Writers in the Storm

Lynette M. Burrows

You’ve been there. We all have. You have a story idea. You’re enjoying the discovery of what happens next when everything screeches to a halt. You can not write another word. Don’t just throw your hands up in the air and give up. Don’t wail and gnash your teeth. Don’t beat yourself up over getting stuck. Try one of these easy solutions.

Check-in With Yourself

Are you ill? Stressed? Exhausted? Burnt Out? Caught in an emotionally charged situation? Take care of you first. Like they say on the airplane, you can’t take care of anyone (or anything) else, if you don’t take care of yourself first. 

Breathe

Seriously. Stress and tension cause us to tighten up and breathe more quickly and more shallowly. Take a break. Stand tall and take a deep breath in. Hold it for a count of three and let it out slowly over a count of three. Do that three to five times. It will help clear your head.

Drink More Water

Our bodies are 60% water. Why do we persist in thinking we can feed it coffee, tea, carbonated drinks and such? But you don’t like the taste of water? So add a splash of lemon or lime or a frozen strawberry or other fruit. It’ll refresh you. 

Did you know that the first symptom of dehydration is fatigue? One of the next ones is hunger. The next time you’re feeling tired, run down, or hungry and an hour after you ate, drink eight ounces of water. Your body will perk up and thank you with more energy.

No, other liquids don’t count toward your 8 glasses of water per day. Your body works harder to get the benefits from drinking coffee, tea, or carbonated beverages than it does when you drink water. Give your body what it needs. What it craves. Water.

Move More

Stretch and move those muscles. Humans aren’t meant to sit for hours upon hours. Yes, modern man has adapted to a less strenuous lifestyle, but sitting for long hours still causes damage to our bodies. Tendons and muscles shorten, especially in the hips, knees, shoulders, and elbows. Our posture suffers. Poor posture compresses our inner organs, which causes decreased blood flow. It also causes pain, poor digestion, breathing concerns, and misalignment of your spine and possibly your shoulders.

Get the Right Quantity and Quality of Sleep

Yes, there are a thousand and one things to do, but you won’t do them to your best ability if you’re exhausted. The duration of your sleep matters, but the quality of your sleep is as important.

Take a nap. Even ten or twenty minutes can be helpful to some people. Try it. Go to bed an hour earlier. Experiment with your home’s night time temperature, the firmness of your mattress, and the right pillow. Time of day may matter as well. 

Keep a sleep journal. Note when you go to bed, when you wake up, and what your energy levels were throughout the day. When you find the number of sleep hours right-for-you, you’ll have more energy and accomplish more things throughout your day.

Eat Well

Nutrition is important. If you’re on a diet, great. But be certain you are still getting the recommended amounts of proteins, carbs, fiber, and healthy fats on the average. See this tip sheet on the CDC.

Supplements might help, but they can hurt, too. Check with your medical provider or pharmacist, before starting any supplements or vitamins. This is especially important if you are on prescription medications or other supplements. 

Acknowledge It’s Hard

You had fun for a while, immersing yourself in the world and characters you created and now something’s gone wrong. Frustrated, you don’t know what to do and trying to figure out if you have what it takes to be a writer. Stop. Take a breath. Maybe two or three. 

Now, repeat after me, “writing is hard.” It takes a toll on you—physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s okay to feel you can’t do it. That’s your emotions talking. Allow yourself to feel all that. But don’t let your emotions rule you or ruin your day. Give yourself 10-30 minutes. Then turn those non-productive emotions into productive ones. How? 

Affirmations

Do affirmations seem a little too woo-woo for you? There is neuroscience behind this practice. MRI evidence suggests that the neural pathways involved in positive valuation increase when we practice positive self-affirmations. There are few studies specific to creative pursuits. But there are studies involving the general population and student populations. These studies suggest that positive self-affirmations decrease stress, increase healthy behaviors, and positively impact academic achievements. The benefits of self-affirmations are most effective when this is a daily practice.

One way to practice a positive self-affirmation is to give yourself a pep talk. Remind yourself that everything is as it should be. Writing is hard, but you are up to the task. 

If giving yourself a pep talk doesn’t work for you, try creating a reset ritual. This can be anything that helps you reframe your work energy. For example, you shut down your computer and walk away. Get a candle in a scent that relaxes you. Say some affirmations aloud when you light the candle. What affirmations? You can say, “I am a writer. My words Matter. I can let go of my writing obstacles; I can work around them. I don’t have to wait for inspiration. I just have to show up.” Make up your own affirmations. Create positive phrases or statements that challenge your negative or unhelpful thoughts. 

