The Art of Writing: How to Write Bestselling Novels

Eliminating Writer's Block Permenantly

[NOTE: I cannot take reading requests since I run a small business and have a family. I hardly even have time for my own writing.]

So you have a great story idea and several chapters written, but one day you find yourself completely at a loss for what to write.

This eventually devolves into banging your head against the desk violently, thinking the pictures the blood splotches form will eventually give you ideas about what to write next. And that's my advice. If you hit your head hard enough, you'll either suddenly come up with a great idea or completely forget you're writing a book...along with your name and other things...so, problem solved!

But if that doesn't work, I have other solutions for you.

There are actually a few techniques I've developed over the years which just happen to have kept me from ever having writer's block. Theyre just good writing habits, to be honest.

There are three kinds of writers. Discovery writers, Outliners, and hybrids who do a bit of both. Two of these three have the potential for writer's block, one more than the other.

Discovety writers are most at risk for writer's block because they aren't sure where their story's going. This can be a daunting way to write, unsure whether you'll finish or not.

Outliners rarely have a problem with writer's block because they layout their entire story before they start writing.

Hybrids like me can potentially have writer's block, but it depends on how they create their stories. Hybrids know where their story's going from the beginning, usually, but they like to start writing several chapters to get a feel for the characters, to learn how they react to situations, and to get ideas. Once they have those things sorted out, they do a rough outline and start writing.

Have you noticed what causes the writer's block yet? It's all about knowing what's coming next and what will happen in each scene.

1. That's the first technique to not getting writer's block--know what's coming next. Outline chapters and scenes.

2. Stop writing on that part of the story and start writing a different part of your story. In time, an idea will come to you that will solve the writer's block.

3. Stop writing and think of the most crazy scene you can imagine, something outrageously cool or bizarre, and then make it believable and make it fit into your story or scene. This is an excellent exercise for creativity and can make stories really interesting. I do this periodically with my stories to give them some very cool scenes and storylines.

4. Write very, very poorly. Sounds a bit odd, doesn't it? But it works great. If you can't think of what to write next, write the most boring, awful thing you can just to get you through the chapter. Then, come back later when you have a better idea for the chapter. Future scenes might show you what you need to do with the scene.

5. Write backward. Figure out what will happen at the end of the story and write the scenes leading up to it that will set it up and give it impact. I'll post another chapter about creating impact in stories so you have a better idea of how to do this.

All of the above options are good writing habits that, if learned and practiced, make it nearly impossible to get writer's block. So go and use at least one of them right now on something you're writing. Find every excuse to use at least one technique listed above repeatedly for a day or two or more. That will seat it in your brain so that it becomes part of your writing routine and writer's block will be a thing of the past.

Good luck!

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