BREATHE: Overcoming Writer’s Block

By A.F. Linley

I once had a job attempting to novelize a video game that (somehow) had no script, and every time I told the project manager, “I’m stuck,” they would tell me, “It’s okay, you just need to wait for the muse to inspire you!”

Needless to say, that book never got written, because—more’s the pity—working writers don’t have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike. When a deadline’s looming, and the writer’s block is pressing down, you often don’t have any other option but to keep going, even when that feels like beating your head against a brick wall.

Thankfully, there are some things you can do to help break through the (hopefully metaphorical) wall.

Basic Tips

Get away from your workspace for a little bit, if you can—take a walk in some fresh air, or go do some chores; personally, I find washing dishes to be very calming to the mind (and remember: this isn’t procrastination, this is a mental reset technique). If you can’t get away, then try and change up your focus. Listen to your project’s playlist, or take the time to build one, or make an imageboard—anything that will keep you focused on your project but not specifically on the writing.

“Grayscale Photography of Person Holding a Pen” by Todoran Bogdan on Pexels.com.

When you’re ready to return to the writing process, try switching tracks and work on a different project, if you have time. Or try switching writing methods! If you normally use a laptop, use a pen and a notebook; if you normally write longhand, use a notes app on your phone. Do you have access to a manual typewriter? Use that! Enjoy being frustrated at something besides your uncooperative plot!  

Deep Dive

If you’ve changed up your routine and gone for a walk and folded the laundry and you’re still getting nowhere, there are a few more in-depth things you can try:

Get your characters talking: Sit them down for a metaphorical coffee or a beer and imagine a conversation with them. Sometimes just letting your mind meander through a lazy chat will unlock character traits or choices that your more active brain hadn’t considered.

Go wild with the setting: Write an alternate universe version of the scene or character or plot point that’s giving you trouble. If you’re working on a modern-day narrative, try writing a bit as a science fiction story. Make a character an alien or switch the genders around. Tackling the problem from an unexpected angle can often bear unexpected fruit!

Outline it til it screams: Go back to your plot outline and break it down scene by scene, point by point, and zero in on what’s gumming up the works and where—and if you’re not one for outlines, sit down and write one anyway, even if it’s purely as a thought exercise. Stop thinking about how you’re going to move the plot forward and concentrate on the mechanics of your plot and how it works, and how your characters and subplots move within it. Romance author KJ Charles has a fantastic (and painfully honest) recent blog post about this very thing.

Sometimes, you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having done all this extra work and discovering that the problem isn’t that you don’t know where the story’s going next, but that there’s something standing in the way. You have to be honest with yourself about what's not working. This isn’t a blanket directive to “kill your darlings,” but sometimes your favorite bit is the thing that’s holding the story back. And that’s never fun; trust me, been there, done that, and have the Word doc full of orphaned scenes and characters to show for it. But the important thing is to get the draft done, and if they’re causing a roadblock, that means your favorite subplot or character has to go. And always remember: you can revise a crappy draft, but the draft has to exist first.

These aren’t the only techniques out there, of course, and you’ll have to find which ones work for you. But never forget the most important one: to be kind to yourself. The past year-plus has been hell, and it’s not over yet, but even in non-plague years, you can’t beat the words out of your brain and expect them to be workable. Give yourself permission to rest, and to breathe, and to grieve, if necessary.

The words are still there; sometimes they just need a little space to breathe, too.