Use as many or as few as works for you. Once you’ve finished, go back and restart your writing day.

Writing Sprints

If affirmations aren’t for you, try writing sprints. If you’re stuck, try a five-minute sprint. Sit down at the computer and type for five minutes without judgement of the quality of your words. Don’t stop, just keep typing. At the end of five minutes, check-in with yourself. How do you feel? Can you keep writing? Great. Do it. If you still feel stuck, walk away from the computer for 30-50 minutes. Come back and do another five minutes. 

Maya Angelou wasn’t comfortable using the term “writer’s block.” She felt it gave the phenomenon too much power. But she got stuck sometimes. Her solution was to just write words she would show no one. She’d write even if what came out wasn’t her finest words, even if the words that came were words she’d burn at the end of the day. 

The value of very short writing sprints is that it’s doable even on bad days. If that’s all the writing you do all day, that’s okay. You wrote something. Tomorrow’s another day.

Change Your Agenda

Take a step back from what you’re writing. When you’re in the flow of creativity, you are writing something that’s true. It’s true to the characters, and it’s true to you. Being stuck in your writing usually means something is not right. You might have physical needs. It can mean you need to take care of your emotional self, but it can also mean you have followed an idea down a path that doesn’t ring true. Think about why what you’re writing is off track. 

Ray Bradbury said that when he went blank in the middle of writing something, he took it as a warning that he was on the wrong track. Orson Scott Card adds that whenever he’s stopped on a project, it’s because he is doing something false or weak.

Make a Ten-Things List

Write a list of ten things your protagonist could do next. Write whatever comes to mind. Nothing is impossible or out of character for the list. The idea is to generate new ideas. Often one of those ideas leads in a new direction for your writing.

Write About Your Protagonist 

Write her journal, write her a letter, write a letter to you in her voice, Write simple “did this” sentences. Jane did this. She did that. Then she did this. Just get her moving around the setting. Soon you will add in other stuff, too. 

Describe your character’s living spaces. What’s in her underwear drawer? What does she put next to her bed every night? What is her favorite room and why? Sometimes you simply need to know your character better in order to understand what choices she will make when you throw story obstacles at her.

Argue with yourself aloud. Argue why what you wrote is the right way to take the story, then argue the opposite. If you find doing this alone to be too awkward, talk it out with a writing friend. This argument may help you see what to write next.

Ignore Writing Advice

Yes, I see the irony of writing advice about writing and telling you to ignore writing advice. Yet if you’re stuck because you’re trying to write a story using a specific method, it might be the method you’re using. Don’t take anyone’s writing advice as THE way to do it. Your way will be different. Your way will be a little of this and a little of that. And that’s okay. If you’re stuck, give yourself permission to write the story YOUR way. You can always apply different techniques and methods during the editing process.

Take a Break

You had planned to write all day, to get in your word count. Sometimes, your creative brain needs a break. It’s okay to take a break.

Try a brief break. Try a day-long break. Don’t just sit in a chair and stew about not writing. Go for a walk, get a coffee, clean a room, take a shower. Actively doing something that is non-writing related allows your creative brain to work in the background. 

Sometimes our emotions trick us into pretending that the difficulty doesn’t exist. Your brain whispers, “if you don’t go back to your computer, you won’t feel bad for not writing.” That kind of thinking is avoidance. It can lead to staying away from the computer for days or months or forever. Don’t give in to avoidance. Give yourself a specific amount of time for your break, then go back to writing.

Use a Different Part of Your Writer Brain

Maybe your creative well has gone dry. If so, it’s time to refill that well with activities that restore you. Some people find a walk in nature will do that. Others go shopping. Visiting a museum or expressing yourself with another creative method can work. Madeline L’Engle would play the piano when she got stuck. 

Read 

Most of the time, you’re advised to read the genre you write. If that’s inspirational to you, read away. If your brain needs more of a break, read something non-writing related. Something not about writing. Nonfiction is a good choice, but a genre you do not write is another good choice. Feed your creative brain so it can recharge.

Re-read your notes about the story. Re-read what you’ve written so far. Sometimes you’ve gotten lost in the details and need to pull back to look at the big picture. 

Change How You Write

If you normally work on a computer, try writing in a notebook. If you normally handwrite your story with a ball-point pen, try crayons. 

Skip a scene. You can come back to that one later. 

Normally work in silence at home? Go to a coffee shop to write. Or turn on some music. Go to a park. Change the environment where you write. This can allow you to temporarily “forget” all the things you should do instead of writing. 

