I have writer’s block, and I write anyway. However, I don’t demand a high word count or a certain number of hours. I’m convinced that if I reached for more ambitious goals, I’d do nothing. I did win NaNoWriMo last year, but then I didn’t write for a month. Furthermore, I had severe back pain despite frequently changing positions and using the recording option. My conclusion is that I can’t do a lot physically or emotionally any more. I’m editing the NaNo novel from the previous year now, and I seem to have the same problem with editing. I just don’t get much done in a single day. If I try to do more, I hit a brick wall.
Yes, editor’s block exists.
Here are the signs:
- Needing to set work aside after a sprint or two. If I type too much, my eyes, back, hand and wrist hurt. Yes, I’m old. Seventy-three.
- After a break of even a day, it’s difficult to restart. Once I break my routine, it’s difficult to get it back. The priorities, problems, and excuses abound.
- Doing dishes or vacuuming instead.
- Perpetually editing the same novel. I have been editing and re-editing this book for months. This is it, I have promised myself. When I finish the Epilogue this time, off to a developmental editor and beta readers it goes. Perpetual editing has to go.
Here are the remedies:
- Just like writing, do 1 chapter a day, 1 page a day, 500 words a day, or whatever. Set an easy goal.
- What if you have a deadline? I don’t know.
- Aim small: perhaps a short sprint or two.
- Take frequent breaks for: phone calls, coffee chats, podcasts.
Considering what’s wrong with a story and how to fix it is a slow process. Perhaps it can’t be rushed—at least for some of us.
