This third installment of my series is focused on an inevitable part of writing: getting stuck. Some days, we feel like the muses are with us and we’re channeling from the beyond and some days we show up at the keyboard cross-eyed and confused. This rollercoaster is a lifelong part of writing, the only thing that makes it better is knowing that each of these states is temporary as long as you push on.
Now, a word about the term “writer’s block”. I don’t believe in it. Rather, I don’t believe there is a specific kind of stuck-ness that only magically plagues writers. I think mythologizing that feeling I described above can make it scarier and more permanent; much better in my opinion to just recognize that you’re having an off day.
So what to do when you’re experiencing a slump? First, check your vitals. Are you sleep-deprived? Overwhelmed? Sick? Experiencing family/friend/work trouble? Are you drained? Is the pressure of homeschooling your three children whilst also working a full-time job and trying to figure how to explain Zoom to your grandmother leaving you feeling a bit spent?
Oftentimes, I think what we’re prone to calling ‘Writer’s Block’ is just plain-old Burnout. Writing can be your oasis from the chaos or it can be that ‘extra thing’ that makes everything else feel like too much. Which one it is for you also may change by the day.
2020 is a year of unprecedented burnout so if you’re feeling it with your writing, ask yourself if there is some way you can scale back your goals to meet you where you are. Or maybe writing your novel is an ambition that needs to be delayed a bit. That’s truly okay.
I am here to remind you that while writing is important, it’s never the most important thing in life– people, including yourself— are! Those who put writing on a pedestal above everything, even human beings, are assholes. It is so important to maintain a balance between all your obligations and your self-care. Writing can be self-care of course, it definitely has been for me this year, but if it’s not feeling that way? Time to reevaluate.
As I said earlier, you’re not going to feel pumped and motivated every day of your writing life, however, it is important that throughout the process you feel an underlying current of excitement about your project. It’s an act of endurance to write a novel and if you’re not excited about it, there is no book. If you’re just feeling dread about a project, it may be time to put it aside for something that does give you that feeling of escape.
But beyond burnout, there’s another kind of stuck that happens to most of us in the process of writing a novel. Say a plot point or a character arc is tripping you up. How can you get past it?
First, consider what type of writer you are.
Generally, there are two approaches to writing. You’re either a plotter or a pantser. Plotters do a great deal of work before they put the novel’s first words to paper. They structure their book with outlines and character sketches before they start their first draft. On the other side of the spectrum, there are the pantsers (that’s me baby!). Pantsers have a general idea of where we’re going when we start writing, but we only truly find out what our books are about by writing a first draft. Then another. And another.
No matter which camp you’re in, it’s important to stay flexible and go with the flow of your words. If your character is developing differently on page than you had imagined in your head or in an outline, keep writing. Don’t get stuck on trying to stick with the original plan.
The most important thing while writing a first draft is to maintain momentum. Let your first draft be a glorious mess! Kick all the problems you come across down the road– you can resolve them in the revision process.
And when you do hit a speedbump, don’t be afraid to take a break. Make it a structured one: take a day or a week off and do something stimulating: go outside, to the gym, out to lunch with a friend.
Elizabeth Gilbert gives great advice on structured breaks in her book Big Magic. She advises writers to find another creative activity to engage in when they are stuck or in need of a break. I discovered my alternative creative outlet in gardening; it’s my antidote to spending too much time in my head. Like everyone else, sometimes I need a vacation from there!
This week’s exercise: If you find yourself stuck in your writing process, find another creative activity– it can be anything– to do instead of writing until you feel refreshed and ready to go it again.