Dictate. Dictation can be daunting for many, especially if you haven’t tried it before. Try it. Most computers have dictation in the software you can use. If you have a smart phone, that may have dictation capabilities. Speak the story out loud. Your words don’t have to be perfect. You’ll go back and edit those words. Just get the words out. 

Do Other Writing Related Tasks

When you’re stuck and you don’t want to “waste time” with a total break from writing, try doing marketing. Write a blurb for your story. Analyze which ads are doing well and which need to be shut down. Do research for a different book or work on your social media platforms. 

Catch up on your bookkeeping. Open those spreadsheets. I don’t know about you, but a spreadsheet is an instant idea generator (because I don’t want to do that boring but necessary work.) 

Writing the next story is your primary task, but there are a lot of others that need tending. Give yourself permission to work on those things for an hour or two, or even for one day. You’ll still feel productive, but you’ll also allow your creative brain the time it needs to gestate the next idea.

Keep It Simple

You aren’t alone. Every writer has their moment when they get stuck. Just remember, when the writing gets difficult, it’s time to keep it simple. The more you stress about your difficulties, the more difficult they become.

Sometimes, your life situation is such that you can't do the "best" thing. That's okay, too. Take a breath. Remind yourself, you'll get back to writing when you can.

If you can do more to solve your difficulties, check-in with yourself. Then, look at why you’re stuck. Often the why will tell you which of these easy solutions will work best. You can do this!

What helps you when your writing gets difficult?

About Lynette

Lynette M. Burrows is an author, blogger, creativity advocate, and Yorkie wrangler. She survived moving seventeen times between kindergarten and her high school graduation. This alone makes her uniquely qualified to write an adventure or two.

Her Fellowship series is a takes “chillingly realistic” alternate history in 1961 Fellowship America where autogyros fly and following the rules isn’t optional. Books one and two, My Soul to Keep, and  If I Should Die, are available everywhere books are sold online. Book three, And When I Wake, is scheduled to be published in 2024.

Lynette lives in the land of OZ. She is a certifiable chocoholic and coffee lover. When she’s not blogging or writing or researching her next book, she avoids housework and plays with her two Yorkshire terriers. You can find Lynette online on Facebook, or on Mastodon @LynetteMBurrows@wandering.shop or on her website.

Image Credits

Top image by Lukas Bieri from Pixabay

Second Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay

by Dr. Diana Stout

Over the years, I’ve heard writers say, “I don’t need to learn grammar and punctuation. That’s why I have an editor.” When one student discovered he’d be editing his writing, he said, “I’ll be handing my correspondence to my secretary. She can fix my mistakes.” While he got a laugh from his peers, the problem with these kinds of responses is that these individuals don’t understand how they’re handicapping themselves by having to rely on others for a skill they could easily learn.

Before the internet and indie publishing, publishing houses had staff editors who would perform both developmental and line-editing, then submit galley (printed typeset) pages to the author who would perform a last read and approve the pages.

Today, the publishing landscape is entirely different. Because of rising costs, publishing houses are reducing staff numbers. Consequently, publishers want polished manuscripts, not drafts that require a hefty fix.

Publishing houses want polished manuscripts.

Recently, I heard an agent tell a group of writers that writers need to learn how to become self-editors or hire someone to do their editing before submitting to an agent or publisher. The explanation was that publishing houses don’t have editors to do the line editing anymore; they’re hiring it out. That a book could be rejected based on how much editing is required before it becomes publishable—meaning how much money will the house have to invest?

Should a writer go the indie route of self-publishing, they will still want to learn self-editing skills or hire the editing out. Many readers won't read books that have errors throughout.

Self-editing is a skill that today’s authors should want to master.

So, why do writers balk at learning how to become better self-editors? The reasons I’ve heard are:

• There are too many rules. I can’t remember them all.
• I didn’t learn how in high school. How is it going to be any different now?
• It’s too hard.

First, you want to know the why behind these rules. If you don't know the why, the rules will make little sense and won't be remembered.

Second, the rules don’t apply to all writings, something we were not taught in high school. In school, we learned basic grammar and punctuation rules, which prepared us for business writing in the workforce and for academic writing in college.

Third, the rules for any writing depend on its genre, point of view, style, audience, and author voice. While some definitive rules cross all these thresholds, there aren't that many, truthfully.

Rules for Business writing VS Nonfiction and Fiction writing

Business writing is as different from nonfiction as is from fiction, where rules are frequently broken. The problem is that those broken rules shouldn't be applied to most nonfiction and not in business writing to agents, editors, and publishers.

