Hitting a Wall

One of the hardest things inevitably about writing is the looming threat of Writer’s Block. It’s so terrifying that I felt it needed capitalization and italics to emphasize just how nefarious and annoying it is. Lately it’s been rearing its ugly, beastly head nearly every time I try to work. I’m nearly two thirds of the way through the first chapter of my novel, but constantly running into new barricades. Where should the character go next? Does their dialogue make sense? Is this too cheesy? Constant thoughts like this bog down the mind and make it nearly impossible to move forward.

Lately I’ve been considering how to break free from the clutches of the block. Some methods that usually work for me, aside from shutting off the computer and going to sleep, range from moving on to a different part of the story to rewriting passages until I’ve found some type of inspiration. Most of it, truthfully, is just a wing and a prayer and a Hail Mary that maybe I’ll have a stroke of inspiration that will yield a few pages, and not just the next line.

I’ve set a goal/tentative deadline for myself to have Chapter 3 wrapped up and polished by September 1st. As July groans its way onward, I’m starting to worry that this is less of a goal and more of an anxiety-inducing nightmare. Here’s hoping the next few weeks will be filled with progress, good inspiration, and bearable pages of writing.

—Ricky

(P.S. and sort of an update) Chapter 1 is now complete, the insidious block mercifully lifted long enough for me to iron out the last few pages. On to the daunting but thrilling task that is Chapter 2!

Where do we go when all of our ideas seem to be clogged up, like loose hair in a drain?