So I started writing a book. I wrote the plot, made notes on the characters, and even made Pinterest boards for them. I started writing the first chapter and I’m maybe half way done with it and I already have writers block. I’m trying to get some more writing done and its just difficult. Can anyone help?
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hmm i think if you dont have any ideas in then its hard to overcome it! usually i get the most ideas randomly when i am doing other things or just relaxing!
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i don’t write, but maybe @ACD86 can help?
sorry if you didn’t wanna be tagged, but i’ve seen some of your work on ribblr, and it’s pretty good!
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I’m here to help!
Unfortunately, I don’t really… get writer’s block (long story, it’s awkward and boring and might not make sense) so my methods and recommendations might not be what you’re looking for…
And before I assist you, I have some questions:
Have you released any piece of the book online?
What specifically is the book about?
What’s your plot?
If any of these questions you don’t really want to answer publicly, feel free to DM me and I’ll see how I can help!
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I do have some general advice to overcoming artblock, so let me know if it helps!
- Immerse yourself in the things most relative to your book’s main topic (Example: it’s a dragon book, so read other dragon books, watch dragon shows and try to dream about them ((it sounds crazy, but some of my best story ideas came from my dreams. I find that if you think about one thing more than anything else the entire day, you may be more likely to dream about it. Fire-Breathers? Two of the characters AND several of the scenes came from my dreams.)))
- Stay offline from any sort of social media for a little while, and read lots of new books. Maybe there’s something you thought could’ve happened in one book, so you might do something vaguely similar in your book!
- Plan ahead in your book! If you’re trying to let the story flow out freely, the creativity will burn out faster. Write down the full plot (in summarized form), locations, location description, mood AND time of day for each piece of the story. I don’t know if you know Plot Mountain, but if you don’t, looking that up might be a good start!
Hope this helps!
This has helped some other writing friends of mine, so maybe it can help you, too!
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Thank you!
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Thx!
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That was helpful! Thank you!
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Writer here: I honestly suggest watching YouTube videos of book reviewers who read the specific genre you’d like to write about. Not only does it help you decipher what the readers want, but also it will broaden your horizons into the genre, and give you inspiration.
2. Work on showing, not telling. Trust that your audience is smart enough to decipher what you are giving them evidence to believe. A good author trusts that their audience can think critically and analytically. If you go “she glared at him cruelly” you don’t in that same paragraph need to explicitly state “she is mad at him” because you used the word “glare” which has strong negative connotations to it. You can explain the context without directly stating the context, always remember that.
3. Ask your English teachers for help. I’m assuming that you’re in school. I would recommend asking your teachers for advice on showing and not telling, on using concise and well executed figurative language, and on broadening your sentence structure. You can also ask for help on building a specific tone and atmosphere. Reach out!
4. Decide your characters motivations and the central idea. What drives them to do what they do? what purpose are they serving? What message are you trying to convey in your work?
5. Decide your audience. Who is reading this novel? What does this audience actually want to see in your novel?
6. Decide on a font you like, but know that if you intend on publishing it, there is a standard manuscript formatting you will have to change it to eventually (you can Google it if you choose) so I would personally just write my story in the standard manuscript formatting.
7. if you get writers block, write around the problem. Instead of continuing the story, write for a little bit about why you think you’re stuck. It could help. You can also take breaks If you choose to do that.
8. Comic sans, just trust. When in doubt, change your font to 12 pt comic sans and write, it helps me get more done and feel productive and I swear by it, you’ll just end up writing more.
9. Don’t go back and edit! Try your hardest to not go back and edit large chunks while in the middle of writing. If you’re like me you’ll get stuck in your head and just want to give up. Keep writing until you can’t, and then come back 2 days later before you edit any of it. THEN you can edit some of it, but leave the majority of it alone. That’s all from this writer! Good luck and remember you’re allowed to take long breaks!
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wooowww you didn’t even think to tag me even though I have a 350 page novel (unfinished) novel and a 120 paged (unfinished) and a 63 paged (unfinished) novel under my belt. how rude peachy 
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Thank you so much! That’s extremely helpful!
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my bad 
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