Business writing is about query letters, résumés, business letters, and other business correspondence, such as synopses, proposals, and treatments. Often, these documents can receive a yes or no based on how polished they are.

Nonfiction rules depend on the genre: memoir, how-to, newspaper, white paper, academic paper… Each type of nonfiction has its own rules, style, and standards.

In fiction, rules are broken all the time. Some authors don’t use quotation marks. Others use short, choppy sentences. Others use long, flowery paragraphs without commas that can be a page long. In fiction, it’s about the author’s style choice and their voice. That said, if the author is being traditionally published, they are obligated to follow the publishing house’s style standard, even if the house is incorrect regarding a traditionally known rule.

You don't have to learn hard-to-remember terminology.

It isn’t necessary to recite the terminology as you did in high school; it’s more important to know the why behind the rules. To be honest, I’ve forgotten some of the terminology, but I know where to find the correct term if needed: in my old high school English book or any pocket-style handbook assigned to most college freshman composition classes.

My favorite handbook was authored by Diana Hacker. If there’s a local college near you, check out its bookstore. You don’t have to be a student to buy books there. If you buy used online, be sure to get a recent edition. While most grammar and punctuation rules haven't changed over time, the style guides (APA, MLA, and Chicago) do.

Two important punctuation changes that have occurred:

• Periods and commas always go inside the quotation marks. ALWAYS.
• There are no longer two spaces after end punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation). There is only one space.

One of the best online sites is Purdue's OWL's online writing center. Here's their site map: https://owl.purdue.edu/site_map.html

If you're interested in self-editing, you'll want to understand basic grammar and punctuation, which includes helping verbs, the timeline of tenses, the difference between telling and showing, the difference between passive and active writing, how to eliminate wordiness, and a few other key elements.

You should know, for example:

• the 7 basic commas, when to use and how to use them
• when and how to use a colon versus a semicolon
• how to clean up wordiness easily
• tenses and when to use which tense
• when you need to use helping verbs
• the difference between active and passive writing, and how to fix it with a simple rewrite
• how to easily turn telling into showing
• when to use italics instead of quote marks
• how to fix dangling modifiers

I discovered the more tricks I created for various rules, the easier it became to apply them. I’m all about sharing and teaching these tricks and shortcuts with other writers.

Learning how to become a better self-editor is a key element in learning the craft of writing. I used to tell my students that if they could master just those few rules I listed above, they'd become better writers. By mid-semester, they were amazed at what a difference learning a few self-editing rules made in their writing.

Yes, learning and applying the rules will feel hard at first. Writing is hard, just like when one first learns how to play ball or play a musical instrument. Over time and with practiced learning, self-editing skills become easy and automatic.

Writing is All About the Rewriting

Writing that first draft is like throwing clay (words) on the wheel (page). It’s the spinning (rewriting) of the wheel as the potter’s (writer’s) hands turn the clay (manuscript) into a worthy finished product where craft shines.

So, the earlier statement of Why you should want to become a self-editor becomes a question of Why wouldn’t you want to become a better writer?

The best way to learn self-editing skills is to:

• Read how-to books
• Take a class
• Apply what you learn
• Apply, apply, apply… practice, practice, practice

Do you struggle with self-editing, especially with grammar and punctuation? If not, how did you learn that skill?

******

About Diana

Dr. Stout is teaching a Master Class, Punctuation and Grammar Made Easy, in January 2024, with limited seating. If interested, sign up now!

She's an award-winning writer in multiple genres as a screenwriter and author. Also, she's a blogger, writing coach, and former English professor of writing classes who enjoys helping other writers. Learn more about Dr. Stout via her website, Sharpened Pencils Productions.

Top Image from Diana Stout, purchased via Depositphotos.

by Eldred “Bob” Bird

November is here and we all know what that means. It's NaNoWriMo time. As we're jogging past the one-week mark, I'm sure that some of you are starting to notice a blackhole forming in your brain. The dreaded mid-November slump is on the horizon.

This is the time when our brains go on tilt, and we start to lose the drive we had on day one. Even if you’re not participating in the annual writing marathon, it’s something every writer will eventually face. So, how do we chase away the darkness and get back into the light? Here are a few of my favorite tips to get you back into the race.

1. Freewriting

Sometimes the creative pipeline between our brain and the keyboard stops working. When the well runs dry, I often find that freewriting is a good way to prime the pump and restore the flow. Then again, sometimes the problem is too many ideas. Freewriting can help to clear the blockage in that case as well.

Grab your favorite writing device, be it manual or electronic, and dump your brain. Put down every word, sentence, or random thought that pops into your head. Don’t worry about making complete sentences or fixing spelling mistakes. Just let your fingers fly and see where it takes you.

