In a post on Writers Unboxed, Kelsey Allagood offers some advice on preventing and overcoming writer’s block. “When I struggle to write, it usually feels less like a roadblock and more like a slow wade through a river of molasses,” Allagood says. “But I’ve only recently realized that this feeling isn’t something that’s wrong with me, but rather that writing starts feeling agonizing when something isn’t working in the writing itself.”
Allagood suggests that tough areas of your work are the main cause of writer’s block, ie: when you know something isn’t working, but you aren’t sure what. She suggests a few test to help you diagnose your problem:
- Take a break. “Sometimes I look at a scene for so long that I lose the forest for the trees. Sometimes I’m just having a day of brain fog,” she says. “I’ll take some time away from the story—sometimes just for a few hours, but often for a few days—and when I return, the words come easily.” Caveat: Break means not writing at all. No second project, no outlining. Give your brain a rest.
- Revisit the purpose of the scene. “I start at the spot where I’ve gotten stuck with the smallest unit of space in a story—the scene—and I ask myself whether it is working as intended,” Allagood writes. “What is the goal of this scene from a story perspective? Does it push the plot forward? Is at least one character being forced to grow or change? If I can’t provide a clear, tangible answer to any of these questions, then I know this is likely where the problem lies.”
- Check in with your characters. As above, Allagood checks in on her characters, asking if they have a clear goal, if they are working towards something, and if they know what they want.
- Zoom out. “Take several large steps back and look at your scene in the context of the entire story,” Allagood suggests. “If you’re writing a book, where does the scene fall within the chapter, the plot or character arc, and the book as a whole? As in the previous two tests, can you clearly point to how this scene contributes to those larger sections?”
- Get a second opinion. “Sometimes, all you need is some outside perspective to pinpoint what isn’t working,” Allagood explains. “The key here is just to be open minded, to take their advice seriously, and keep being willing to try new things. Eventually, you’ll land on the right treatment, and your story will be all the healthier for it.”
