Do you struggle to start a project or can’t express your thoughts effectively on a page or screen? If the answer is yes, then you are not alone. This experience is familiar to even the most accomplished authors and seasoned writers. Luckily, a few tips can help you overcome this obstacle and start writing again. This article answers your questions about writer’s block and provides practical tips to overcome it and get back on track with your writing. So whether you’re a new writer or an experienced writer, read on for insights that will help you regain your creative flow. What is writer’s block? Writer’s block is the feeling of being stuck and unable to craft words you desire to write. It generally involves a mental or emotional blockage that impedes ideas and word flow. Struggling with writer’s block is like being frozen in front of a blank page or screen. Your mind races with questions like “What should I write about?” and “Where do I begin?” but the answers never seem to come. A frustrating experience like this affects your progress, level of consistency, and quality of writing. Despite these effects, writer’s block is a normal part of the creative process and a valuable opportunity for self-reflection and growth when approached with a positive mindset. What are the symptoms of writer’s block? Several symptoms can indicate writer’s block. Here are just a few: Difficulty beginning or completing a project Inability to concentrate or focus on what you’re writing Lack of inspiration Physical symptoms such as feelings of fatigue or depression, headaches, and restlessness Difficulty coming up with ideas Difficulty organizing your thoughts While the experience is unique for every writer, it is noteworthy that writer’s block is not a pathology, and you can overcome it. What causes writer’s block?… read more →
Character agency is basically about giving your characters choices. It’s also tied in to the idea of making relatable, rounded characters – so characters with aims and flaws, who make good and bad decisions. Character agency is the decision-making bit of that; it’s letting the characters drive the events in your stories. Character agency is about how the characters accomplish the plot Ok, so you’ve got your basic plot. Hero rescues Princess from Dragon. Simple, right? But if you pick three different characters, they’ll go about that in three different ways, and you’d end up with three different outcomes. The Dark Lord. Turns up on his own Fearsome Dragon and has them fight while he leans on the wall and has a quick smoke. Hang on…his dragon lost?! Well, depending on your Dark Lord, he can either haul out the Sword Of Doom for a quick bout of hand-to-hand, or produce the cannon he so thoughtfully hauled along…either way, you’re likely to end up with a dead dragon and a suitably rescued princess, who might be rather charmed by a thin moustache and fashionable black armour. The Thoughtful Farm Boy. He brings along a cow, strolls past the dragon while it’s otherwise occupied with that snack, and then talks both Princess and Dragon into leaving with him, because who wants to be stuck in a crumbling old castle? They then all decide that any King who shuts his daughter up in a tower and kills off her suitors probably isn’t a very good King, and go off to rescue the Kingdom as well. Adventure time! The Cynical Assassin. She doesn’t bother fighting the dragon – she scales the back wall, sneaks into the tower and…love at first sight, with a passionate kiss to go with it? Well, why not? What… read more →
When you send a submission, different publishers ask for different things. However, it will usually be at least the first 10,000 words, which should be your first 3-5 chapters. This is what the editor will read and what they will use to decide if your book is any good, and then decide if they want to read the rest of it. And it’s not just the editor; later on, the reader will do exactly the same thing. Ever flicked through the first chapter in a bookshop or read it on Amazon? What made you want to continue and buy the book? What made you put it down and move on? It’d be your impression from the first chapter or two. Basically, the start of your book is pretty freakin’ important for giving a first impression. Have a think about the first five chapters of your book. Have a think about any critique you’ve received. And if you’ve ever uttered any of these phrases or you think they might apply to you, please take a long, hard look at your work… “It gets better later…” I can and will stop reading. If you haven’t hooked my attention in the first five chapters, then you’ve lost me. The same goes with the longer view; if you don’t grab me with the first book, why am I going to read until Book 5 of your series when the ‘real’ action starts? You need to get me interested now. “This is just the prologue…” So why are you starting here? Start with the action! Start with the story! Tell me the parts you find fascinating! When you become a millionaire best-seller you can always do a “pre-story” novel or novella or something, but for now – get to the interesting bits. “Oh, you’ve got… read more →
