How to Survive Writing During a Pandemic
Every writer I know is struggling.
They’ve got a good reason, too. Writing is tough under the best circumstances, so it’s no surprise that writers are having a hard time getting words on paper during a global pandemic that threatens our collective economic future. We are all doing our best to stay safe and help others.
Five Strategies For When You’re Stuck
One of the things I tell beginning writers is that you have to love what you’re writing. You’re going to spend a lot of time with it, months, years, decades even. If you’re not telling a story you love that time is going to be very painful. But no matter how well you’ve chosen your story there may come a time when you get stuck. This is not exactly the same as writer’s block, that’s a complete stoppage. No, this is when you’re working on a project and, for some reason, you suddenly stop. You’re not having a problem writing. You’re having a problem writing that story. So, what do you do when that happens?
Does ‘Writer’s Block’ Really Exist?
Many of us have a romantic vision of writing, but the truth is that writing is often slow, deliberate, painstaking work. We put one word after another. There's no way around: if you're a writer, you'll probably face writer's block at some point, and you'll be forced to find a way work through it. So let's think about some places to find inspiration if/when you get stuck.