Have you ever experienced those moments when the plot hole in your novel is so magnanimous that you can’t even deal? So you than spend weeks fruitlessly debating whether you will ever write again?
If that’s a yes, then thank God I’m not alone! I’m suffering through I slight patch of writer’s block at the moment. However, I am still writing, I’m just not working on the novel I wish I was working on.
So I actually have this embarrassing little strategy I use to help combat writer’s block or laziness or fear or whatever it is, but instead of spilling my secret here, I gave it to RJ Rasmus who kindly posted it on his blog overnight. Feel free to continue reading over there!
If you haven’t heard of RJ Rasmus, he’s an aspiring novelist and cat dad who I first met over at twitter. At least, I’m fairly sure that’s where I first met him!? There are so many WordPress bloggers around, I swear to God all I have to do is turn a corner and I’ll run into another one.
Anyway, TGIF!! Hope you’re having a lovely Friday (or wake up to a good one for those in the rest of the world.) We have a long weekend coming up in Australia, so I’m looking forward to snuggling up next to the fire, drinking something warm (whisky??) and getting a chance to tackle my long, looooong reading list!
This is me in T minus 5 hours…
The Cat's Write 
I´m giving my first steps with my blog and I´m most of the time blocked! So all ideas help! Love it!
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Nice one
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I’m blocked all the time, but not until I realize that I’m actually not because somehow the words keep on flowing. And before you know it you have a random post.
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Great post! Keep it up!
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Wow you are so right. Your blogs are amazing 😉
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Reblogged this on .
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quite engaging .. liked reading it…
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Milly, I think your tactic of working on something fun when you’ve got writer’s block is a good idea. At the least, you’re still exercising your brain and honing your craft without all the pressure. I’ve too often berated myself over my lack of talent and then just taken a break and done unproductive things like playing video game — and sometimes that break has become more of a waving a white flag and I won’t come back for weeks, months, and, at times in the past, years. I’ve recently been going through another bout of writers block and felt myself slipping into another unproductive rut — at least now I have my blog to get some writing done, but I really need to try your method.
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Hi good morning ❤
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Remind yourself that the pressure is off. Nobody is going to see this. I’m just trying to figure stuff out. Once you convince yourself that the curtain will not open to a thousand hopefuls it’ll relax.
So much of our creativity centers around pep talks. We are constantly reminding ourselves we can do this but in the end all we have to do is relax.
Go ahead and write the worlds worst paragraph. Don’t worry about it. It’ll feel good and it’ll allow you to write the worlds greatest paragraph three pages later.
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I like your “block-breaker” idea… And how cool that it was shared out! Making those connections with other minds is what it’s all about as a writer, eh?
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Great blog! Glad I wasn’t the only writer wrestling with this. 🙂
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When I’m ‘blocked’ it’s invariably a sign that I’ve been lying to myself about knowing what happens next. You can’t fly, you can’t run, you can’t even walk unless you choose a direction to start off in. Crawling around on the floor hoping to find direction is not a good way to write.
Time for me to get out my knitting and brood over What Happens Next.
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Writer’s Block is the brain wanting candy and chips and soda NOW!
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The freedom to make mistakes is often very uplifting. That being said, I personally like to focus on the advice that it’s just a first draft. I have a whole revision to get it. If that doesn’t help, I have betas. If I’m still not happy, well that’s what line and developments editors are for. If all of those steps don’t have a problem with it, I may be acting a tad sensitive. But yeah, don’t be scared of developmental editors. We aren’t that bad.
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Great post! I’m feeling stuck at the moment with my novel. But, I’m determined to sit down this weekend and work my way out of the jam.
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Writer’s block can be difficult… I once endured 4 years in which I had only written 4 chapters in the novel I was working on, and a couple of short stories outside of that. It was depressing…but I got through it. Hopefully I never go through it again, but I’ve read up on how to combat it since then, so I’m hoping I’m better prepared for it next time. *crosses fingers*
Good luck on breaking through it, I know you can do it!
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Went over there and left a comment.
Thanks for the idea.
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I don’t write novel’s, and I don’t get a long weekend, but that whisky should help you forget about the writers block, you just got to drink enough.
Have a super happy long weekend.
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Reblogged this on Claire Plaisted – Indie Author.
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Friday night on a long weekend is awesome! Raining a little down here in Melbourne but who cares. Good luck with overcoming the writers block. Good idea to focus writing on something different. Could always try to bypass the block by writing a different part of the novel. Enjoy the long weekend.
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Writers block sucks!!! I will go and check out the other blog shortly, but first I need a cup of tea, it is freezing here in Sydney. What is worst than that is I didn’t know that you were a fellow Aussie!!!! Shame on me lol New England is beautiful, you are lucky to live up that way!!
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YES. And the times when I just hate the entire story.
Heading over to read your tips now… happy writing 🙂
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