There are those who will tell you there's no such thing as Writer's Block. They'll accuse you of simply being lazy, or worse, unimaginative. Some may even claim they've never suffered from it because they're God-like beings who reign far above all mortal problems. Okay, maybe not that last part, but the point is, all of the above is a lie. If you're a serious writer, you're going to run into blockages. It's part of the job. No one is 100% effective all the time. And you know what? That's okay! If anything, writer's block can be a good thing! It can mean your brain is tired and needs rest, or that you need to change directions in your story. Either way, it's good for you and your work. There are, in my humble opinion, 3 main types of blocks.
1. The TOO MANY block: this one is rather special. This happens when your imagination goes into overdrive. You see a rock on the side of the road and you get an idea for a fantastic story about a family of desert rocks living in the Sahara. You see someone's shoe and immediately want to write about the first person to have discovered shoes. On and on. So much so that you don't write anything anymore. You have so many good ideas, you really can't just pick one, but nor can you write them all. You stagnate and run the risk of giving up until all the ideas just go away and leave you alone.
Solution: Don't stress. You don't HAVE to write down every idea that goes through your head. It's okay! You're okay! Deep breaths! Instead of going into hyper-panic mode and trying desperately to pin down every single story, stop. A good idea is to return to previously abandoned works here. Yes, you have a ton of good ideas. Put them to use, not in a brand new epic tale, but maybe in one you ran out of steam for 10 years ago.
2. The I DON'T WANNA block: you're just done. You have no motivation, no ideas, nothing. You begin to see yourself as the worst writer in the world and slowly sink into a spiral of debilitating depression. Life plain just sucks.
Solution: Go back to your favorite book, or author. Maybe watch a really good movie. Take a break. It's fine to have a day or two off to go back to your main source of inspiration. Find your joy again. You are not a machine. Writers need fuel just like every other artist out there.
3. The I'M LOST block: you have no idea how this one happened. Your novel was going great! And now, all of a sudden, the ideas have dried up. Your characters don't talk to you anymore. You've lost sight of how this thing was supposed to end, and you begin to really, truly, loathe your story. You'd rather it died in a dark hole.
Solution: You're going to be tempted to take a day or two off here as well. This is A BAD IDEA. If you stop here, you won't write again for months. You run a high risk of giving up entirely. What you should do is change things up. Try writing in a different spot. Build a pillow fort and hide there all day. Have a couple side projects going next to your main one, other stories you can go to when you need a break from the big monster. Regardless of artistic talent, try drawing or painting or wood carving. As long as it keeps your creativity flowing, it's good.
1. The TOO MANY block: this one is rather special. This happens when your imagination goes into overdrive. You see a rock on the side of the road and you get an idea for a fantastic story about a family of desert rocks living in the Sahara. You see someone's shoe and immediately want to write about the first person to have discovered shoes. On and on. So much so that you don't write anything anymore. You have so many good ideas, you really can't just pick one, but nor can you write them all. You stagnate and run the risk of giving up until all the ideas just go away and leave you alone.
Solution: Don't stress. You don't HAVE to write down every idea that goes through your head. It's okay! You're okay! Deep breaths! Instead of going into hyper-panic mode and trying desperately to pin down every single story, stop. A good idea is to return to previously abandoned works here. Yes, you have a ton of good ideas. Put them to use, not in a brand new epic tale, but maybe in one you ran out of steam for 10 years ago.
2. The I DON'T WANNA block: you're just done. You have no motivation, no ideas, nothing. You begin to see yourself as the worst writer in the world and slowly sink into a spiral of debilitating depression. Life plain just sucks.
Solution: Go back to your favorite book, or author. Maybe watch a really good movie. Take a break. It's fine to have a day or two off to go back to your main source of inspiration. Find your joy again. You are not a machine. Writers need fuel just like every other artist out there.
3. The I'M LOST block: you have no idea how this one happened. Your novel was going great! And now, all of a sudden, the ideas have dried up. Your characters don't talk to you anymore. You've lost sight of how this thing was supposed to end, and you begin to really, truly, loathe your story. You'd rather it died in a dark hole.
Solution: You're going to be tempted to take a day or two off here as well. This is A BAD IDEA. If you stop here, you won't write again for months. You run a high risk of giving up entirely. What you should do is change things up. Try writing in a different spot. Build a pillow fort and hide there all day. Have a couple side projects going next to your main one, other stories you can go to when you need a break from the big monster. Regardless of artistic talent, try drawing or painting or wood carving. As long as it keeps your creativity flowing, it's good.