Untying the Writer’s Knot
Everyone has heard of writer’s block.
The definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary is as follows:
writer’s block (noun):
a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece.
In short, it’s a crippling sense of I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE!!!
You’ve experienced it.
You sit down to write.
Sharp pencils lined up. Brand new notebook ready.
Computer lit up with the blue Word symbol. Fingers itching to type.
You are going to write the piece of the century.
You want to write.
But when you poise your pencil or rest your fingers on the keys, your brain stops.
You don’t know what to write. And even if you did, how would you write it? Or maybe you’ve been writing for a while but you keep running into a wall. Nothing is working! Something has plugged the creative juices from flowing onto the page.
Writer meet block. Block meet writer.
Now that we made introductions, we can move forward.
First things first though.
No writer is safe from the infamous block. I have writer’s block, you have writer’s block, the dude next door has writer's block, New York Times Bestselling authors have writer's block. Don't feel bad for having it. All writers have had, or will have, writers' block.
Even before I sat down to write this post, my brain was screaming "WHAT DO I WRITE??" But here I am.
Secondly, I would like to take your idea of writer’s block, smash it against the great pavement of creativity, and hand you a ball of tangled yarn instead.
A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon the website of middle-grade author John David Anderson (“The Dungeoneers”, “Sidekicked”, and “Finding Orion”). Scrolling through his “About” page, I uncovered a nugget of wisdom that changed the way I looked at the lack of inspiration I regularly run into.
“I don’t like to call it writer’s block. I like to think of it as a knot. You get to a place that’s tangled is all, and it takes a little more time to tease it out. You ever have one of those knots that you have to pick at and pick at, but once you get the first little bit loose the rest comes easy? I’ve never had a knot that I couldn’t untie, though some I’ve had to pick at it longer than others.”*
A writer’s knot.
Not an impossibly massive brick you have to chip away at.
It's a tangle of threads that has a beginning and an end.
It's possible to work through it.
Find an end and pull.
There are several reasons for getting tangled into the writer's knot. Perfectionism, fear of failure, and a myriad of other reasons can keep you from creating freely. But they can be uprooted with practice.
But how do you do that? How do you work through the puddles of muddy ideas or the word drought in the desert you're stumbling through?
I wish I could take out my wand, say "bibbidi-bobbodi boo!", and make all your words flow clearly onto the page.
I can't. (That'd be super cool though. I'll let you know when I can.)
But I CAN give you some tips to get your creativity kick-started so that you can unravel that writer's knot.
1. Take a break from writing.
Sometimes, the answers and inspiration we are looking for are found with a little perspective. Take a walk, watch a movie, read a book, play a game, fill up your creative tank so you can be ready for your next writing session.
2. Work on your story in a less-conventional way.
There are days where I want to write my story but I've exhausted the word bank in my head. Instead, I like to stay in story mode by:
- Creating story boards/collages on Pinterest to encapsulate the aesthetic, the components, the theme, and the characters of your writings.
- Putting together music playlists for particular characters or the story in general. What songs inspire your story? What would your villain listen to if he had access to Spotify?
- Writing a short story about a side character or the main characters past. It might just spark some new ideas!
3. Write a list of things that wouldn't happen in a million years.
Dinosaur attack on the King's coronation? Three legged race for the nuclear codes? Talking trees from a genetic experiment? Sometimes, looking at ridiculous, exaggerated, or even silly ideas gets your mind kick-started on what might actually happen instead.
4. Work on character or world development.
Dive into who and what you're writing about. Does your main character love throwing ninja stars? Can she roll a coin over her knuckles? Is your world built in the tree tops of a post-apocalyptic rain forest? Is there a secret underground crime ring selling oxygen in an air deprived kingdom? Delving into the details might give you the idea you needed.
If you're stuck on how a certain character might respond to a situation or person, take a personality test for them. The Myers Briggs Personality types are extremely interesting and I have found them insanely insightful. (I would recommend using 16personalities.com. They have a free 12 minute test.)
5. Skip a scene and write what you're actually inspired to write.
I've done this SO many times. Don't want to write about the exam your hero is taking? Skip to the kidnapping scene! If you're bored, your reader will be to. Just remember to go back and fill in those gaps if needed. You may just discover you didn't need the "uninteresting" scenes. ;)
6. Write in Comic Sans font.
I rolled my eyes when I first heard about this technique but then it struck me. It looks less professional, sure. But Comic Sans is so unassuming and friendly, there's no pressure. No pressure to write something incredibly profound and Harvard-worthy... Just write. (I would suggest however, switch back the font to something else when submitting a manuscript *wink wink*)
7. Talk it out.
There are many days when I just don't know what to write or how to write it. I'm an introvert which means all my ideas are swirling endlessly around and around in my head. If I don't let them out onto paper, they start to get muddled. So when I can't stand it anymore, I'll talk to someone about the story to get fresh perspective and to flesh it out. Call up your mom or FaceTime your writer friend to talk it out and answer any clarifying questions they may have about your story. They might just have some amazing ideas for you to work with!
8. Just keep writing.
To be honest, sometimes we just have to keep getting words on the paper. They can be messy and ridiculous and full of grammar mistakes. Word vomit onto paper. Just get your story out. You will edit later anyway. People need to hear what you have to say.
Work through the tangles. Find an end and pull until you can work with it. Untie that writer's knot.
What do you do to get through the writer's knot? Did any of these ideas help you? Tell me in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!
Thanks for spending your Tuesday with me. Until next time! :)
~K.J. Haakenson
*http://www.johndavidanderson.org/about-the-authorfaq.html
The definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary is as follows:
writer’s block (noun):
a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece.
