A creative writing rut can take several forms, so we’re unpacking all of them. Missed the first post? Here it is below.
Sometimes it’s not all or nothing, either waiting for the muse or hoping you break through writer’s block with the sheer force of your powerful creative will. Sometimes you are writing but you’re maybe not that excited about what you’re writing, or you’ve fallen out of love with your idea, or you’re otherwise stuck. This is often less dire than complete writer’s block but can feel even more devastating. You were on a roll. And now you’re not.
Well, if you are buying what I’m selling about being your own worst enemy and/or most powerful booster from the previous lesson, you can use some of these ideas to get yourself unstuck. In no particular order:
Journal and freewrite with absolutely no expectations—you don’t even have to write about the project at hand;
Go do something physical, if available to your specific body, like a walk or another automatic muscle/memory activity;
Start keeping a notepad or notes app nearby at all times as a signal to the universe that you want ideas (it’s like that $500 rock haul is all I have in my head!);
Skip over the current place in your manuscript that’s giving you trouble, and move on to what’s next in your outline;
If you’ve never done one, or if you don’t have one, or if yours is outdated, WRITE AN OUTLINE, MY GOD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITHOUT ONE?;
Write something new, if available to you, even if it’s just for fun.
Not everyone can up and take a walk if they’re stuck or write a new project (not everyone’s mind can support creative development and/or execution of more than one thing at a time, and that’s fine). Not everyone skip around in their outline if, say, the project is mostly done and the only things standing between you and “The End” are all the scenes you’ve already skipped because you didn’t want to write them back then, either.
Pro tip: If there are blazing dumpster fires in your manuscript that you keep avoiding and putting off, ask yourself whether you need them. If you do, see if there’s another way you can execute the specific scene. Throw out the existing draft and start over. And if you (1) need it and (2) still hate it, ask why you’re so mean to yourself. If you’re writing fiction, YOU ARE MAKING THE WHOLE THING UP. You don’t need to cling to something that makes you miserable. You thought of the first idea, now think of a new one that’s not going to do your head in.
Seriously, though, I am a die-hard outliner. This tool can really help with all of the issues I’m discussing in this article. If you haven’t tried it, you literally have nothing to lose except a few hours of your time and maybe some sanity. (Though we’re creative writers so that may be in short supply anyway.)
Two lessons down, two to go!
StucknessBusy-ness
Analysis paralysis
Next lesson: how do you find your writing balance?
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About Mary Kole: Former literary agent Mary Kole founded Good Story Company as an educational, editorial, and community resource for writers. She provides consulting and developmental editing services to writers of all categories and genres, working on children’s book projects from picture book to young adult, and all kinds of trade market literature, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and memoir. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has worked at Chronicle Books, the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and Movable Type Management. She has been blogging at Kidlit.com since 2009. Her book, Writing Irresistible Kidlit, a writing reference guide for middle grade and young adult writers, is available from Writer's Digest Books.
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