How to Write More and Overcome Writer’s Block

A part of the reason why I gave up was because writing a novel is a daunting task. You need to develop characters, fill in the plot, research, keep ideas flowing, create timelines, and make everything coherent. It’s a lot, it’s a messy process, and it can be overwhelming and confusing at times.

Another reason why I quit projects so easily was because of my perfectionistic mindset; nothing I wrote ever felt good enough to publish or continue working on.

Here are the best pieces of advice I’ve learned and applied, which have drastically improved my writing productivity.

1. REALIZE THAT YOU NEED TO START SOMEWHERE

I once heard someone say, “your first book will probably be terrible,” and although harsh, it was also very freeing.

No one starts off selling a bestseller novel and making six figures in only a few months.. Well, some people do, but that’s definitely not the norm, and it shouldn’t be an expectation. In the beginning stages of your career, you’re still learning how to story tell and write in an alluring and persuasive way.

Everyone needs to start somewhere, and you cannot expect perfection from yourself, especially not when you’re just starting out! Would you expect a ten-year-old artist to be able to draw something as detailed as the Mona Lisa? And if they had the Mona Lisa as their artistic standard, do you think they would enjoy drawing and stick with it? Of course not! It is flat out discouraging to try to attain something beyond your current skillset.

I feel like writers tend to have perfectionistic dispositions, and I know I have one myself, often thinking things such as:

How could I possibly write a series as beloved as J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter?

Why would anything I write become timeless like the work of Shakespeare and Jane Austen? 

None of my ideas seem original enough.

What’s the point of even trying when there is so much competition, and so many writers who are clearly better and who have a larger following? 

They say that comparison is the thief of joy, and in this case, it is also the thief of success.

We as writers need to stop comparing ourselves to other writers and allowing it to intimidate us to the point that we don’t even try.

We need to not set the bar so high for ourselves that it is barely reachable and unrealistic (failed expectations lead to disappointment).

We need to remember that, like all skills, our writing will improve and develop over time. Our first book might turn out terribly, but it is still an accomplishment and something to build off of.

2. SET A TIME TO WRITE WITH A DAILY WRITING GOAL

It’s not always easy to find the motivation to write, and when you are only writing when you feel motivated to do so, you probably won’t get much done.

You will, however, get much more done if you choose a “writing time frame” each day, which you can determine based off of your schedule and your energy and creativity levels throughout the day.

Personally, I work best in the morning and slowly get more and more unmotivated as the day goes on, so I have incorporated writing into my morning routine. After my walk and breakfast, I force myself write for a minimum of two hours (you may set your own word and/or time goals depending on what you want to achieve). On some occasions I end up writing for six hours or more, but on days where I am lacking such motivation, I at least get my minimum goal done.

Getting yourself to write is a lot like getting yourself to exercise: the hardest part is getting yourself to the gym, but once you’re there, everything else flows a lot more smoothly.

3. TURN OFF ALL DEVICES

I am guilty of getting distracted by my phone while I am writing, and it can completely throw me off my work at times.

The best (and hardest) solution is to turn your Wi-Fi or phone off, along with getting rid of other potential distractions. No one likes to do it, but your work will get done a lot faster — and turn out better —  if you focus your attention solely on it.

Don’t worry, it’s only for a little while!

4. GET NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES

I am the type of person who can’t focus at all when there is background noise, whether it be from a dog barking outside, someone mowing their lawn or tapping a pencil on their desk, or overhearing a conversation in another room. In fact, your reading and writing productivity levels can drop by 66% when there is unwanted background noise.

Because of this, I recently invested in noise-cancelling (construction) headphones. They are nothing short of a lifesaver; I can finally concentrate throughout every hour of the day.

If you work better with some soft music playing in the background, make yourself a playlist so you’re not distracting yourself with song selection.

5. MAKE YOURSELF A HOT DRINK

I don’t know why making oneself a hot drink helps.. but this article suggests that coffee in particular (my drink of choice), gives you energy, which in turn makes you more creative, confident, and take more initiative.

Perhaps having the same senses activated while doing a specific activity can help you get more in-the-zone, as your brain may start associating that sense with the task. You may even want to have a familiar area to write (I’ve tried writing in bed, and almost always end up sleeping). This article talks about how all five senses can affect work performance.