In short, it’s a crippling sense of I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE!!!
You’ve experienced it.
You sit down to write.
Sharp pencils lined up. Brand new notebook ready.
Computer lit up with the blue Word symbol. Fingers itching to type.
You are going to write the piece of the century.
You want to write.
But when you poise your pencil or rest your fingers on the keys, your brain stops.
You don’t know what to write. And even if you did, how would you write it? Or maybe you’ve been writing for a while but you keep running into a wall. Nothing is working! Something has plugged the creative juices from flowing onto the page.
Writer meet block. Block meet writer.
Now that we made introductions, we can move forward.
First things first though.
No writer is safe from the infamous block. I have writer’s block, you have writer’s block, the dude next door has writer's block, New York Times Bestselling authors have writer's block. Don't feel bad for having it. All writers have had, or will have, writers' block.
Even before I sat down to write this post, my brain was screaming "WHAT DO I WRITE??" But here I am.
Secondly, I would like to take your idea of writer’s block, smash it against the great pavement of creativity, and hand you a ball of tangled yarn instead.
A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon the website of middle-grade author John David Anderson (“The Dungeoneers”, “Sidekicked”, and “Finding Orion”). Scrolling through his “About” page, I uncovered a nugget of wisdom that changed the way I looked at the lack of inspiration I regularly run into.
“I don’t like to call it writer’s block. I like to think of it as a knot. You get to a place that’s tangled is all, and it takes a little more time to tease it out. You ever have one of those knots that you have to pick at and pick at, but once you get the first little bit loose the rest comes easy? I’ve never had a knot that I couldn’t untie, though some I’ve had to pick at it longer than others.”*
A writer’s knot.
Not an impossibly massive brick you have to chip away at.
It's a tangle of threads that has a beginning and an end.
It's possible to work through it.
Find an end and pull.
There are several reasons for getting tangled into the writer's knot. Perfectionism, fear of failure, and a myriad of other reasons can keep you from creating freely. But they can be uprooted with practice.
But how do you do that? How do you work through the puddles of muddy ideas or the word drought in the desert you're stumbling through?
I wish I could take out my wand, say "bibbidi-bobbodi boo!", and make all your words flow clearly onto the page.
I can't. (That'd be super cool though. I'll let you know when I can.)
But I CAN give you some tips to get your creativity kick-started so that you can unravel that writer's knot.
1. Take a break from writing.
Sometimes, the answers and inspiration we are looking for are found with a little perspective. Take a walk, watch a movie, read a book, play a game, fill up your creative tank so you can be ready for your next writing session.
2. Work on your story in a less-conventional way.
There are days where I want to write my story but I've exhausted the word bank in my head. Instead, I like to stay in story mode by:
- Creating story boards/collages on Pinterest to encapsulate the aesthetic, the components, the theme, and the characters of your writings.
(You can check out my Storyboards on Pinterest @thefreckledwriter. Note: None of these images are mine.)
- Putting together music playlists for particular characters or the story in general. What songs inspire your story? What would your villain listen to if he had access to Spotify?
- Writing a short story about a side character or the main characters past. It might just spark some new ideas!
3. Write a list of things that wouldn't happen in a million years.
Dinosaur attack on the King's coronation? Three legged race for the nuclear codes? Talking trees from a genetic experiment? Sometimes, looking at ridiculous, exaggerated, or even silly ideas gets your mind kick-started on what might actually happen instead.
4. Work on character or world development.
Dive into who and what you're writing about. Does your main character love throwing ninja stars? Can she roll a coin over her knuckles? Is your world built in the tree tops of a post-apocalyptic rain forest? Is there a secret underground crime ring selling oxygen in an air deprived kingdom? Delving into the details might give you the idea you needed.
If you're stuck on how a certain character might respond to a situation or person, take a personality test for them. The Myers Briggs Personality types are extremely interesting and I have found them insanely insightful. (I would recommend using 16personalities.com. They have a free 12 minute test.)
5. Skip a scene and write what you're actually inspired to write.
I've done this SO many times. Don't want to write about the exam your hero is taking? Skip to the kidnapping scene! If you're bored, your reader will be to. Just remember to go back and fill in those gaps if needed. You may just discover you didn't need the "uninteresting" scenes. ;)
6. Write in Comic Sans font.
I rolled my eyes when I first heard about this technique but then it struck me. It looks less professional, sure. But Comic Sans is so unassuming and friendly, there's no pressure. No pressure to write something incredibly profound and Harvard-worthy... Just write. (I would suggest however, switch back the font to something else when submitting a manuscript *wink wink*)
7. Talk it out.
There are many days when I just don't know what to write or how to write it. I'm an introvert which means all my ideas are swirling endlessly around and around in my head. If I don't let them out onto paper, they start to get muddled. So when I can't stand it anymore, I'll talk to someone about the story to get fresh perspective and to flesh it out. Call up your mom or FaceTime your writer friend to talk it out and answer any clarifying questions they may have about your story. They might just have some amazing ideas for you to work with!
8. Just keep writing.
To be honest, sometimes we just have to keep getting words on the paper. They can be messy and ridiculous and full of grammar mistakes. Word vomit onto paper. Just get your story out. You will edit later anyway. People need to hear what you have to say.
Work through the tangles. Find an end and pull until you can work with it. Untie that writer's knot.
What do you do to get through the writer's knot? Did any of these ideas help you? Tell me in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!
Thanks for spending your Tuesday with me. Until next time! :)
~K.J. Haakenson
*http://www.johndavidanderson.org/about-the-authorfaq.html
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