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Writer’s Block
There are some people who say there’s no such thing as writer’s block, and they’ve never experienced it.
Good for them.
They’re lucky.
I wish I can say the same, but I can’t. And I have to disagree with them because I think every writer or 99.9% of them have experienced getting stuck at one point or another while writing their story. It can be minor or major to where parts of the story has to be rewritten. Thankfully, I haven’t yet experienced something that drastic, and I hope I never will. However, countless times I’ve had to deal with creative road blocks that halted me to a dead stop.
It sucks.
I hate it.
In fact, just recently one of those babies popped up, preventing me from moving forward. I was frustrated, especially when I read some authors could write 5,000 words a day or more.
What the hell?
Why couldn’t I write that fast?
What was wrong with me?
But then I took a step back.
I evaluated the situation and came up with the following answers . . .
1.) There are writers who don’t have a day job, so they can spend their days writing. Me on the other hand, has a day job and responsibilities I can’t escape. Those authors are lucky, and I’m happy for them. Right now, though, I’m not in that position, so I need to get over it.
2.) There’s nothing wrong with me, and I shouldn’t compare myself to others. We each have our own path in life. It’s not a race. I need to start focusing on my own work instead of others and what they’re doing.
3.) Do what I’ve always done when I get stuck writing my story: walk away, read, and go back to it later.
So I took my own advice and did those things, but honestly I was still annoyed. I wanted to continue writing, but nothing was coming to me.
Nothing!
What if I couldn’t finish The Devil’s Third? It’s the third book in my YA paranormal series.
I have to complete it.
I just have to.
People are already telling me they can’t wait to read it. I can’t let them down. And I don’t quit something I love.
I don’t.
But what the hell was I going to do?
How was I going to overcome this?
And then one day the answer came to me . . .
Write for yourself. You can always change it later. Don’t think about the readers or their opinions. Write what makes me happy and entertains me.
You know what?
It worked!
You know why?
The pressure was off. There was no looming expectations or the fear of ill opinions and bad reviews. It was just me now having fun with my characters and story.
Isn’t that how it should be?
Ahhhh, yeah.
Of course, I’m not going to lie. I’m sure my creative juices will get plugged up again, but at least now I’ll know what to do and follow my own advice.
The process is different for all of us.
Trust in it and above all trust in yourself.
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