Having a hot drink while writing is also very aesthetic, whether it be coffee, decaf, tea (sadly, I’m not too fond of tea), or hot chocolate.. just don’t dump it on your computer, okay?

6. JOIN ONLINE WRITING GROUPS

When you’re self-employed and working from home, it is all the more difficult to get yourself to work, especially if you have no deadlines in place (see #2).

Nanawrimo, a writing website, is great at helping writers overcome such hurdles (here is my account). During November, members are encouraged to reach a word count of 1,667 a day, which adds up to 50,000 by the end of the month! There is also a pep talk area, where accomplished writers offer encouraging words to aspiring ones.

There are many other online writing groups to choose from, where you can give and ask for writing advice and for opinions on your work and ideas. Quora is also a great website for this exchange of information (here is my account).

Belonging to a community of like-minded individuals is a great motivator, and an easy way to hold yourself accountable.

7. SAVE EDITING FOR LATER

Don’t get too caught up on editing when you are in the creative flow. It can hinder you and make you less efficient, as it’s not easy to mentally flip back and forth between editing mode and creative mode.

Write, take a break, and then edit your work.

I’ve wasted a lot of time editing my book while simultaneously writing it, only to later take the edited portions out entirely because they didn’t fit in with the rest of the story, or because I wanted to alter the plot and details. Needless to say, I no longer edit while I write.

If you are still struggling with going back and changing things while writing, keep a notebook on hand and jot down everything you need to go back and fix, and save it for the end.

As writers, we have all experienced the notorious writer’s block (if you haven’t, I’m in awe). It’s irksome, tiring, and flat-out discouraging. Not only do we miss out on valuable writing time until this “feeling” passes, but it becomes increasingly difficult to get back in-the-zone the longer one is away from their book.

I’ve noticed that writer’s block occurs most for me personally when I run out of ideas for my plot, and when things start getting immensely complicated.

What am I supposed to write about next?

I’m don’t know where the plot is heading right now.

This story just isn’t working. 

I need to do so much research for this, I don’t know how I’ll learn everything I need to.

I have also noticed that there are three things in particular which help me to snap out of this mental blockage:

8. HAVE MORE THAN ONE ONGOING PROJECT

Having more than one project being worked on at a time can help you get more accomplished. Although it may be a bit more complicated to juggle multiple tasks, it gives you the freedom to work on what you feel inspired to write on that particular day. It can also be beneficial to take a step back from a project for a short while and then return to it with a fresh perspective, and with more than one ongoing task, you can do so while still remaining in a writing mindset.

I bounce between projects a lot, namely my educational eBook (which is more research-driven), my novel (which is more creative), and Medium articles. One day, I may be more inclined to write something short and sweet, and on another, to tackle something larger and more complex. Either way, I am more likely to get something done.

9. IF YOU ARE STUCK.. WATCH OR READ SOMETHING THAT INSPIRES YOU

Reading books or watching films within your genre can help inspire you to work on your own book, since they get you thinking about romance, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, mystery,.. and remind you of your passion for it.

After half an hour of watching The Witcher, Harry Potter, or The Lord of the Rings, I can already feel myself getting the incentive I need to work on my own fantasy world.

10. IF YOU’RE STILL STUCK.. LOOK UP WRITING PROMPTS AND IMAGES

Writing prompts are a great way to get in the flow of creative storytelling, which in turn can help you develop your own plot and generate ideas.

You don’t necessarily need to write anything related to your story for this to work, although I recommend at least using your own characters in these exercises. This gives you the opportunity to you to see how they behave in different scenarios, which can reveal more about who they are to you (an interesting phenomenon I have experienced in my own writing is that the characters can sometimes show me things about themselves, as if they were real people).

Writing a book isn’t easy. It takes time, hard work, and patience. You will need to go back and change things around to make the story coherent (I like to think of storytelling as doing a puzzle), research (probably a lot more than anticipated), and face criticism and rejection (not even Harry Potter was exempt from such judgement). But if you stick to it, pushing through the not-so-fun parts and never allowing yourself to give up, you will soon find yourself with your first draft — which is an amazing achievement for any writer.