There’s a story inside you that you need to get out but every time you sit down to write, you draw a blank.
You might not know where to start. Or maybe you want it to be perfect. Whatever the reason, you are feeling stuck to write even one word, let alone thousands.
Writer’s block is common, but learning how to overcome it is a skill you can learn to stop it from halting progress. Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to fix this slump, but use these tips to see which works for you and tweak them to find your unique motivational kick.
Tip 1 – Writing Sprints
If you are struggling with focus and getting words down, writing sprints might help. These are dedicated windows of writing time where you aren’t allowed to do anything else, followed by a smaller window for doing anything you want to unwind.
To do this;
- Set a timer for 25 minutes.
- Sit at your laptop, or with your notepad and pen, for that time. The goal is to write, but if nothing comes don’t try and fill the time with anything else. Boredom is a part of the process.
- Once the timer goes off, you have 5 minutes of ‘free’ time. Grab a snack or a drink, or scroll your phone.
- After the 5 minutes, do another 25 minute sprint.
- Continue until you run out of steam or finish the work.
The trick to this tip is to be bored. What usually happens is you spend the first 25 minutes not writing anything and still feeling stuck, but by the second round, your brain will find creativity in the boredom to entertain itself and the words will come.
Remember don’t aim to write perfection, you can edit the work later, just get the thoughts, ideas and scenes down.
But maybe the words are there but not the ideas?
Tip 2 – Writing exercises
If you’re struggling with a creative block for idea generation, then writing exercises are a great practice to add to your routine. Yes, they can be used to improve specific areas of writing craft, but they are also great to inspire creativity and flood your mind with ideas.
Creativity thrives in restrictions, so use the following to create your exercise;
- Choose a random genre.
- Choose a word limit.
- Choose a prompt – this could be a sentence, a single word or a visual.
You can pick one at random for each category, or create your own system for choosing, but I use online random generators. You can also extend the exercise by doing a second round and keeping 2 of the categories the same but changing 1.
For example; Your first exercise could be; A 300-word, gothic horror, with the prompt ‘On Thursday, there was a man in my hallway’.
Your second exercise could be; A 300-word, romance, with the prompt ‘On Thursday, there was a man in my hallway’, or A 50-word, gothic horror, with the prompt ‘On Thursday, there was a man in my hallway’.
Immediately, changing the genre changes the perspective of the prompt and new ideas will come forward. Likewise, dropping the word count to 50, requires you to think creatively about how to create a scene and tension in so few words.
Give this a go as a starting point, then you can add more restrictions to your exercises, or search for more exercises online.
The benefit of writing exercise is that they help to cultivate a creative mind. You’re teaching yourself to assess problems, find solutions and build a story around the two. This crosses over to your novel writing to find creative plots, creative ways around plot holes and creative twists to intrigue your readers.
However, you might have the ideas and the words but no time.
Tip 3 – Carving out time
If you’re struggling to dedicate the time, carving out and fiercely protecting a window of writing time is important.
However, this is the most difficult tip to follow because, even if they really want to, not everyone can do this.
If you can though, I definitely recommend it. It is so easy to put off writing to focus on something else; chores, the TV, or a day out with friends, but being in the habit of regular writing is key to keep it flowing.
This doesn’t have to be every day, nor does it have to be for long, but be honest and assess when works well for you, and how long you can dedicate to really get this habit ingrained into your schedule.
It may help to look at;
- If you are more productive in the morning or evening.
- When you have the least amount of distractions around you.
- Where there is a quiet space and when it is free.
- What day(s) of the week do you have the most free time.
- Can you keep up with a daily habit or would you prefer weekly.
- How long can you focus for on one task.
This tip requires you to consider what will work for you, try it for a couple of weeks and adjust it until you find the way that works for you.
And don’t worry about not following other writer’s schedules. Every writer has a different routine that works for them and their life, and you will find yours too. Whether it is writing every morning, or only after work, or only on weekends. The key is consistency and sticking to your routine.
(I also find a few snacks and a good cup of tea is also super helpful for my routine.)
However, there is one last big hurdle that may be stopping your motivation and making every word feel like a challenge.
Tip 4 – Write bad
The want to be perfect, and the fear of criticism, can cripple writers and throw up that mental block without you even knowing it is there. It is rarely a conscious thought of ‘I need each word to be perfect’ but manifests as ‘everything I write is rubbish’ or ‘this isn’t quite right, let’s scrap it’.
This tip isn’t new nor is it ground-breaking. It is simple and often overlooked because of it.
Write bad. Write the worst you’ve ever written. Write absolute garbage that you wouldn’t want to show your loved ones let alone the world.
And I mean literally.
Whenever you feel this block creeping back in, sit yourself down, pick a genre and write the most cringy, cliché piece of work you can imagine. Lean all the way in until reading it is laughably awful. Don’t correct spelling mistakes or grammar errors. Let your dialogue be boring or overdramatic. And have fun with it.
You can add a second step to this exercise where you edit the work to produce a better scene, but it’s also okay to just leave that bad piece of writing in all its glory.
But why?
Because it’s freeing.
You are learning that writing bad isn’t the end of the world. That nothing bad will happen and your laptop won’t explode. You are learning that mistakes happen and they can be corrected in the edit. And doing this actually helps improve your writing by bringing more focus to the poor techniques you want to avoid.
Together, these things blast through the rigid construct that your story has to be perfect on the first write through – no one’s is, and believing this is stopping you from having a completed manuscript.
Take it from an editor, there’s nothing that can’t be fixed in the edits.
Conclusion
Dips in writing motivation and inspiration are normal, but learning how to handle them is part of becoming a writer.
Find the root cause of your block to try different ways to smash through it and get back to writing. Try my tips or use them to formulate your own technique to combat lost motivation and blocks, and you’ll soon be writing again.
If you would like more tips, drop a comment or get in touch, or if you’ve finished your manuscript and are now looking for editing, let’s have a chat about your project.
If you’re in the trenches of writer’s block, remember consistency, cultivating creativity and self-compassion will help. Complete the first draft even if it’s imperfect because there’s nothing that can’t be fixed in the edits.
FAQs
I’ve tried all of your tips and still can’t find motivation, should I give up? – No. Having the will to try all these tips shows how much you want to write, so don’t let go of that. Try variations on these tips or search online for more. You will find one that works for you.
Does having no ideas mean I can’t be a writer? – Nope. You definitely need ideas to write, but having none could just be a little slump or you haven’t learned how to connect with your creative side. I’d recommend trying some writing exercises and looking at writing prompts to get you going.
I’ve finished my first draft, what editing should I do next? – I’d recommend editing your own work at this point until you are at draft 3-5. Then, it’s likely you’ll need a Developmental Edit, but there are a few types to be aware of.
I don’t want to hire a professional editor, is that okay? – Absolutely. Hiring a professional editor is a choice you get to make for your novel, but I’d recommend reading up on how to edit your own work if you take this route, and getting a good circle of writer and reader friends to give you some external feedback. Substack is a great place to find these people, or find editing tips.
How can I find an editor to work within my budget? – There is an editor out there to work to every budget, and different ways to find affordable editing. Be realistic with your goals, expectation and budget and d plenty of research as a first step.
