Why do you have writer's block?
Find the cause or pinpoint the problem before you look for a solution to writer's block
You know you have writer's block. You haven't been able to write anything of significance in days. Since you don't want the problem to drag out into weeks, you've decided you need to find a solution now. Of course, it's not going to be as easy as all that.
To solve the problem, you first need to know what caused the problem. It's easy to think of writer's block as a problem, but it isn't. Writer's block is only a symptom. As with an illness, your fatigue and your snotty nose aren't what's wrong with you. The cold is the sickness. Once you get rid of the cold, all the issues that go along with it will fade away. Find the cause, pinpoint the problem before you look for a solution.
There are several questions you can ask yourself to help you determine the cause of your writer's block. Look back over your weeks, years and months of writing and try to remember any other times when you had difficulty moving forward or putting pen to paper.
- What did those episodes have in common?
- How did you work through them?
- Was there a single defining moment shared by each that led to a solution or a renewed vigor in your writing?
For example, can you look back and remember that each time you stopped writing you were writing the last 5 chapters of your book? How did you get through it last time? Repeat what you did the last time to solve the problem.
Think about your book. Do you have any unresolved issues with plot or character that have been bothering you? Replot your story freely and note any places where you would have taken a different path knowing what you now know about your characters, settings, etc.
If you have an epiphany, act on it.
How is your life at the moment? Are you facing any unusual stresses or changes that might be interfering with your ability to get lost in your writing? Even small amounts of stress can create huge roadblocks in your mind.
Spend time looking for the cause of your writer's block, and don't be afraid to spend time on this step in the process of overcoming writer's block. Hunting for solutions won't do you much good when you don't know where to look for them.