Like A Boss: Making Writer’s Block Work for You

Today, we’re going to talk about Writer’s Block, and how thinking like the Boss will master even the worst case.

Before you hold up your hands in a ‘ward off the Evil Eye’ sign in my direction, hear me out. It’s not as bad as you think. If you change your viewpoint on Writer’s Block, it can be a fantastic opportunity rather than a challenge for you.

We’ve all hit that point where we get stuck. When we look at our work-in-progress with frustration for so long that given the chance, all our heroes will die in a blazing bloodbath and our villains will race round like maniacs crowing their victory. The thought makes us smile. Because the bloodbath lets us take back the power that these annoying characters have taken away, and don’t they know I’m the Boss, and what I say goes…

Oh. Maybe it’s just me? Well, go with me here.

When you get stuck, and you’ve spent several hours (and maybe a long shower) trying to get your characters out of whatever corner you’ve tossed them into, hit ‘Save’ and then Close. The. Document. Why?

You’re going to work on something else.

At any given time, I have more than one work-in-progress going. This is not because I am a masochist. It has several purposes, all of which are positive and help me in my career. (And damn it, I am the Boss.)

The first, and most important, in my eyes, is that it allows you to get your ideas for future projects onto paper. To put some shape and structure to what was initially a random thought. It gives you a chance to do a little plotting, and see if the story idea has legs, if it can last through an entire novel. There are few things worse than getting all invested in a story only to find halfway through that it falls flat on its derriere. Talk about wanting to kill off everyone in a bloodbath.

Additionally, it feels great to let yourself play with an idea that you really like. This is a way to give yourself permission to delve into that New Idea without feeling like you’re cheating on the current work-in-progress. Too often, I think we get stuck on the idea that we MUST finish WIP #1 before even thinking about anything else, and that just isn’t so. Give yourself permission to multitask. It’s what successful Bosses do.

The second is that it calms those of us who work on deadlines. Most of my deadlines are self-imposed, but I put them out there, so I hold myself to them. No matter what route you take to publication, there are always deadlines. The deadline can paralyze you, particularly if you’re stuck. If you are working on more than one thing at a time, you can calm that internal clock that’s saying, ‘Tick tock, need to get it done, tick tock, tick tock.’ You can hit the ‘Snooze’ because you are working, and while it may not be on the one with the closest looming deadline, you’re working. The more you do this, the more you train yourself to realize that working and moving forward will apply to everything you’re working on, even if one project is spinning wheels at the moment. Progress begets progress.

That leads me to the third plus. When I write every day, I have fewer run-ins with Writer’s Block. Why? The more you do something, the more you stretch the muscles used to do it. So the more you write, the easier your brain can slip into that mode, and move you along. If you have a couple of works-in-progress, it doesn’t matter that WIP #1 is driving you mad. You can ignore it and look at WIP #2, for which you had an amazing inspiration for the story arc in the shower today. You keep doing this, and voila! Butt is in chair and you are writing every day. We’ve all heard of BICAW (Butt In Chair And Write). As someone who has moved to writing as my career, the opportunities for distractions that keep you from BICAW are endless. The easier you make it for you to put yourself in that chair, the easier this writing gig will get.

Put some time into your New Idea. Do you have something you want to work on after your current work-in-progress is done? Outline it now. Right. Now. Go open a document and write a basic outline. That’s all you have to do. Because the next time your characters send you to a place where a sharp object seems the only way out, you go to that basic outline, and work on beefing it up. Ignore the characters plucking at your last nerve. Focus on something new.

It will get your butt in the chair, and keep you writing daily. And what’s better than doing something you love every single day? From now on, do not fear Writer’s Block. Embrace it and welcome it in.

Do it like a Boss. Writer’s Block will crumble before you.