Writing, whether you’re writing a 15-page academic paper or a 100,000 word novel, can sometimes seem like trying to pull water from a desert rock. Don’t get me wrong–this is our chosen profession. Most of us write because we have stories itching to be told and love what we do. That doesn’t always mean that we particularly “like” it. At least, not all the time. Writer’s block, upcoming deadlines, and the process of editing and revising our work can make even the most seasoned writer want to pull their hair out strand-by-strand.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many of my former writing students have come to me frazzled, in tears, and ready to completely give up because they can’t seem to move forward with their work. Of course, as a professor, it was my job to make sure that they completed the work by the designated deadline. However, as a writer, I could also easily empathize with them because I understood exactly what they were going through.
Writing is not an easy endeavor. It requires a huge amount of time, thought, motivation, and emotional energy. There will be days where the words seem to flow almost effortlessly, and there will be days where it seems your creativity has chosen to take a vacation that threatens to stretch for weeks.
So, what can you do to stave off writer’s block and burnout? Here are a few tips that I’ve provided my students over the years.
Don’t try to tackle your project all at once. It’s great when an idea pops into your head and you want nothing more than to immediately sit down at your computer and write for hours. STOP! Take a breath and let the idea simmer in your mind for a day. By all means, jot a few notes down. However, give the story a chance to take shape in your imagination before diving head first into it.
Brainstorm before you begin actively writing the first chapter. As the story begins to take shape in your mind, you’ll want to make sure that you have a number of details worked out before you get too far into the process of writing your novel. This doesn’t mean that you need to complete a highly-detailed, chapter-by-chapter outline from the moment the idea enters your mind, but you do want to have at least some idea of where your story will go. And don’t worry–the answers can (and often will) change the deeper you move into your story.
Consider the following:
What is the basic premise of the story you want to write?
Does the story fit into a specific genre? What are the key conventions of that genre that should be adhered to?
Who are the main characters? What is their purpose? Where do they want to end up? How do they plan to get there?
Who are the minor characters, and what do they add to the story?
What settings do you envision? Do you know enough about the locations to provide believable descriptions? If you’re writing science fiction or fantasy, have you considered worldbuilding?
Who are you writing for? Children? Teenagers? The 40-something homeschooling mom who enjoys a good romance?
What message(s) do you want to convey to your reader?
How do you envision the end of the story?
Create a chapter-by-chapter outline. Before you roll your eyes at this idea, let me explain why creating an outline is actually a great idea.
Disclaimer: I used to loathe creating outlines as part of my writing process. Whenever a professor would assign this as part of a writing project–whether academic or creative–I would turn into a sullen 4-year-old. I would whine, stomp my feet, curse their existence, and try to avoid the task until the very last minute. Then something happened–I started writing a four-book young adult series based on Celtic mythology. The sheer scope of the project required a lot of research, and with that research came the need for organization not only of the research itself but also how that research would fit into my story.
Viola! I became a believer in outlines!
While writing an outline may seem like a tedious and creativity-killing task, I’ve found that doing so actually helps me to generate even more ideas for my stories. I view every outline as a roadmap not only for myself, but also for my characters. Face it, our characters often like to go off on their own once in awhile to explore places off the beaten path. That’s fine. Let them! But also make sure to provide them with directions back to the main road.
Take breaks. Even when you’re “in the zone” and want to dedicate 100% of your energy to your characters, you also need to make time to take care of yourself. Writers are not superhuman. Just like regular people, we need food, water, showers, interaction with other humans, and sleep. When we spend every waking moment working, burnout is inevitable. Burnout leads to everything from writer’s block to illness, and that’s something you definitely do not want to happen.
My personal self-care rule when I’m working: step away from the computer every 1-2 hours and spend at least half an hour doing something else. When I do this, I almost always go back to working with fresh eyes and sometimes even new ideas.
Enlist an army of beta readers. What is a beta reader, you may ask? A beta reader is someone who acts as a “test subject” in your chosen audience. They will read the unreleased version of your novel just as any reader would, and they will let you know whether they like it or not. Beta readers are NOT professional editors, but they can prove very useful in determining whether your book is ready for publication or still needs a bit more work before it is released to the general public. Once they’ve read your book, you can (and should) have them fill out a questionnaire focused on everything from their reactions to characters, the emotions they may have felt while reading your story, and any other concerns you may have.
Remember that your first draft will not be perfect, and don’t beat yourself up over it. You will go through numerous drafts of your story before it is ready for publication. You will inevitably rewrite sections of your story over and over, and even cut a few of them entirely. You will have grammatical errors, places where the story does not flow well, plot holes, problems with character development, etc, etc, etc. And, sometimes, you will have mistakes and holes in your story that require you to change entire scenes and chapters. This is where a great editor comes in extremely handy.
Even Stephen King and J.K. Rowling never produce a perfect first draft. Just like every writer, they go through numerous edits and revisions before their work is ready for publication. Seriously, read the book Stephen King: On Writing. This book changed my entire perspective on what it means to be a writer–especially hearing from the “King of Horror” that even the best authors have experienced writer’s block, self-doubt, and rejection.
Finally, remember that every writer has their own process that changes throughout their career. We’re all different. What works for one writer may not necessarily work for another. Some of us can only write while listening to music while others can only work in complete silence. Some find that their creativity emerges late at night while others find inspiration early in the morning. The point is that your process can include anything that works for you. Embrace it, but also keep an open mind to other ideas. Read how other authors approach writing. Maybe you’ll find something new to add to your routine that will help make your writing even better!
Aristeia 