I’ve answered a few “Ask the Author” questions from Goodreads and thought I would share those answers here for anyone who is not yet part of the Goodreads community… limited as that may be. 
This one is especially important to me because it’s an issue I deal with more often than I like to admit.
Writer’s Block.
For me, writer’s block is a very real thing with varying degrees of severity.
There are times when 10-15 minutes of ‘free-writing’ frees the muse enough for me to get back into the story. Other times, I have to step away from the computer completely then pick up a pen and notepad to jot thoughts I have for the scene I’m struggling to write. That is truly free writing because it removes the pressure of having that cursor impatiently and steadily blinking in front of my eyes.
When I free-write, I usually write about where the last scene left off, how the characters felt at that point, what they need to do next, how the setting will feel, what will be the emotions they need to experience… I won’t spend too much time on any one thought. It’s just jotting, nothing solid until the muse becomes engaged. I gleaned this great bit of advice from a more detailed blog post by Rachel Aaron , and I ‘m always amazed at how well it works.
But when it doesn’t…
I exercise. Trust me, it’s a last resort. I could tell you I nosh and drink tons of coffee (which I do), but that’s more a way to procrastinate than to overcome writer’s block.
Still, I have a compact treadmill in my living room and when I am truly stuck and cannot work through a scene, I’ll get on the treadmill and just start walking. I’ll think about how I brought the story to the point where I’m stuck, trying to feel the emotions of the scenes. As I think more about it, I pick up more speed on the treadmill and that clears my mind. I don’t know how it works but it does. Sometimes I’ll come away with only one sentence, a transition, but that might be all I need to get going again. Sometimes, an error in a previous scene suddenly becomes clear. And sometimes the answer becomes so clear I wonder why I was stuck in the first place. I’m not sure how running does that for me, but it does, so I do.
I’d love to know what other authors do to overcome writer’s block. And for those who don’t believe it exists, I’d love to know their process because if there is a way to avoid it completely, I would love to know about i t.
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I do believe writer’s block exists, but rather I have the problem of having too many things to say and feeling like I’m awkwardly trying to force them all to work at once. When stuck, I usually walk away and try not to think about the problem. Sometimes overnight I get an “a-ha!” moment and get back to it. Sometimes I find my solution outside — I discovered the key to how a killer got away with murder in Home Depot once, standing in front of the thermostats.
The key to getting away with murder was in the thermostat aisle at Home Depot?! Who knew?!
Honestly, I agree with you. Walking away is often the best way to solve the dilemma of too much or not enough to write. I find speaking aloud helps clear or sort my thoughts, too. If I don’t have someone to brainstorm with, I’ll use a digital recorder and state the issues I have with a particular scene. Often, just saying it aloud helps clear the webs. Knowing this, it’s strange how often I’ll sit at the computer waiting for the right words to come.
Thanks for coming by!
writer’s block…hmmm…
like right now…
: )
i know i’ve had it, but i think it’s not so much a blockage as it is a cluttered mind.
when i’m stressed over other things that need to be done in life — family first, laundry build-up, other issues — it seems my muse shrivels up in the closet until i free my mind of all that other stuff.
so, that’s what i do…some sort of task, chore, or errand that needs my attention. and usually when i’m running to the post office, or the supermarket, or folding laundry, or carting children the ideas seem to loosen up, like oiling up a bolt that’s too tight.
if i play the radio a song may inspire me, and i wouldn’t have been listening to the radio if i was sitting in front of the computer begging my muse to come out and play.
or i’ll overhear a conversation on line at the store that might spark a piece of dialog i was looking for. inspiration is everywhere and sometimes it’s a game of hide and seek…it’s out there, i just have to find it…serendipitous when i do…and if nothing comes out of it as least i accomplished something on my to-do list.
when all else fails, i jump in the shower or take a nap…the muse always seems to come whenever i’m without paper or a pen.
It’s true, a writer is always working – especially when no writing instruments are within reach!
You touched on something that applies to me as well – a cluttered mind. I often find that my mind is cluttered when my writing space is cluttered. A few minutes to straighten books on a shelf, sort papers, or put the dishes away helps free up the muse. It’s all so distracting – I used to think that work was simple procrastination but I find it truly helps to get the words flowing again.
Happy you came by here, Deb!
I don’t personally believe in writer’s block. I think putting too much emphasis on a ‘name’ for a feeling is giving it too much credence. I’ve had many times where a particular idea is stymied. It usually means it isn’t going anywhere in the story or I just need to step away (either figuratively or physically) and let it percolate. Arla, you mentions using a treadmill as a way to clear the mind and I’ve done the same, working on other stories is a favorite of mine, exercise, cooking, painting, cleaning – or some task that doesn’t require much in the way of heavy thought to accomplish leaving your head free to wander over answers. It does that, your head. You pose a question and hold it in your thoughts and the answer comes. I trust that and have never been disappointed. You’re probably thinking that I’m just denying the existence of writer’s block and maybe I am, but I believe that when you come across a chasm in your story where nothing seems to come, that’s the universe’s way of telling you to take a step back, ruminate and marvel in the discovery that unfolds once you allow yourself to get back on track. I find what comes when you allow it, is something far better than what would have come had you tried to force it or fretted that you had ‘the dread writer’s block’ like it was some disease. It’s all in your head. Just a way for the universe to tell you to take a step back. Take it in stride, do something else, trust the answers will come and move on.
I like the idea of calling writer’s block by a different name – or, rather, not even giving it name so it has less power. If you have writer’s block and acknowledge it, then, in its own way, it settles in and becomes the go-to for not writing.
It’s happened too often to me to ignore it completely but I absolutely agree that the words are indeed there in our heads. We just need to stand back and see them from the outside (behind the block 😉 ).
I find it so interesting that so many of us are affected by this syndrome, in some form, and all have the same, basic, “cure”.
Thanks Gwen!
I am so impressed and inspired by the above responses to the writers block problem. And even more impressed by your open-mindedness to them, Arla. May the muse be ever-present and rich with bounty at your keyboard!
Hi Lucy! Thank you for your beautiful thoughts! Do you write as well? Have you struggled with writer’s block? I am always amazed by the issues other writers face and how similar those issues are from one writer to another. I’m also very interested in how everyone addresses those issues – share the misery, share the joy.
Story creation is such a personal (and often solitary) experience that it’s comforting to know others agonize over some of the same processes and rejoice over the same silly things – like finding a just-right word. 🙂
Great to see you here! Thank you for stopping by and commenting.