When You’re Stuck as a Writer

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Most writers, if they write long enough, will get to a point in their story where they feel stuck. I’ve heard it call “resistance” before, and I think that’s a good term for it. It’s that feeling that, for whatever reason, you’re just not eager to work on your draft. Or, maybe, you’re actively avoiding working on it.

Here are some of the common issues that can cause writer’s block:

Perfectionism. This is a big one for many writers. Sometimes the story we imagined is not quite the story we’re writing. Having too many high expectations for a first draft can lead to writer’s block. The nice thing is that we can always fix everything but a blank page. For ideas on handling perfectionism as a writer, see this post. 

Lack of direction with the story. Sometimes when writers get stuck, it’s because they’re not sure what direction to take their story in next. It’s natural to want to stall when you’re uncertain, but the better way of handling it is to make a list of all the potential directions you can possibly take your story in and then choose the best one.

Distractions and lack of focus. This is a common problem for most writers. It’s harder to focus than ever these days with distracting apps and notifications popping up. One way to handle this is to switch your internet connection off for the length of time you want to write. Another is to write on paper for a while. There are also apps that promote distraction-free writing (Write or Die is one). Or you can write in Google Docs in full-screen maximized mode.

A problem with the story. This is often an undiagnosed issue with the book that you can’t quite put your finger on yet. You can either just push forward, knowing you can fix the issue in the second draft, or try and figure out what the problem is and fix it. If you’re just not sure where the issue lies, try this Janice Hardy article. It’s for querying writers, but has excellent questions to ask  yourself about your story and ideas for fixing problems.

Burnout. I’ve been burned out with writing before and know it’s tough to make progress on your story when you are. The best remedy for burnout is to refill your writer’s well. There are many different ways to do this, from taking walks, reading books, to sleeping more. You can find more ideas to combat burnout here.

Do you ever feel stuck with your story? What helps you?

Image by Lukas Bieri from Pixabay