1. Write Every Day
As writers we hear this advice every day. That's because it's good advice. In their parting words at the end of WriteOnCon, more than a few authors encouraged writers to write every day. In an article in Writer's Digest a best selling author insisted that making a goal and sticking to it made you a better writer. So true. So, to be absolutely redundant, pick a word count (even if it's 100) and do it. Every day.
2. Write When You Can
I'm such a hypocrite. With my *new* responsibilities as a contract editor, some days writing just doesn't happen. I refuse to guilt myself over this considering I have so many other things to feel guilty about. I think about my writing with longing on those days, but I don't worry over it. There's no point. I can't do anything about it. Neither can you.
3. Write Through Writer's Block
If that scene, that page, that sentence, THAT WHOLE FREAKIN' NOVEL is holding you back -- sit your butt down in a chair and write through it. Even if you hate every word. You can go back and machete it all later. Just write.
4. Don't Force Yourself To Write Through Writer's Block
Are you sure I'm crazy? I am. Don't worry. Sometimes writing through it just doesn't happen. Get up. Take a walk. Read a book. Watch a movie. Clean your kitchen. Then come back and write. But do write through it at some point. Seriously.
5. Have a Word War or Something
One of my writer friends on twitter and I often compete for virtual chocolate. We sit down for half and hour and race to see who gets the most words. It makes us accountable. It makes me write stupid words just to get words on the page and beat her because I'm competitive like that. Sometimes I go back, laugh at those stupid words, and revise. Sometimes I really like it. So have word wars. Have someone who holds you accountable. It really does help.
And with that valuable, super helpful advice, go forth and write.
I'd have to say writing through writers block is the hardest, but sometimes it comes easy. For instance, I was writing one scene just the other day. It was flat and boring. So I just left it and went on to the next scene. When I went back and read the whole page, the missing part of the scene just came to me. I was playing the scene as if I were watching it play out on screen. What I added came from a character who only has two minor parts in the whole manuscript, but it pushed that scene forward and created a lead in for a future scene for my MC.
ReplyDeleteSo, yes, it makes perfect sense to write through writers block:)
Thanks for the lovely post!
Nice. I think writing every day is the biggest - and it doesn't have to be WIP progress! Just WRITING - like, blogging. Lol. Get something written. (Am I obviously procrastinating? Ugh.)
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