Even as I sit here writing a post, words don't flow. And a sudden flight instinct hits. "Why am I even writing? Maybe I'm not meant for this." And I sit here, hoping that if I ignore it lon enough, it will go away.
Well, guess what? It won't. If you're a real writer, you'll feel guilty for not writing. That won't go away. Neither will your problems with your MS. (5-minute break to procrastinate around the web while avoiding writing this post)
Okay. So the problems won't go away, you'll feel guilty, that will keep you from sleeping, sleep-deprived people don't write well, and you'll feel even more guilty, and you'll eat a lot, and then you'll be guilty about both not writing and eating too much, and... You get the drill, right? It might not go exactly like this for you (yes, I know I'm insane), but one way or another, you'll end up stuck in a vicious cicle (in other words, you're spiralling down, my friend).
So, what do you do? I've gotten a whole bunch of tips from twitter and blogs. One that seems to be pretty successful is to read. Read something you like, especially books in you own genre. That might both relax you and give you some new ideas. Another one is to take a break. Don't stare a the screen if you're not going to write anything. And the list goes on and on. Look up "writer's block" on twitter and on Google and you'll get a whole bunch of tips.
Mine? Force yourself to write a bit. In the end, looking away is the easy way out. Don't obsess, of course, but don't use "not obsessing" as an excuse to go on without writing. It will just make you feel worse. Even if it stinks, even if it's just a few words, write. In the end, that's the only option we have. So get a grip and write! Or share your thoughts, if you have some awesome ideas! What do you do when you get writer's block?
(This post took me about half an hour. I'll go back to staring at my MS now. But maybe a snack first...)
A little bit of writing everyday used to be very useful to me. When I had a fotolog page, I used to write a new poem for each post I made. Most of them are now on my future first book (have I already told you this?)... Now, because of my master's degree, I'm not writing poems (kind of a block and a lack of time and inspiration mixed altogether), but even for academic papers that kind of exercise is a good tip - and this is what I try to do as I write my thesis. (Changing the subject, congrats for the blog, you have really good texts here! Miss you!)
ReplyDeleteAw! My very first Brazilian comment! And from a really sweet friend and great writer! Looking forward to reading that first book of yours! Good luck with your thesis!
ReplyDeleteSaudades!
When there are problems, sometimes a short break helps me. Reading is good sometimes too. But my tried and true writer's block advice is identical to your advice: just write. That's what works for me.
ReplyDeleteAs you say don't judge it, just do it. Write even if its terrible, just so you keep going. Appropriate mood music can help recapture your rhythm in your WIP. For me it is crucial to not edit until I've got to the end. After it is all finished I get to go back and fix the bits that sound forced.
I totally agree, Lauren. Right now, I'm thinking of just going through everything shortly, almost as a detailed outline. I'll just focus on following the plot, then I can come back and fill in the details, descriptions, dialogues, etc.
ReplyDelete