Goodreads asked C.G. Jones:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

C.G. Jones Writer's block is something that a lot of people experience—undoubtedly. One of the most common places writer's block happens is at the beginning of a writing project. When facing the blank page.

However, this hasn't been my experience. Writer's block—at least for me—tends to happen about halfway through a project, when there are so many different directions a story could go. It's not so much a lack of ideas or direction as it is about what direction to go in. This can be paralyzing (and often is), because, if you're a perfectionist like me, you don't want to screw it up.

A couple tips:

1.) Change up where you tend to write. Neil Gaiman mentioned this in a podcast episode with David Tennant. Sometimes what we need is a change of scenery—a break from the monotony. Our brain is a pattern-seeking organism, and it's quite good at it. Therefore, if you tend to write in the same place, your mind has already outlined the environment, over and over again—to the point where it's not being challenged anymore. Exposing your brain to new environments and patterns could be just the thing you need. This has worked for me.

2.) Keep a small journal with your ideas in it. It doesn't necessarily have to be a physical journal. Maybe it's just a matter of keeping ideas in the "Notes" app in your phone. Whether it's a word, a phrase, a sentence, or a whole scene, don't let a good idea pass you by. It's true that ideas are cheap, but they can turn into very rare (ie original) gems.

3.) Understand that a story may want to go in a different direction than you want it to. Almost everything I've ever written has veered from the general outline I had for it. This is a good thing. It means your story is alive, and it's taking on a life of its own. Though it may sound a little "out there," mentally ask your story what it wants to do. Whether you believe in the Muse or not, you will receive an answer—it just may not be the one you expected.

4.) Writer's block can also be a function of the writer not really knowing what they want to write about. It's important to have an idea about what you want to say. Whether that pertains to the plot, characters, or overall philosophy of the story. This is not to say you need to know how your story ends before you start—you definitely don't. But it could be helpful to handwrite a short character biography or plot point in a notepad. Even though I tend to type my stories, I always have a notebook next to me, jotting down details and reiterating what I want to say. It keeps me on task.

5.) Refrain from scrolling on your phone. This is something I'm still working on. In order for me to effectively settle into the world of my story, I can't have easy distractions such as a notification on my phone. And I assume I'm not the only one with this issue.

I hope these tips were helpful!

flag