Hi Reader,
For about six weeks after I started querying, I was in a creative rut. I knew I needed to jump into a new project to keep me whole and feeling sane after sending my first project out into the world, but I was having a hard time finding a project that sunk its claws into me.
I wanted to feel the same pull to a story that I felt when writing the book I queried, but nothing was clicking. Can you relate?
I dabbled with revising a YA romance I have been struggling with since the dawn of its inception. I wrote 2500 words of a magical realism romance. But neither of those projects were inspiring me.
I have, of course, heard the term “writer’s block” before. Who hasn’t? But I’ve always felt like the ideas were just…there. That I could pluck one out of the ether and breathe life into it.
But, as it turns out, you need more than a snappy idea to sustain writing a book-length work. You need more than vibes and a breakneck-plot.
Over the last six weeks, I’ve been in discovery mode, and what I’ve learned is this: The books that can sustain you start in the heart. They start with your heart.
I’m happy to say, after much soul searching, that I’m nearly 10k words into my next project, after about 2-3 weeks. 10k words might not sound like a ton, but it’s much further than the 2500 words I slogged through in a whole month for my last (set-aside) project.
The difference? I can feel this one. I can see it in my mind’s-eye in its entirety. Why? Because I dug deep into the things that I am wrestling with as a human, as a woman, as a mother and daughter, and I’m going to channel all of that into a work of fiction.
So how do you get to this place? How do you break through the writer’s block and find a story that will last long enough to keep you going? Here are a few things I did:
1. I listened.
2. I switched up my media consumption
3. I created in other ways.
Let’s get into each of them.
[Short on time? Listen to my raw, unedited recording here instead.]
Stop and Listen
If you’ve ever read Big Magic or The Artist’s Way, you might, like me, already believe that something divine is at work when we are in flow with our creativity. When the words are pouring out it feels not like we are putting the words down one by one, but that they are flowing through us.
At least that’s my experience. It’s the dream writing session anyway, isn’t it? But it’s hard to get into that flow state when we are leading with superficial things. We must go deeper.
Yesterday I was listening to a podcast and the host said something that made all the lightbulbs burn bright in my mind. She said something about valuing intimacy over popularity and I just thought—Yes! That’s what we writers must strive for. Intimacy. Getting honest and showing parts of your heart to your readers. Not just trying to get people to like you.
But when you’re listening to the chatter-- what the publishing industry is looking for; what’s trending; what others are writing and a million other non-writing-related items--it’s hard (and maybe even a bit uncomfortable) to listen to the deeper parts of yourself. And ultimately, those deeper beliefs or struggles or joys will lead you to what makes your book resonate. The heart of your book, in short.
So you must stop and listen. Listen for the nudges, the things that light you up, the things that cause you grief. Big or small. Chances are, those things are universal, and that if you push yourself to explore them, others will find a similar light or grief. Let these things fuel your writing. Because they come straight from the heart.
Stop and listen.
Switch up your media consumption.
Almost every morning I get on the trail to walk my dogs. When my husband doesn’t join us, it’s me, the pups, the nature, and my earbuds. I am a big audiobook listener. Occasionally a podcast listener as well, but primarily it’s books. (Duh.) But stories are my escape, my stress relief.
Sometimes, my father would be flabbergasted to learn, I forget about music. But for a few days I was in between audiobooks and didn’t feel like listening to a podcast, and I remembered how my last book was heavily inspired by two songs I love. So as I was desperately trying to find some inspiration to break me out of my rut, I switched on the music. And, as you know, music is so full of emotion. Songwriters are airing out their dirty laundry, they’re cutting to the emotional truths, they’re struggling with things and making meaning from them.
And they can be a way into your own emotional truths that might be worth wrestling.
The same thing can be said for movies or television—especially your old favorites. You might find, if you switch up your normal media consumption, that it opens avenues to inspiration. Art does that, right? It’s purpose is to connect with people, to be mirrors to each of us, reflecting back our experiences and hopes and dreams and fears.
And sometimes, if you’re not feeling inspired by your usual media, try something else. Break your patterns. Explore something new. You never know what you might find.
I also want to mention, really quickly, that this is an offshoot of a favorite tactic used by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way. She advocates for taking oneself on artist’s dates, and I think that that exploring something new—especially another art—is a piece of that.
So if you’re stuck, try something new.
Create in other ways.
I get cranky when I don’t write. Because I believe I feel best when I’m creating. For me, most of the time, that looks like writing. But other times it looks like arts and crafts. Especially when I’m in the throes of beastly writer’s block.
Last month, on my seaside girls’ trip, I brought along paint-by-numbers kits for each of us. While paint-by-numbers is admittedly pretty low on the creativity scale, doing something artistic allowed me to connect with that part of myself that craves creativity. It took tremendous focus, like writing; it was slow-going like writing; and it wasn’t clear until the end that there was a full picture, like writing.
It's good to remember that any time you create something, it takes time and energy and thought. But it also might lead you to answers to problems with your work. Kind of like when you take a walk or clean the house or drive somewhere, you find that the answers come to you. Simply because your body is engaged in something else.
Let other art unlock things within you. Switch it up and see what happens when you try embroidery or pottery or painting or sketching. See what happens when you deviate from the norm, from the patterns you wear too deep into your days. Break routine—especially creatively.
It may not happen overnight, it may not happen next week. But I promise you, if you start from the heart, your words will come easier. You will be able to sustain your writing and make good progress.
Start from the heart and you will find your voice.
Happy writing!
Karyn
P.S. Loving these emails? Buy me a cup of tea to say thanks. Or you can book a free 30-min story strategy chat here if you're interested in getting specific help with your book.
Granite Bay, CA
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