NaNoWriMo #3 Writer's Block
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| Me after Nonstop Writing. |
I hope NaNoWriMo is treating you all well! I'm back today with a break from my novel writing to give some tips on something that can impact all writers: Writer's Block. Eek. It sounds so scary when I capitalize it like that! I bring up Writer's Block now because it's the 8th already, which means if we're doing at least the 1,667 words a day, we should all be at 13,336 words or more by the end of the day. Which is intense.
And for me, writing this intense amount of words so fast can really end up pushing me into a wall. I'll end up writing all the stuff I know I want to be in my story before even making it halfway through, and then I'll be stuck with no ideas! I get blocked. It happens. Especially when I've been writing so much, so fast. So, I thought today would be a perfect day to let you in on how I deal with Writer's Block, and how I kick it in the ass. Ain't nobody got time for that - especially in NaNoWriMo time.
Way to Kick Writer's Block From Your Life #1
Find inspiring music. Is there a certain band or artist that you like to listen to while you write? Or maybe a particular song always gets you in the same mood as your character for the scene you're trying to write?
I've posted about how different music has helped me in the past, and I have several more of those posts coming in the future. But, to give you a new example, there's a song called "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic that always gets me into a fun, happy mood for writing those scenes that are just that. My stories tend to be a little darker, maybe a little more emotional, so getting back into a happy place can be a little tricky for me.
This song helps me every time. It's just so fun and poppy. In one story I was writing, the two characters had just experienced a very dark bonding moment, and I wanted to brighten it up in the next scene. But I was struggling with it because I'd just written like 20,000 words of keeping them apart and sad. So, "Counting Stars" came in to save the day. :)
Music is a fantastic way to help you defeat Writer's Block.
Way to Kick Writer's Block From Your Life #2
Go read a book you love. It sounds counter-intuitive, but reading writing you love can absolutely help kick the Writer's Block out. For me, I sometimes read a new book to help get me jump-started. Or, I'll go back to some books I've loved for years.
Which book definitely depends on what I'm stuck with in my story. If I'm writing a love story, I might go reread The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn. For an action scene, I might go back to anything in Ally Carter's collection. So, you just have to know what books or authors work best for you to get back on track with your own story.
Way to Kick Writer's Block From Your Life #3
This method might be the strangest one. I'll stream-of-consciousness-write about my story until things start rolling again. Sometimes it'll turn into a scene. Sometimes it's just background information. Sometimes, I end up outlining my entire novel. It really just depends.
This was the method I used yesterday when I was finding myself stuck. I felt lost in my story. I didn't really know where it was going. I had a vague idea and a few ideas to incorporate, but nothing concrete, and definitely nothing laid out in a way that would actually help me to advance the story.
So I just took out a notebook and started writing down the things I already knew about my story. I didn't stop writing for an hour, and ended up filling 4 front and back pages with what I wanted to have happen in the novel. I had no idea what was going to happen in the story before, but after, I had an entire outline. And even better, I was excited for my story again!
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| The pages I scribbled out! |
Whatever method you use to destroy Writer's Block, just remember that the most important part is to write. Just keep writing. Keep believing in yourself. You'll get there. We're going to get there.
Write on!
Amy
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