Anyone have good advice on helping with writers block while writing a novel?

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   khmazzposted 11 years ago

   Anyone have good advice on helping with writers block while writing a novel?
   
   I am currently writing my first novel and I am stuck right in the middle.  I have a little over 30,000 words written and I have found myself unable to let words flow when I sit at my computer to write.  Any ideas?

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   KellyG05030posted 11 years ago

   Sometimes, crazy as it sounds, you need to take your mind completely off your writing to find your way back to it.  Do something that relaxes you, both in body and mind.  When you find your mind going in circles and can't seem to concentrate, don't force it.  If you can break away and relax, you might find that your words will all of a sudden come to you and you'll be running to get them down!!  Good luck!!

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      khmazzposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your answer and I have been trying to just relax and not worry about it.  I guess I am just being impatient, which can be terrible.  Thanks for the advice! I will let you know how it goes!

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      Moms-Secretposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      absolutely agree!  Writing through it may result in gaps or lack of fluency and flow in your story.

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   billybucposted 11 years ago

   I wrote a hub about writer's block and inspiration.....sometimes with a novel you just have to walk away. I did with mine...for six months...and then it all came to me.  If you can't wait six months, go for a walk....meditate....go for a drive.....do yoga...relax your mind and the story will come.

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      khmazzposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think you're right about needing to just let it be for a while.  I will take a look at your hub asap!  I dont want to force my creativity.  Thank you for the advice!

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   JimTxMillerposted 11 years ago

   Keep writing anyway, and do not allow yourself to use "writer's block" as a crutch. No one who ever tried writing a novel ever said it was easy. It's damned hard work.
   When you sit at your computer to write, WRITE! Okay, the next 30,000 words may all be crap. Flush 'em and keep writing.
   Now, when you are NOT at your computer to write, do anything and everything EXCEPT think about your novel. Get as far away from it as you possibly can. Trust me, the brain needs these breaks from conscious thought to work your story out in the depths of the unconscious. Taking time away from writing is equally important as the writing itself.
   The absolute WORSE thing you can do is to keep telling yourself, "I have writer's block!" IF you believe it, you will achieve it.

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      khmazzposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I have been forcing myself to write, but not my novel, I've been pushing out crappy poetry and random blurbs in my journal.  I have pretty much taken a break from my book, but I will try your advice.  I do not want to use something as a crutch.

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   M. T. Dremerposted 11 years ago

   I agree that taking a break from it can help. But sometimes the problem is harder to fix. There are two things I suggest for a story that has stalled. The first option is to jump ahead. Maybe there is a scene you've been dying to write, but you've held off because you didn't get there yet in the story. Just go ahead and write that scene. I've found that bridging a gap is easier when the two scenes around it are finished, than if I'm trying to get there in a linear fashion.
   
   The second suggestion is to back track. Follow the thread of your story in reverse and locate the moment where the story was still interesting. Figure out what went wrong and start from that point. You may end up having to dump a lot of stuff, but if it was killing your story, then it's worth it.

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      khmazzposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Great advice!! I'll try that tonight! Thank you so much!!

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      Strumrgrlposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Great advice. Re-reading your story helps to both assist you in editing or adding more text. And inspiration for the next chapter may just happen when you're not forcing it to come.

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      DonnaDMposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I totally agree with this. I often jump around in the story and it's easy to merge together afterwards. I also try to let my creative side go where it
      wishes. If I try to use logic in the prewrite or draft, my writing will come to a halt.

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   DonnaDMposted 11 years ago

   Walk away for awhile and do something else. That's how the rest of the story will come to me.

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      khmazzposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your advice!

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   ericknight8765posted 11 years ago

   Recently I have found that carrying my notebook around with me helps. When I have a bit of time here and there I just start writing on my novel, then later I go back and type it up. I've always hated writing by hand because it's so slow and I can type so much faster. But somehow the notebook just doesn't carry the pressure that the computer does. When I sit down at the computer it's like, I'm here, now I need to do something. But with the notebook I feel freer and I've been coming up with some great ideas.

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   Yvette Willemseposted 11 years ago

   Often when it's toughest, it is most worth it. I find that my words dry up particularly when there's a conflict, a death, or something tremendously difficult to express. Your creative nature is balking at difficulty. The best thing to do is to plow on. I've never walked away from the writing in this case, because when I come back it takes me a long time to get back into it. Once your writing a novel, you're bewitched; you can't turn back, I believe. Get it finished before you reconsider! The scenes you find hardest to write your audience will invariably find most exciting or moving to read. I've written ten novels now, and this has been the case with each. When I have trouble I put on some great music, get a cup of coffee, get some chocolate, and settle in for the next two or three hours. By the end of that, I'm so sucked into the story that I don't want to leave it. It often takes an hour's solid writing for you to get interested in it again. Kinda like exercise.
   Thanks for liking my post, by the way, and all the best!

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