It used to be rare that I got stuck while writing a book. But lately, with my time more fragmented and no deadlines except those I impose on myself, I’ve found myself clawing my way through first drafts. To try and get the momentum going again, I’ve gone back to the techniques that served me well in the beginning of my career.
Work on the book every day. I used to do this religiously. I wrote on holidays, on my birthday, while traveling, even when I was sick. As long as I could get out of bed and sit up at my computer, I put some time in. Writing every day keeps your connection to the story and characters strong and keeps the creative process flowing.
End your writing session in the middle of something: a paragraph, chapter, scene break, even a sentence. This makes it much easier to get started the next day.
Think about the story before you go to sleep and when you wake up in the morning. This puts the story at the forefront of your subconscious, which allows that part of your mind to work on story problems. Your unconscious mind isn’t held back by the worries and frustrations that can derail the conscious creative process.
Allow yourself to go back and review a few previous pages at the beginning of the writing session. This helps you get back into the flow of the story. But you can’t go back too far or spend too much time on what you’ve already written. You have to keep writing new pages.
If you get completely stuck, jump ahead in the book to where you know what’s going to happen. If you’re a very linear writer (like me), this can feel uncomfortable and even wrong. But it’s often easier to connect plot points you’ve already laid out than to agonize endlessly over the next scene.
Allow yourself to go off on tangents. Let yourself write scenes (especially dialogue) you know probably aren’t going to end up in the book. Although this feels like a waste of time, it can help you build the backstory of the characters and nuances of the plot. The better you know your characters and their world, the more easily the book will come together.
Get physical. Get up from your desk or chair and do something. Get something to drink, go outside, take a walk. Getting moving often helps your thoughts flow better.
Describe the book to someone else. For some reason, forcing myself to verbally explain the story makes something click in the plotting lobe of my brain. Writing out plot points doesn’t work for me, but explaining them out loud does. Maybe it’s the physical act of speaking (see above) that helps integrate my thoughts and ideas.
Read. It can be something completely different, or something that relates to your book. Sometimes completely unrelated stories free up your mind and cleanse your creative palate to focus on your own book. And sometimes books that are similar to what you’re writing can spark plot ideas. If you’re afraid of being derivative, try a different genre, or nonfiction books that relate to your story in some way.
Live. Real-life experiences help “fill the well.” Travel, hobbies, spending time with friends—activities that relax and energize you help nurture your creativity and keep your mind fresh.
Take time for self-care. Writing takes physical energy and stamina. Being tired and stressed saps your creativity. You have to take care of your body and foster healthy habits if you want to be at your most productive.
Remember the joy of writing. Recall those first exhilarating writing experiences where you felt “in the zone” and the words flowed magically and effortlessly. You can have that thrill again. You just have to keep working, and those moments will happen. They will never make up the majority of your writing time, but they are the high spots that make it all worthwhile.
If you’ve been writing a while, you’ve probably heard most of this advice several times over the years. But somehow we forget and get off track, and need to be reminded why we chose to be writers and why it seemed like the best of all possible pathways.
I seem to get through the first drafts okay and then get stuck while doing revisions. The same advice applies, but I’m resisting. Maybe spring fever?
I’m jealous of your ease in writing first drafts. That’s the hard part for me. Of course, that’s because I’m plotting as I write. Not the ideal, but the only thing that works for me.
I think if I followed your advice, namely the first thing on your list, I would be so much further along in my story than I am. And the next time I sit down to write I am going to take your second piece of advice. Sounds like a good idea!
Hope it works for you. All of it has worked for me in the past, but struggling to move forward now. Thanks for stopping by.
I sat here, nodding as I read your suggestions. Although I can’t stop in the middle of a scene, I’ve found the other techniques to be extremely helpful with “write every day” and “think about the story before you go to sleep” being the most valuable to me. Both of them help to make writing an integral and essential part of daily life, and isn’t that what being a writer means?
My problem is that lately I haven’t followed my own advice. Really need to get back into my writer persona.
I write my chapters out of order (the one I feel a passion for at the time). It works well unless something interferes with time on the book (another more pressing project is an example), then it is a mess to come back to. Luckily, I do have an outline so I know generally what is supposed to come between chapters.
I’m always so impressed that people can do this. I’m such an linear writer…I write like I’m following a trail of breadcrumbs through the forest. The main thing is finding what works for you.
Two points – stopping in the middle of something, and reading a few pages back to get in the zone – seem counterintuitive but really work. Thanks for the great blog.
Good to know that my suggestions helped you.Thanks.