You need to trust your story-making decisions. After all, you are the Grand Master of your world, the Creator. As such, your decision is absolute until you choose otherwise.
If you find yourself with an extended period of writer’s block there may be several contributing factors from not having the skillset to complete the job to being overwhelmed as you have too much on your plate to easily resolve creativity issues:
PROBLEM 1: You are stressed out because you haven’t ‘cleared your decks’.
SOLUTION 1: Get organised—now! Try this link or that link.
PROBLEM 2: Your story no longer ‘feels’ right.
SOLUTION 2: Backtrack to the point that does feel right and chop out the rest. (Don’t forget to save everything that you chop, as you may wish to use this later.)
PROBLEM 3: You are overwhelmed by the amount of work needed to complete your book.
SOLUTION 3a: Take it one step at a time. Write in bite-sized chunks, i.e. 500 words per day, and then take a breather. Often, the hardest step is simply opening/looking at your document. Once you have done this, you may find you easily slip back into the story by reading the preceding paragraphs of your most recent writing.
SOLUTION 3b: Get the support you need. Get a writing mentor, sign up for a writing course or workshop, join a writer’s group or collaborate with another writer.
PROBLEM 4: You are feeling discouraged.
SOLUTION 4: You need to acknowledge that everyone has off-days. Change your mind-set from negative to positive by dwelling on all the good things you have accomplished. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Don’t be hard on yourself. Take a break, take up a hobby, take a walk or enjoy a long relaxing bath. My favourite solution is to take a nap. A 30-minute power-nap can do wonders for your creativity. Don’t compare yourself with others. You are unique. Only you can write like you.
Remember, everyone is different. Some write best early in the morning, just after waking, but others are night owls. Some write to music, others need quiet to concentrate. Some need to write in their own special corner at home, whilst others write in cafes. What works for you will not work for another person. All you have to do is get to know yourself.
PROBLEM 5: You don’t know what to write about.
SOLUTION 5: Look at the creative exercises to get you started. Don’t worry if you have trouble with this. This course is sure to provide you with some great ideas and inspiration. Do you have any hobbies that you could write about? Could you research something of interest?
Start small…even the great writers had to start somewhere. Focus not on failing, but on the fact that you keep trying!
PROBLEM 6: You just don’t have the motivation.
SOLUTION 6: Well, what do you want? Do you want to ‘bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses…bottle fame, brew glory…if you aren’t as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.’ Professor Snape, The Philosopher’s Stone
Don’t forget, it took Jo ten years of meticulous planning before she had a best seller. The amount of work you put in will often amount to the benefits you derive from your efforts. After all, this is not some get-rich-quick method, but a tried and tested long-term commitment to successful writing. The sooner you make that commitment, the better the results. All you need to do is unleash your creativity, reach within yourself and ignite your personal passion for learning!
PROBLEM 7: You don’t think your writing is good enough.
SOLUTION 7: Although you should always try to write your personal best, and of course the focus of this book is to help you do just that, there is a case to be made against comparing our work with someone else’s or our voice with another’s. Read this article on the benefits of failure. Perhaps the real problem may be in the fact that you are letting your inner critic stop you from writing. Writing is a risky business and involves a great leap of faith. You need to trust in yourself, believe in your own voice and go wholeheartedly in the direction of your dreams.
If you are feeling low, then download this gift. It maybe all that is required to help you feel better.