For someone who has been in this writing field for many years, there certainly have been moments of sluggishness for me. Whether laziness from procrastination or writer’s block that has prohibited me from progressing with my novel, the words, sometimes, just never left my mind and graced the page. Let’s banish this monster from our lives together. Follow along as I discuss a few ways to slay the dragon.
Getting Writer’s Block
The lack of ideas seems to sit at the core of someone suffering from writer’s block.
The ideas are there, but nothing is working. Having trouble deciding which direction the plot should take, how the character should react to recent news, and if dialogue should reveal plot points in a chapter are rummaging through your mind.
In addition, you worry about the reception of the piece when someone finally reads it. This has been the largest issue when I have spoken to others about writer’s block. Even if they have the course for their chapter or entire story jotted down, the fear of showing their work to another person is so intense they would rather quit than continue writing. They know a judgment shall pass upon him or her.
What happens next is worse. The writer will allow that dragon to bubble and fester until nothing becomes of fruition. Writer’s block has taken over and they cannot find a decent word to type. If they do manage a sentence or two, it is immediately deleted.
Writer’s should know that developing a case of writer’s block isn’t that there aren’t any good ideas in your creative minds. Instead, it is a mental game of confidence to take those worries and churn it into something worthwhile.
Curing Writer’s Block
Overcoming any obstacle in our lives is never easy. And with the writing community, we know the difficulty of abolishing writer’s block. But, YOU can do it. Writers cure themselves of this every single day, all over the world. Writer’s block is not delegated to only you. It only seems so. The problem is a psychological one. A writer only thinks they have a block of creativity. There are ideas all around us. The key is to know that writer’s block is merely temporary and will disappear. When you find the right element, it will bring back creativity. So, how do we writer’s get over it? Here a few examples:
Reach out to a friend or another writer
- By telling your issues to someone you trust, you will see that you are not alone. They will provide advice. And many times, suggestions from an actual human voice is exactly what people need.
Better time management
- This is a critical factor. It takes some planning. Setting aside an hour each day to work on your novel is mandatory. Maybe you can only write before work or just before bed. Whatever it is, make sure that it is a promise kept with yourself. Within that hour, no attention should be spent on anything else. No cell. No social media. NOTHING.
Read
- In my opinion, this is the cure. If a writer is serious about finishing his or her story, then that writer should be reading a lot. Read and take notes. Underline special passages in the book. Use a Word doc. or Excel sheet to remember things. Watch your favorite films. Read poetry. Even by taking a walk in a park or around your neighborhood, you will feel your creative juices flow.
How Procrastination Invades
Unfortunately, like writer’s block, procrastination is very common for everyone. Actually, procrastination is the close cousin to writer’s block. They both feed off one another.
In my years, I have watched people lose promotions, suffer in relationships, and make second-rate decisions because they allowed time to slip by.
Q. Why does this happen to us?
A. Because we allow it.
It begins with not taking the goal important. For whatever the reason, we see the goal as unnecessary to the short-term and long-term objectives. Procrastination has us blinded.
If we could trace it back, we would see that we view the goal AND ourselves in relation to that goal as unimportant. If we sincerely considered ourselves significant enough, we would have completed our goal. In other words, we deliberately forced ourselves to get and stay distracted.
Perfection is another reason. Using perfection as a means to procrastinate is nothing more than claiming your time is too valuable to finish your own novel. Perfection is a cop-out. The dragon will certainly win if a writer uses this as an excuse.
Slay the Dragon
When it comes to a writer climbing over the mound he or she faces to begin that novel, it is tough. However, when you do, you will find it is easier to keep it going. Before long, your word count will show so much you will surprise yourself. Take heed:
Disregard the Internet
- For writers who haven’t finished their narratives, this is the #1 problem stopping them. I know it’s tough. However, it can be done. I suffered from the same issue until I used a Chrome extension to limit my ability to have access to the internet while writing. I give myself an hour at a time. If I need to find any info during that hour, I simply write it down. I usually get a good 1,000 words written in one hour without any distractions.
Deadlines
- Deadlines don’t work unless there are consequences. Therefore, perhaps, someone else should be involved with this step. They must hold you accountable if you don’t reach the limit (or even begin writing). And they can reward you if you have done well.
- If a writer is at the beginning stages of slaying the dragon, short daily deadlines might be easier to achieve than weeklong deadlines. It depends on the situation and the writer, but it is better not to rush word count deadlines. As a result, writer’s block could seep in and destroy the entire plan.
Keep it Going
- Once you have written a new chapter or even a small paragraph, your brain acknowledges the satisfaction of completing the task. It knows it can conquer it again. You have confidence. Do NOT let that go.
- If you can’t sleep, write. If you are at the supermarket and think of an idea, write it down in your smartphone. Always stay connected to the task of getting the words finished. And don’t stress the word counts that much. At first, just get the actual words on the screen. Then go back and revise later.
- Change your computer background to remind you to write. Stick little notes on the computer screen. Always remind yourself. You will see that the more you do, the more you will want to do.
The Beast is Dead
If you are enduring writer’s block or are afflicted by procrastination, you must have hope. If you deeply care about finishing your tasks as a writer, you will see it through. Now that you have slain the dragon successfully, you can focus more on finishing that novel. Outline the characters. Practice writing that witty dialogue. Get to work.
~M