Advice for getting over a writing slump?
My #1 Tip for Getting Over a Writing Slump
So, life is complicated. Writing slumps are complicated. I could probably write an entire book about slumps and blocks. Why they happen, how to get past them. But, for me, a writing slump usually comes down to one thing: Iâm bored.
For whatever reasonâbecause Iâve been following ârulesâ instead of writing in my own way, because Iâve created an uninteresting plot, because I canât relate to my charactersâIâm no longer interested in my WIP, or even in writing in general. So my biggest tip for getting over a slump?
Step 1: Figure out why youâre bored.
This could take time. Over the years, Iâve personally found that if Iâm bored with my writing, I need to ask myself the following questions:
When was the last time you were interested in writing, or in your WIP? What was different then? Retrace your steps and figure out whatâs missing.
Have you been writing as you think you âshould,â rather than as you really want to? If youâre forcing yourself stylistically, plot-wise, or any other way because you think thatâs how youâre âsupposed toâ write, youâre at risk of turning writing into something you dread instead of enjoy.
Do you need a break? Maybe youâre bored because youâre tired, or youâve been working on this WIP too hard or too long. You might just need to go do something else fun and come back to it later.
What made you excited about this project to begin with? Have you gotten too far away from that initial vision?
Hereâs an example: I recently found myself in a slump with my WIP. For a few days, I was really sad that the story seemed to be going south, and that I wasnât as excited about working on it as Iâd been. Then, I remembered my own advice. After pondering the situation, I realized that Iâd gotten bored because I was writing a scene I thought had to be in the story (following ârulesâ). I didnât think the scene was cool or interesting at all. I was just doing it out of some misguided sense of obligation or duty. So I thought back to the last scene that Iâd actually enjoyed writing, figured out why that scene was more engaging, and rewrote the new scene in a way that better captured my attention.
Thereâs a lot of buckle-down, Calvinist writing advice out there that would have you believe that writing is Hard Work. Itâs a fucking Struggle. Youâre Not Always Going to Enjoy It, and if you expect to have fun all the time, youâll never be a Serious/Published/Professional/Paid Writer.
I call bullshit on that. Hereâs why: If youâre bored with your writing, your readers are going to be, too. And even if thatâs not true, even readers end up loving something that bored you to death to write, whatâs the fucking point? Are you really going to be satisfied with yourself or your writing when you have fans who are in love with something that you arenât? Like, is that going to be fulfilling? I donât think so. Which brings me to step two.
Step 2: Take your boredom seriously.
Decide, first and foremost, that you liking and enjoying your writing is a fucking priority. Above and beyond doing it âright.â Above and beyond what other people think. Decide that your relationship with your writing is the most important thing.
I canât guarantee that this strategy will lead to fame, money, publication, or a wide readership. But it will help you get over a slump, and actually enjoy yourself in the process.
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