Author's block: three tricks to hold writing even in case you are discouraged
In the films, the inspiration hits the writer, and then a montage of the writer flashes past on his chosen instrument and ends with a perfect masterpiece that shares the writer's soul with the world. Unfortunately, the reality is not like in the cinema. Sometimes the stories tear through your fingers as if your hands were possessed; But more often than not, putting a story into words feels like pulling your teeth out of your head. It's too easy to get stuck in the writer's block.
In this case, all we want to do is give up the story and start over. But we cannot. We have to enforce and end it.
The ugly middle of a story
It happens to me all the time. I start writing with enthusiasm just to wonder what I'm doing. With every word I ask myself: “Have I already spent too much time on this? Is it too late to stop and start over? "
This is particularly painful because my time to write fiction is limited. I only have a couple of hours a night after my kids go to bed. I don't have time for a story that will never work.
At the same time, if I stopped editing every story I thought was crap, I would never finish anything because I think everything around the 60 percent closing mark is terrible.
My wife can attest to that. When I'm working on a short story with 1500 words, I get up around word 1000 and go to the kitchen, mumbling to myself. Once I'm done with the pace, I go back to my computer and say, "I hate this story. It's crap."
After five novels and over a hundred short stories, she's so used to this routine that she doesn't even look up from her riddle when she says, "I'm sorry. You'll find out. Just keep going."
And she is right. Some of the best things I wrote I hated when I wrote them. The key was that I had to keep writing and see the piece to the end before I gave it up.
"
The middle of every story is hard. The most important thing is that you write anyway. Do not stop!
3 ways to overcome the writer's block
If I think what I'm working on is crap, I've learned three tricks that have helped me see what I'm working on to the end:
1. Don't stop
There were times when I said to myself, "I'll just stop tonight and I'll pick it up in the morning." Then it will probably feel better. “Sometimes that's true, but sometimes I hate it the next day as much as when I started. I resume the story and am exactly where I was before, I'm still stuck and still hate it.
If we hate something and want to stop, it's best to keep writing. Even if we hate it when we're done, we can always edit it. It is better to end it and struggle through one writing session than to let two, three, four, or more writing sessions ruin the same story.
2. Remember what the story is about
Most of my stories have a reason for them. There is usually an idea, a dream or a point where I work with my fiction. When I start hating what I write, it helps to go back to the original fountain by remembering what inspired the piece in the first place.
If we get lost in a story, go back to the original map and remember why we started this journey in the first place.
3. Find the right song
I absolutely hated writing my third novel until I heard Lorde's version of "Everyone Wants to Rule the World". The song completely captured the tone I wanted. While the music was playing, I could see the scenes from the novel flashing through my head.
Sometimes we just need a little extra inspiration. When we find a song that matches the tone we want to create, we can relate to the story in a new way.
Go on
Just because you don't like a story while writing it doesn't mean you will hate it when you're done. Sometimes the best thing you can do is find a way to keep going until you've reached the end.
I've shared my perseverance tricks with you. Let me know your tricks in the comments.
What tricks do you use to overcome the writer's block and keep going until the end of your writing? Let me know in the comments.
WORK OUT
Take fifteen minutes today to write a story about someone doing something that is difficult. Perhaps it is a student writing a thesis, a hobby chef trying to prepare a gourmet meal, or the heroine of your ongoing work who is struggling to learn a skill that she needs to overcome the villain . Anyway, lean on the fight – hers and yours. Do not stop!
When you're done, share your writing practice in the comments below. Don't forget to leave feedback for your co-writers!
Jeff Elkins
