Hello, friends!
Sometimes, writing is hard — and not for any particular reason. Sometimes, the words just won’t come.
There are various opinions on this sort of blockage and how to address it. Some advice suggests working through it. Some people believe in taking breaks.
Obviously, there’s no one-size solution to writers’ block. Sometimes, I just take a day. Or entertain a new idea. Or I read a book, or watch something new.
But I do believe that it’s important to write, even if there’s a block. At least a little bit, every day. It doesn’t have to be good writing. In fact, a lot of days I feel like I’m writing trash. And that’s okay! Some writing is better than none.
The good thing about writers’ block is that it ends. Eventually. After a day or a week, I get back into the groove of things. Something becomes clear about my story or a character, and I find a renewed vigor in my writing.
And honestly, some of my biggest breakthroughs are at the end of a block. Last year, when writing the first draft of Scion’s sequel, I hit a point where I couldn’t figure out how to continue with my outline. And then, after a couple of days of letting this problem stew on the back burner, I realized that the solution had been in front of me the whole time, in the form of an under-utilized character with bigger ambitions that I had planned for her. I quickly drew up an outline for her arc, and then incorporated it into the draft. She ended up being a great addition, and when I plan my next draft, her arc will only continue to help the story along.
So, here’s to the light at the end of the tunnel. Or the inspiration after the block.
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What I wrote this week: Finley, prep work, outlining, beat sheets.
What I read this week: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff; Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
Belinda McCauley 