Friday, February 19, 2016

What to do During a Writing Session When You Can’t Write

There’s no substitute for getting words on the screen for a writer. It’s the act of formulating our random thoughts and ideas into paragraphs and chapters that sets us apart as generative artists. But what if you just can’t come up with anything? What if you’ve spent your daily writing session staring at a flickering cursor for three days in a row?

It’s not fair to beat ourselves up for not putting out a consistent amount of material at all times. We’re not machines. So for those times that we just can’t get reception on our Muse’s cellphone, here are some ideas to try during those otherwise unproductive writing sessions.

Remember: Only do these activities after you have made an honest effort to do some writing during your scheduled session!

Journaling

This isn’t like writing in your diary about your day. The purpose of journaling is to write out your frustrations and problems about your story. What’s keeping you from writing? How do you feel about not writing? Take the time to vent your frustrations and try to identify something specific that’s keeping you from writing the story you want to write.

Brainstorming

Once you’ve had a chance to vent your feelings, start writing ideas of ways to fix the story. Don’t second-guess any idea. Just list them out. Try to make the list as long as possible. Be ridiculous. Be crazy. Have fun with it. You want to start enjoying the creative process again.

Research

Maybe you’re stuck because you can’t imagine some necessary detail to your scene. Maybe you don’t have to. Whether you’re writing a historical romance or a dragon-riding fantasy, try doing some research into related subjects. Don’t be afraid to use Wikipedia either. If you find something interesting you can start checking sources and delving deeper, but give yourself permission to just skim the surface of what’s out there at first.

Daydream

Hopefully you’ve created an atmosphere in your writing sessions where you can feel safe to be creative. With no other distractions, you can sit and listen to your music, stare at your candles, watch the other coffee shop patrons, or whatever it is that sets your writing sessions apart from the rest of your day. If all you can do is enjoy the environment you’ve created for yourself, then go ahead and enjoy it. The story will come eventually. Give yourself time, and relax. For this moment at least, you are living the dream.


How do you make use of your writing sessions when you’re not able write? Leave a comment below and share your ideas and experiences.

4 comments:

  1. Those are all good, useful tips. Sometimes those don't quite flip the switch on my creativity, so When I am really stuck I tend to go to:
    1. Wikimedia Commons to find & view images that pertain to my subject and which may jumpstart my imagination.
    2. I draw maps of the surrounding countryside and the towns, and even draw the layout of buildings and rooms the action may be happening in.

    If idea #1 fails, idea #2 always gets my mind working again.

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    1. These are great additional ideas. Finding pictures related to your subject is a terrific way to engage the mind while still "taking a break", and hey, if you have the skill of drawing maps, congratulations and have fun with it!

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  2. I find thought-webbing helpful sometimes when I'm really stuck. It's a good practice for getting your specifics brain and your systems brain communicating with each other, which is necessary for good writing. It's especially useful during the revision process when I know something I've written isn't working or isn't living up to its potential but can't figure out why. Often my brain already knows why but doesn't yet have the right path to get me from point a to point b and thought-webbing helps draw it out.

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    1. I do the same thing with outlining, though my outlines are rarely followed religiously. Usually, they're just a way to list a potential series of events and give me a direction to go in. And then I do something completely different. ;)

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