If something keys an idea, follow it and see where it goes. When you start throwing stuff at the wall fast and furiously, something is bound to stick.

2. Switch Projects

There’s no hard and fast rule that says if you’re setting word count goals all the words must be in one single manuscript. At the end of the day all the words count. If you’re bogged down or losing interest in a project, drop it and move on to something else until inspiration hits again.

I never have less than three or four stories in the works at any one time. When I hit a creative wall in one, I shift gears and switch to another project for a while. The change of focus gives me the opportunity to talk to a different cast of characters and get my mind out of a rut.

Sometimes I feel the need to get away from fiction entirely. Doing something totally different can be very refreshing for your brain. That’s usually when I do my research and write my blog entries for WITS. I know the “No” in NaNoWriMo stands for novel, but the lessons I learn while blogging eventually end up improving my novel writing. That makes the words novel-adjacent, so I think it counts!

3. Change Your Scenery

If you’re like me, trying to force things just doesn’t work. The harder I try, the deeper my brain sinks into darkness. I can physically feel the walls closing in. When this happens, it’s time for a little self-care. I’ve found the best thing I can do is hit save, get up, and walk away.

Getting out of your usual writing space and breathing some different air can be one of the best things to do for your mental health. Whether it’s taking a short walk, driving around the block, or doing a little shopping, the change of scenery gives your brain a break.

Writing in a different location can also be a good way to re-energize your creativity. I’ve written in libraries, parks, doctor’s office waiting rooms, and bars. You encounter a lot of different characters when you write in public spaces. You never know who or what might inspire you.

4. Talk to Other Writers

While being a writer is generally a solitary endeavor, having writer friends you can talk to is priceless. They understand what you’re going through better than anyone else can. I can’t stress enough how important it is to build a network of like-minded people you can lean on in hard times.

I belong to a pretty tight knit group of writers. We’ve been meeting on a video group call every week for years. We bounce ideas off each other, talk through sticky plot points, and offer general support to get through the rough times in life. This group also gives us a place to celebrate the victories, big and small, as well.

One thing we have going for us is that technology allows us to connect without being in the same physical location. If you can’t find a local group to lean on, try social media. There are many supportive writing communities out there on a multitude of platforms. Look around, try a few out, and find one where you fit in.

5. Reevaluate and Adjust Your Goals

Let’s face it, sometimes we all bite off more than we can chew. It’s human nature. We set lofty goals for ourselves only to find we lack the tools, time, or skills to achieve them. When we fall short, we often end up questioning why we ever thought we could succeed in the first place.

If you find yourself in this situation don’t beat yourself up. You haven’t failed, you’ve gained experience. You now know how not to do what you were attempting. My father always told us you only fail when you stop trying.

Take a step back and examine your process to figure out where things might have gone wrong. Was your word goal too ambitious for the writing time you’ve allotted? Did you miss something in your preplanning? Is there a specific skill you need to acquire to move forward effectively?

When you think you’ve identified the problem, come up with a new plan and try again. If you still come up short, repeat the process. Keep pecking away at your roadblocks like this and eventually you will succeed.

Final Thoughts

One thing to keep in mind is that NaNoWriMo is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes a lot of training for an athlete to work up to the mileage needed to finish the race. They learn to pace themselves and pay attention to what their bodies are telling them. Many don’t succeed on their first try, but that doesn’t stop them from trying again.

Writing a novel in a month requires a similar approach. It takes time to get your brain in shape and develop the mental skills and stamina to get across that finish line. Give yourself the time and training you need, and you’ll eventually win the race.

Are you attempting NaNoWriMo this year? What tips and tricks have you found work to get you over the hill and across the finish line? Let your fellow writers know in the comments.

* * * * * *

About Bob

Eldred Bird writes contemporary fiction, short stories, and personal essays. He has spent a great deal of time exploring the deserts, forests, and deep canyons inside his home state of Arizona. His James McCarthy adventures, Killing Karma, Catching Karma, and Cold Karma, reflect this love of the Grand Canyon State even as his character solves mysteries amidst danger. Eldred explores the boundaries of short fiction in his stories, The Waking Room, Treble in Paradise: A Tale of Sax and Violins, and The Smell of Fear.

When he’s not writing, Eldred spends time cycling, hiking, and juggling (yes, juggling…bowling balls and 21-inch knives).

His passion for photography allows him to record his travels. He can be found on Twitter or Facebook, or at his website.

Top Image by viarami via Pixabay