Writer’s Block

You jump a wall.

You can run through a swath of dragon fire.

You can cut your way through a mountain.

You can feel unstopable.

Until you get to that writer’s block.

If you’ve felt it. Welcome to the club. When you can’t write and you can’t figure the scene out. When you just can’t keep your mind on the page. When your music gives you a headache that reminds you off that brain tumor your cousin from New Hampshire had removed last fall. When you realize the last three sentences you wrote as an attempt at anaphora weren’t actually sentences. Sorry about that. Another common symptom of writer’s block is misspelling obious words. ;).

What do you do to get around it? Wait until you can write again?

I think… that normally if I’m having a hard time writing, it’s because I don’t like what I’m writing. While some pieces have to be written and just may not interest you as much, I think of another good chunk of advice that I heard or read somewhere. If you’re not interested in what you’re writing, no one else is going to be either. (Unless, of course, you’re a guy and you’re writing that romance scene that you felt like was super important, but still hate. Then, of course, your sister would probably be quite interested in it!) Keep that in mind.

Normally, if I’m stuck on something I believe is critical, I’ll skip it and come back later. Like how you do the easy problems first on a worksheet (or SAT, for that matter). That really worked for me on my last draft. I wrote the end way before I filled in certain parts. It’s also helpful to go and come back later after a snack or a breath of sweet outdoor air.

The most important things to remember are the good times. Reread some of your favorite parts in your latest draft or go dig up a document and have a good laugh about how bad you used to be. Just stay at it and do your best.