Writers Block Trick

I recently had a friend ask about tricks to overcome writer's block. And you know, while I'm not really an expert, I do have a lot of experience in the matter. Every day is a challenge to convince yourself that A) you WANT to write and 2) that you can write something worth reading.

I ended up giving a couple of tricks, but really, the most useful one is this: write. Yes, it's self-evident and sounds really stupid, but to overcome writer's block, one must write. ​

"But Matias! If I could write, I wouldn't have writer's block!" I am very aware of this. I'm not asking you to sit down and finish out the manuscript. Hell, I'm not even asking you to write part of your story. I'm asking your to simply write. What does that mean? Well, first, it means that you can, if you have the willpower, work on your WIP. Don't go for quality. Don't worry about voice and narrative. Don't even worry about sense. Just write on your WIP. Momentum is the most important thing with writing, and if you can get some garbage out on the page, well, that momentum can carry you forward until you're writing something a little better than garbage. Then a little better than that. The point is, editing exists, and it's impossible to edit something you haven't written. Garbage can always be polished.

Okay, so you can't even manage that. My protagonist isn't speaking to me. My muse is dead! Okay. Write about that. Why can't you write? The whimsy that once floated your from your feet and danced you across the skies has abandoned you! Write that down! Write about how you can't write. Write about how you wish you could solve an issue with the plot. Write about how a character's motivation seems off. It doesn't matter what it is, just write it!

And if you think this is bad advice, well, I just knocked out 1,000 words on the short story I've been putting off in about... oh... an hour? Was it what I thought it would be? No. But it might actually be better. I addressed things I forgot about before because writing it down brought those thoughts to my mind. I even worked out a potential plot point I hadn't even considered before.

So when I tell you to "just write," I'm not being an asshole. I mean it. Just write. Can write about your WIP? Write about why you can't. Write about what you did for the day. Write about what your main character would order at the new IHOB. Write about the last video game your villain might have played if such a thing was possible in your story. It doesn't matter. Just. Write.

Oh, and don't forget to be awesome!