Writers: Breaking down the walls of writer"s block
One of the biggest challenges writers face is writer's block; that time when you're staring at your screen or piece of paper and the words just won't come. Maybe you had a great idea and it fell apart, or perhaps you haven't been hit yet with that moment of inspiration.
So what do you do?
There are a few theories about writer's block and how it comes about, but one personal belief is that writer's block is a lack of confidence in the piece. You had it when you knew what you were writing and what direction it was taking, but maybe you hit a crossroads and now you're not sure which direction to turn; you're not sure how a character should behave in a given situation, or you're just not sure what to do next.
So you lost confidence in yourself, your story, but how do you gain it back?
The easiest and fastest way to get to the heart of your story is through your characters. With your characters you have the ability to talk yourself out of writer's block. If you don't know where the story is going or how it should turn out, the simple truth is you just don't know your characters well enough. If you did, you would know exactly what they would do next.
Character Studies
The first thing you will want to do is identify which characters are causing your writer's block. Usually it will be the main character, possibly a side kick, and your antagonist.
In first person as if you were interviewing them, ask them questions that will either reveal more about their character, or where you are currently stuck.
Then in a different font or color answer in first person as the voice of that character. Just keep asking leading questions, like you're a therapist, to reveal things you hadn't even realized about the plot, characters, and more.
Some characters you find will answer questions easily while some might take a little coaxing. The exercise itself can take as little as five minutes, depending what you need to find out, and is a great eye opening experience.
This exercise works great for writer's block or when you are first breaking down your story and need to get to know the characters for the first time. It also helps to do it for small minor characters so you can establish their personality and voice.
So what do you do?
There are a few theories about writer's block and how it comes about, but one personal belief is that writer's block is a lack of confidence in the piece. You had it when you knew what you were writing and what direction it was taking, but maybe you hit a crossroads and now you're not sure which direction to turn; you're not sure how a character should behave in a given situation, or you're just not sure what to do next.
So you lost confidence in yourself, your story, but how do you gain it back?
The easiest and fastest way to get to the heart of your story is through your characters. With your characters you have the ability to talk yourself out of writer's block. If you don't know where the story is going or how it should turn out, the simple truth is you just don't know your characters well enough. If you did, you would know exactly what they would do next.
Character Studies
The first thing you will want to do is identify which characters are causing your writer's block. Usually it will be the main character, possibly a side kick, and your antagonist.
In first person as if you were interviewing them, ask them questions that will either reveal more about their character, or where you are currently stuck.
Then in a different font or color answer in first person as the voice of that character. Just keep asking leading questions, like you're a therapist, to reveal things you hadn't even realized about the plot, characters, and more.
Some characters you find will answer questions easily while some might take a little coaxing. The exercise itself can take as little as five minutes, depending what you need to find out, and is a great eye opening experience.
This exercise works great for writer's block or when you are first breaking down your story and need to get to know the characters for the first time. It also helps to do it for small minor characters so you can establish their personality and voice.
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