Hey, who put that wall there?

You know the wall I’m talking about, right? Yep, you guessed it ... ‘writer’s block’.

I know, I know, writers block is a forever ongoing topic up for discussion and, there are tips posted all over the place you can easily find from other writers or authors. But let’s be honest. What works for them, might not work for you. So what can you do to keep that wall at bay?

Sorry, I don’t have the answer. Because personally, I don’t think there is one solid method that can break the wall ... that works for everyone. All you can do is try different techniques until you find the right one. Plus, it helps to know the reason behind why you are hitting that wall. Is it a plot problem, an underdeveloped character, or you simply can’t quiet work out where to go next and feel like giving up.

Been there done that.

It happens to me when I’m getting to the half way mark of my MS and I completely freak out. That freak out moment lasted almost two years. Seriously, I’m not kidding. Now I write everyday no matter how big or small the word count is. I’m just happy to be writing and no longer have that wall standing in my way.

So how did I break through the wall after so long? Easy, I worked out the reason for my ‘writers block’ and went back to the beginning.  

I re-read my entire MS (what I had of it), my notes, everything. I soon learned that I had no idea where my story was going. To some degree I knew what I wanted to happen at the end of the story, I just didn’t know how to get there and what should happen in between. Therefore I was plot less mess.   

So, problem identified ... now what?

I read everything and anything to do with plotting until I found what works for me. And the book that turned on that switch inside my brain and brought the flicker of ideas back to life was Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell.

This book covers everything from Plot Patterns, Common Plot Problems and Cures to Tips and Tools for Plot and Structure. I love this book, but what I love more is the exercises after each chapter that you can do over and over again. Your given a number of different ways to help you stir the plot pot, not just one sure fire way. This book is a keeper. And now I have plots running out of my ears on a daily basis, and index cards quickly being filled with all kinds of possibilities for my story. 

But don’t take my word for it, read it for yourself. Okay, come on; tell me how you fought off the dreaded writers block wall. Was it with a sledge hammer?