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Novel-Not-Writing Month:
Surviving the Epic Battle Against Writer's Block During NaNoWriMo
It’s the time when word counts rule, plot bunnies multiply, writers get typing blisters, and creativity flows as freely as ink from a well-primed pen. Yet, amidst this frenzy of literary ambition, there’s a lurking nemesis that has haunted many a writer’s dreams: the infamous writer’s block. In this blog, we’ll dive headfirst into the world of NaNoWriMo and explore this enigmatic beast—what it is, why it strikes with impeccable timing, and, most importantly, how to conquer it and emerge victorious in your quest for 50,000 words in 30 days. So grab your writer’s toolkit and let’s journey through the labyrinth of creative challenges together!
What is WB? This is a classic challenge where writers struggle to find inspiration or get stuck in the middle of a scene or chapter. During NaNoWriMo, the pressure to produce a high word count every day can make writer’s block particularly frustrating.
Why does it strike at the most critical moment of the novel? Well, a writer has expectations, and during the NaNoWriMo challenge, this writer wants to win. Easily we can see there are time pressures, fear of failure, perfectionism, and doubts that can hinder the flow of writing. A hundred blog articles talk about those. Another mental obstacle that can disrupt the writing process is the complexity of the story. Critical junctions often involve complex storytelling elements. Writers may need to tie together various plot threads, reveal important information, or navigate intricate character dynamics. The complexity of these tasks can be mentally taxing.
The story’s complexity can often be attributed to a lack of clarity regarding the intentions of a critical scene. When a writer becomes uncertain about the direction they should take, this uncertainty can result in a sense of being creatively stuck. Like trying to follow a GPS with a mind of its own. Imagine you’re all set to navigate the winding roads of your story, but suddenly, your GPS starts speaking in riddles. “Turn left at… well, I’m not quite sure, maybe? Or maybe right? How about a U-turn? Yeah, let’s try that!” It’s a confusion that could make even a person who has driven this route multiple times before cry. So, when your story’s complexity leaves you as baffled as a cat in a room full of laser pointers, just remember, you’re not alone!
Critical moments in writing are like trying to tiptoe through a minefield—every step feels like it could lead to an explosion. It’s as if you’ve been handed a Rubik’s Cube, and you’re determined to solve it while riding a unicycle on a tightrope. These pivotal scenes make your brain spin faster than a squirrel in a coffee factory, leading to an overthinking frenzy. You begin to analyze every word and action to ensure they align with the story’s overall goals. This overanalysis can lead to slower and slower writing as you become mired in details.
How can a writer conquer WB and hit 50K wc? Here are my 3 favorite solutions to these problems.
- Write Through Writer’s Block: Don’t wait for inspiration to strike. Change the chapter you intended to write that day to something else in the novel. Go from Act 1 to Act 3, the grand finale, or from Act 2a where the character was supposed to do X onward to Act 2b where the character did X and now we need Y. It does not interrupt the writing flow and can sometimes give you the solution to the issue in 2X. Like a hop-scotch pattern where you’ve placed the stone into one of the spaces and you have to come back and get it later, the solution is to reroute.
- Silence Your Inner Critic: The inner critic can be a major roadblock. Think of your inner critic as that overly opinionated backseat driver during a road trip. You know the one – always pointing out your wrong turns and suggesting you should have taken that scenic route. Well, in this case, kindly tell your inner critic to sit back, enjoy the ride, and save the critique for the post-NaNoWriMo coffee klatch. Give yourself a pep-talk when you recognize that critic rising. Use Mindfulness, breathing exercises, and focus on the writing process. Right now, we’re just tossing words into the story stew, and it’s okay if some of them are alphabet soup. (I must be hungry cause all I can think about is food analogies.)
- Don’t Edit as You Go: Think of your writing process during NaNoWriMo like preparing a big pot of soup. You’re tossing in all the ingredients, and you can’t resist the temptation to taste and adjust the seasoning after every carrot or potato goes in. But hold on, Chef! You’re slowing down the soup-making extravaganza! Focus on adding all the tasty bits first so they can simmer together and blend. Save the seasoning for the grand taste test at the end. Your story is the same—get all those words bubbling before you start sprinkling your writing spices! Avoid the temptation to edit or revise your work while you’re in the drafting phase. You can do this by trying a few of my delicious tempting methods (Yep, I’m hungry).
- Set a Timer: Use a timer to remind you when it’s time to stop writing
- Write in a Different Font or Color: Change the font or text color of your document when drafting. This visual distinction can make it less tempting to edit, as your brain perceives the text as “unfinished” or a work in progress.
- Turn Off Spell Check, Grammar Check, and Grammarly: Disable them all. This prevents red underlines and squiggly green lines from distracting you while you write.
- Use Distraction-Free Writing Tools: Scrivener
- Write Longhand: It’s less convenient to revise on paper compared to a digital document.
- Keep a Separate Editing List: Jot it down on a separate “editing list.” Scrivener and PLOTTR both have note fields to use for this, allowing you to acknowledge the issue without interrupting your flow.
- Remind Yourself of the Goal: Use sticky notes everywhere, create a banner to hang above your monitor, or write a reminder near your writing space emphasizing that NaNoWriMo is about quantity, not quality.
- Separate Drafting and Editing Days: A lot of writers only edit on certain days. If you already do this when writing during the rest of the year consider setting specific days or times for drafting and others for editing. This way, you can fully immerse yourself in each task without feeling the need to switch back and forth.
Remind yourself of the goal.
OK. Hopefully, the problems are solved or at least minimized by writing through the Writers Block, muzzling the inner critic, and stopping editing during NaNoWriMo. Overcoming writer’s block is a multifaceted challenge that requires a combination of strategies. Writing through the block by opting to skip or change the writing focus for the day will allow you to reach achievable goals, and not interrupt your established routine. Silencing your inner critic by self-pep talks, focusing on the process, and being mindful, will help you consider this a crucial step to reach writing with flow. Remember, the no-editing rule can be a game-changer, allowing your thoughts to flow freely without judgment in the initial drafting phase. But don’t forget, there are more tools at your disposal, such as separating editing by using a separate font color, eradicating editing by writing longhand, experimenting with different distraction-free writing tools like Scrivener, and or simply turning off spell check so you don’t see those editing prompts. The key is to remain persistent and stick with the plan. Stay open to new approaches, bringing the willingness to explore and adapt to discover the most effective strategies for conquering writer’s block. Happy writing!
I also want to give a quick shout-out to PLOTTR software which is very intuitive. My new favorite writing aid. This plotting software is da bomb. Use any of my affiliate links below and I might get a small commission. Thanks.
Check out my Youtube channel for PLOTTR videos @jlnichauthorsff
Joseph Michael’s Learn Scrivener Fast e-course
