BACK ON TRACK: How to BEAT the Writer's Block

You may or may not know, but I've been writing a book called Prophet of the Gods (*ahem*) via Wattpad since the very end of 2018 and I at the very end of March, began a month and more long hiatus to focus on exams and schoolwork which had been getting the best of me this year. But after a month and a little more than a week, I am glad to finally be back to writing.

If you didn't know- I took the SAT on May 4th (still waiting for results, *crosses fingers*) and there may or may not be an entry about that coming soon. We'll see. Anyway, as soon as I finished taking the multiple hour long exam, I went home and proceeded to fast draft over 3,000 words of Chapter 14 (the next chapter of PotG) and I even ended up finishing the entire thing. It has been months since I've written anywhere near 3,000 words so say I was surprised was an understatement. But it was a good, and honestly validating surprise and I even ended up posting that chapter three days early (on a Monday- who am I?)

That was last Monday by the way. And this Thursday I will be posting Chapter 15 (which I really need to finish, whoops) establishing my previous once a week postings and throwing me back into my familiar routine from pre-exam season. Ah, it's good to be back.

The main reason for this blog post was to talk about writing and specifically: getting back into it. Like readers and reading slumps, writers have the infamous writer's block which not always inflicted by lack of inspiration or ideas of where the story is going but like in my case, events that are out of our hands (curse you stupid SAT!!) In these cases, you end up spending a lot of time away from writing which creates this seemingly uncrossable void... but I'm here to tell you that this void is completely vanquishable.

So here's some things I did to get me back in the mindset of writing:

- READING. This may seem a little odd but trust me, there is nothing more motivating than reading wonderful books that make you think, "I want to write something like this- something as good or even better than this." Reading always inspires me to get back to writing even when it's been a really long time. This is especially the case when you read books from a similar genre to the WIP you're struggling with.

-EDITING OLD WORKS. Like many writers including me, you may have a storage of old potentially cringy stories in your drive just laying gathering digital dust (or actual dust if you physically write your stories/poems). Something that always gets me back in the mindset for writing is going back, rereading, and then completely revising and editing these stories because usually you haven't touched them in months or even years and your opinions of the structure, etc are now absolutely different.

-OUTLINING??? This one is a big maybe. Maybe outlining a new story will get you back in the zone of writing, but it's also a little risky. There's always the worry of being hooked by this shiny, new idea that you haven't spent many hours aggravating and screaming over and you may find yourself wanting to abandon your previous WIP to work on this new, seemingly easier idea. It's always easier to start things than finish things. However, that may not be a bad thing depending on what your priorities are. If you have no qualms with going with the flow and starting whatever excites you- then go for it. Starting something new is always a great way to escape the writer's block.

-WATCH YOUTUBE. This one sounds even odder but there's a whole branch of Youtube cleverly and affectionately known as Authortube. It is essentially what it sounds like: a creative space dedicated to writers, authors, and about the writing craft. It's great- take my word for it. And if you haven't checked it out yet, I highly recommend it: Kim Chance, Vivien Reis, Jenna Moreci, Lindsay Cummings, Shaelin Writes, Alexa Donne, and Gingerreadslainey are some great ones. This is the place to find people like you struggling with things similar to you, and to gain inspiration from their hardships, trials, and also from their successes and achievements. I always feel that familiar itching to pick up a pencil or to pull up a Google doc when watching Authortube.

-GO BACK TO THE ORIGINS. This one is a bit different. It's more about re-immersing yourself in your current WIP by returning to where you first got that idea or the things that have influenced you in writing it. For example, were you inspired by a TV show? Rewatch a few episodes. Do you have a writing playlist dedicated to that WIP? Listen to it, remember why this music reminds you of your WIP. Does your WIP take place in a setting like a bookstore or a park or maybe in a town near you? Take a visit. This one may bed difficult if you live in the US and your book takes place in Paris... Or you know- the place doesn't actually exist in real life... In that case, find the closest analogous place to it.

Above all: DON'T GIVE UP. You may be struggling now but trust me, it'll get better. You'll find that motivation eventually even if it takes weeks or months. YOU'LL GET THERE. Why? Because you're a writer, that's why. You have the ability to breathe life into characters, craft complicated and complex plots, create snappy and relatable dialogue, and write a story that flows beautifully. You have that power. You have that capacity. Which means you can overcome writer's block too.

SO DON'T GIVE UP.

I hope these tips helped you or may help you in the future and I wish you all the best with any present, future, or even past WIPs and projects. I also hope you have had a great day or week or that you will have a great day and week in the future. This was a relatively shorter blog post than usual but stay tuned for more in the future (I'll be posting more often now that exams are mostly over). Stay positive.

No mourners, no funerals,

-SureenaWrites