How to Overcome Writer's Block -- Your Writing Coach

Tips from Jurgen Wolff, author of "Your Writing Coach," on how to overcome writer's block. For more information, see www.yourwritingcoach.com and the writing blog at www.timetowrite.blogs.com.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• writing
• novels
• articles
• writer's block
• creative blocks
• Jurgen Wolff
• writing coach

[firstclasscotastrafy]

Thanks for posting this, I have been having serious problems in writing music and this has helped me a ton!

[DarkThirty813]

I’ve read countless books on writer’s block and you were the first and only author who proposed that any creative block may have an underlying positive intention. This was comforting and inspiring. Thanks, Jurgen Wolff.

[MisterAngryPenguinDX]

lol

hmm good advice.

I would also like to add that it helps to visualize your charactter. Talk to them, get to know them and what they're dying to do.

Ask them how they feel about the situation, Whats really their main goal in the story?, Why are they in the story?, What do they think is an important message?,

How do they respond to each question?Are they annoyed? Reluctant? Happy? Relieved?

all of these help you find out just what your character should be doing.

[TheAlexander356]

To add on to what I said before, I also think that a first draft should never be so broad that entire sentences, paragraphs or chapters need to be added or discarded (not to say that you can't if you end up needing to). I also think that no first draft should ever be so specific that you encumber yourself with perfecting phrases and words. You need to establish a balance between the two extremes.

[TheAlexander356]

I must say that I disagree with the notion of 'just writer whatever the hell you like when you're blocked'. No, the best way, I find, to overcome it, and still write with quality, is to thoroughly plan everything you want to say before writing. I find this helps since once you write a draft I know that, at least with myself, I tend not to stray very far from it which, in some occurences, can be desasterous for my writing since that is often exactly what I need to do.

[sarahince27]

Thank you! I just subscribed. :) 

[ruiz460]

Thank you so much, this was very useful!

[BrooklynRagtag]

Thank you so much!

[GIMMEDANGERX1]

To overcome writers block.... write! simple. Write anything, a sentence, paragraph, even if it's complete bollocks just write. You'll be suprised what happens! :)

[kesra80]

Thanks! it really help!