When your mind suddenly shuts down.
CRAP.
Yes, the infamous writer’s block – everyone gets it eventually. What do I DO? You say. My deadline’s TOMORROW!! OK, that’s what J.K. Rowling says, but not us, we authors who, as yet, are only aspiring to be published.
So what do you do for writer’s block? The general advice you hear is stuff like: ‘Clear your head’, ‘read a good book’, ‘rejoin life’, etc. My friend once told me that ‘having writer’s block just means that you’ve been away from society for too long’. And in a way, that’s true.
This column is designed to give you a few tips on overcoming writer’s block, things that many people find effective. Find the one that you think will work best, and try it. Identifying symptoms of writer’s block is the key to finding the cure. But before I confuse you any further, let’s get started.
~Causes For Writer’s Block~
There are, in my opinion, two causes for writer’s block. One is a social stimulus, the other is a plot stimulus. See if you can identify which cause might be affecting you, because that’s the first step to solving the problem. Isn’t that what they tell us in math? Find what the problem’s asking for, and you’re already half done? (I still think math is a governmental conspiracy
) Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail. ~Social Causes~
1. Sleep: Are you getting enough sleep? A lot of times, lack of sleep makes your brain fuzzy and dull. Check your clock – if you’re reading this sentence for the fifth time, if you’re reading this sentence for the fifth time, if you’re reading this sentence for the fifth time, and the display says 4:30 AM, stop right here and go to bed. A good night’s sleep is critical for writing well.
2. Food: Your brain also needs sustenance to think. I doubt any of us suffer from this particular problem (I’m almost always munching on something), but food is necessary. Water, too. I know I sound like a gym coach, but stay hydrated. Your brain needs to be fit in order to function.
3. Environment: Are you cooped up in your bedroom, writing in the dark? Like my friend said, writer’s block can come because you haven’t mingled with other people. Relax, and turn off the computer. Have a soda, grab some chips, and talk with your friends. About anything, really, will work as fodder: boys, cars, money, plans. Oftentimes, something that somebody says will trigger an idea. Your brain will gobble that up: OOH! WRITE THAT DOWN!! SUCKAH!!! You’re writing about people, and your characters will interact with one another. So go out there and do some interacting yourself.
4. Business: Are you stressed? Worried? Anxious? This one of the BIGGEST causes for writer’s block that I know of. Five letters: R-E-L-A-X. Do whatever it takes: you won’t be able to take another step if you don’t let the tension go.
In summary, much of writer’s block can be fixed simply by a change in environment. Simple as that. Whether it’s going for a walk, hanging out at the mall, or whatever it takes, you need to get out of your writing mode and breathe. Often, your brain will plunge right back into writing mode, with plenty of new ideas.
~Plot Problems~
We’ve all got these. What happens next?! You’ve tried this, you’ve tried that, and nothing seems to work. Well, I’m not you, so I can’t take a look at your plot and tell you exactly what you need to do. But I can give you a few pointers on where to look.
1. Character Personality: Is there an inconsistency with one of your characters? A personality fault? Sometimes, you’ll find yourself stuck because you let your character wander down the wrong path. Go back and look for places where the character seemed stiff, OOC, unnatural. That’s probably a trouble spot.
2. Plot String: Are you demanding too much of the characters? I’ve seen this happen before. This problem, if not addressed quickly, can get very ugly. Your plot takes all these strange avenues that you don’t really like. Stay in control! Watch out for melodramatic scenes and fillers. Don’t just stick a sequence in there because you like it, or it looks good. Chances are, it detracts from your story. Go back and look for things to cut out. If necessary, start over.
3. Character Volume: This one is, unfortunately, way too common. Swift diagnosis: You simply have too many characters. You can’t develop them all, and your work becomes shallow. Take a deep breath, and hold it. Cut out the characters that aren’t vital to the story. If you just can’t bring yourself to do that, then merge two characters together, if you can. Combine personality traits. If you can’t cut four down to two, then make two out of four.
4. Secondary Reader: Find a trustworthy friend, one whom you think won’t make a complete idiot out of you. Then hand her/him the story, and let them have at it. A lot of times, plot problems can be fixed just by a second pair of eyes.
5. Length: This is more of a personal issue rather than a story issue. Are you trying to make this story stretch longer than it can be? If a story’s being obstinate and sticky, then maybe it’s where it wants to be. This doesn’t happen often, so use this only when you’ve exhausted everything else. If the weed won’t come out, just leave it there.
~Summary~
Writer’s block is a terrible thing. I know. Right now, I’m writing this simply because I’m blocked on a story of my own. Fortunately, after writing this, I know what my problem was. I simply needed to get away from it and relax. For others, they might need to just hack away at the story until they find the block.
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