that I already need for prescription anyway, but it makes me look smart as well, so yeah.*
So, to tackle writer's block, we first need to know what it is and what causes it. The urban dictionary defines writer's block as "The condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing." Writer's block is caused by many different things.
-The first thing that causes writers block is poor planning. Maybe you didn't plan out the whole book, and because of this, you are struggling to figure out how to continue the story. This happens all the time to me. But how I've learned to keep this from happening, is that I figure out the plot of the book, the conflicts, the resolutions, and things like that, and I plan events that will lead to bigger events which will lead to climaxes. I find that planning and writing down ideas, and brainstorming is a great way to fix this area of writers block. Also, make sure that you know the characters. Like... REALLY know the characters. Treat them like real people. Ask LOTS of questions to find out what kind of person they are. What's their backstory? What makes them tick? What are they passionate about? Appearance? Family situation? Just get to know this character like you get to know your best friend.
-Another thing that causes writer's block is writing multiple books at once. I am guilty of doing this all the time, but if you want to get better at writing, DO NOT DO THIS! The stories may get jumbled in your head, and you loose focus on the book, and it's plot. Focus on one book at a time. If you have a really good idea for a book while your in the middle of writing another one, write down your idea! Or do what I prefer to do, and record a voice memo of you just talking and dumping out ideas. Later you can come back to this, and collect those thoughts into a new book. Take it one book at a time.
-(this one is huge) DON'T THINK ABOUT PLEASING OTHERS WITH YOUR WRITING WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING! This makes for poorly thought out plots, weak story lines, and sometimes not original work. It's okay to get ideas from your friends, but do not write your books to please anyone! Write for you, and no one else! Write your rough draft like no one but you is ever going to read it. If you love what you've written, it shouldn't mater what anyone else thinks. When I start to get concerned about what my friends will think when they read my books, I tend to get self conscious, and stop writing it all together. I start running out of ideas because there is no way to please everyone. There is always going to be someone who doesn't like what you write, but that shouldn't change anything if you are writing for you. To avoid thinking about what others will think, don't let anyone read your work until you are finished. Then maybe they can give you ideas of what to change... and don't feel obligated to change these things unless YOU think it would make the book better.
-Another thing that can cause writer's block is isolation. Yes, it is good to spend time alone when writing, but if you find yourself unable to come up with ideas, go to a Starbucks or something. Watch the way that people interact. Hang out with your friends. If you don't interact with other people that much, communication and description of relationships within your book will be weak, and slightly boring. You have to make conversation in books seem authentic, not made up, just to get the point across conversation. As people, we don't just say things like:
"How was your day?" I asked. "Good." He responded.
It's more like:
"So, how was your day?" I ask to break the ice. Jack had been silent since he got here, and it was deafening. He avoided eye contact, shuffling his feet. "Good." He responded in a dull voice. I could tell without doubt that he was lying.
See the difference? think about how people actually talk. We are not robots, we have emotion. Write with emotion.
Hope this helps any writers struggling with writer's block!
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