E.V. Fairfall
Writers block has plagued me all week, so I might as well try to explain my methods around it while it’s fresh in my mind. With nightly word count goals it can be hard to stay motivated when a scene isn’t flowing. Some promising ways to work around them are:
1. Start a new chapter and leave the chapter or scene you’re working on behind for now.
2. Work backwards. Get your blood pumping by skipping to the last chapter.
3. Write the synopsis. You’ll need it at some point anyway and it can re-solidify your plot and maybe give you a new perspective.
4. Try to identify what is keeping you from writing the scene. Is it dialogue? Transitions? Pick up a favorite book and search for the solutions that others writers use or read a few pages. Sometimes it will help you get back into the flow of writing.
5. Explore your characters. Write down everything about them. Their favorite color. Hobbies, favorite childhood memories. The better you know them, the easier it will be to write them. Plus it is fun!
This week, I was stubborn and I tried to power through a chapter that just wouldn’t go. I knew where I wanted the chapter to begin and end but the characters seemed unyielding and stubborn. Finally... after two nights of a few hundred forced words, I skipped to the next chapter. It was a breath of fresh air.
I hope these methods work for you as well as they do for me.
1. Start a new chapter and leave the chapter or scene you’re working on behind for now.
2. Work backwards. Get your blood pumping by skipping to the last chapter.
3. Write the synopsis. You’ll need it at some point anyway and it can re-solidify your plot and maybe give you a new perspective.
4. Try to identify what is keeping you from writing the scene. Is it dialogue? Transitions? Pick up a favorite book and search for the solutions that others writers use or read a few pages. Sometimes it will help you get back into the flow of writing.
5. Explore your characters. Write down everything about them. Their favorite color. Hobbies, favorite childhood memories. The better you know them, the easier it will be to write them. Plus it is fun!
This week, I was stubborn and I tried to power through a chapter that just wouldn’t go. I knew where I wanted the chapter to begin and end but the characters seemed unyielding and stubborn. Finally... after two nights of a few hundred forced words, I skipped to the next chapter. It was a breath of fresh air.
I hope these methods work for you as well as they do for me.
More Answered Questions
Devin
asked
E.V. Fairfall:
What got you interested in writing? Why was the YA genre so appealing to you?
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