Writer's Block: why it doesn't exist

Undoubtedly, I will upset—and probably infuriate—some authors with this one. But that isn't going to stop me, because some others may actually see the light. Let's raise the subject of writer's block!

Writer's block is the (claimed) condition when a writer isn't able to produce any new work. He or she is literally "blocked" from getting worthwhile words on the paper. Or any words, for that matter. Whoah! Let's reverse there for a moment.

Any words?

I'm going to cut to the chase here: I believe writer's block is nonsense. Non-existent. I consider it a naughty workaround of something called "procrastination". And don't get me wrong: we're all guilty of procrastinating now and then, no matter what we do. But it becomes a larger problem if you—the author—call it Writer's Block. Now you are giving yourself a legitimate justification for not working.

Yes, Working.

Because writing is hard work. If you have committed to the craft of writing and you're serious about becoming an author, then you need to cast terms like "writer's block" out the window. What you should do is show up every day. Have clear processes for how you create your characters. Structure your plot. And start building your word count.

Those processes, those methods that you fine-tune over the years, will become both your savior as well as your building blocks for the years to come. Creating characters is, in my humble opinion, a key first step before commencing your writing process.

After all, if you don't know the abilities and shortfalls of those chest pieces on the board, how are you going to direct them such that you get them to the other side?

Remember to create well-rounded characters. They should be dynamic. I personally enjoy setting up my characters, both protagonists, antagonists, as well as side-characters, with both strengths and weaknesses. They should want something badly, and this want should conflict with either their own flaws, the wants of the other characters, or both. Make sure that before you type your first word, you have given each of your characters ample thought. They live inside of you. Make sure that no matter which two characters you place in a room together, sparks will fly.

Once you have set up your characters, it is time to work out your plot. Now, this is a delicate subject, and I know many of the great writers refuse to plan anything. (Admittedly, I have seen several of them talk about their version fifteen to even twenty of their manuscript. So even those authors who claim that structuring their plot in advance isn't for them, may be able to benefit from doing so. But authors are also known to be stubborn, and that sometimes works against us.)

Planning your plot can be done however works best for you. The first time I decided to pre-plot, I had these little notes; every note represented a chapter. The problem was that when I wanted to get back to the plotting board, I had to spread all fifty cards out on the dining table (the only table big enough to hold them all). On several occasions, when someone opened the front door, those fifty notes went flying through the room.

I'll admit it wasn't ideal, which is why I progressed to using Excel. I use multiple columns: Chapter, Place, Characters (in that scene), Pace/Tone (helps to keep you focused), POV (yes, you really need to decide this up front! Head hopping—unless purposefully done throughout the novel—is not acceptable), and summary. The summary can be as detailed as you like. Mine usually end up being as long as a single page. Why? Because it is a great way to not just plan what happens in this scene, but already throw in some details, perhaps some voice, to help you shape the actual scene when it is time to write. Trust me, this is going to help your productivity!

Once you've worked out your entire plot (you may review it a few times: can you increase the suspense by adding chapters? Cutting some? Is it interesting to switch some around? Does your plot adhere to the general story arc, or can the tension be built up? Maybe you realize you are keeping things going for too long once the arc has reached its peak. Unless you have a very good reason (maybe you're building suspense for your next novel?), I'd suggest you cut things short. A few chapters after the peak is fine, but anything over and above may irritate your reader.

Now that your characters are well defined and your story structure is worked out in detail (get as detailed as you like, but as I said before: the more work you put into this, the easier the writing process will be!), you are ready to start writing. Just copy the summary of your first chapter from your structure document onto the page (whether that's Word, Scrivener, or a different tool) and start typing. Of course, there are moments where you'll allow yourself to think about the flow, word choice, etc., but nothing should hold you back from churning out that chapter. Once you get into the flow, you'll notice that you can produce high volumes of text in a relatively short time. I sit at around 2,000 words a day, which

is usually one entire chapter. I spend most mornings writing, and I spend my afternoons on marketing.

Woman typing her story by the fire.

Stop allowing yourself to find excuses. Writer's Block really isn't a thing. If you were in any other profession, you couldn't tell your boss that "today isn't going to be productive, because you're just not feeling it", right? Writing is no different. What is different is that you're the boss. You are having to answer to yourself. And that requires discipline. The first step to honing that discipline is to stop finding excuses.

Show up.

Get the job done.

Good luck!