Writer’s Block Is Preventable
It doesn’t have to derail you
Over 80,000 words into the first draft of my first book, and I stopped.
I was burned out, unexcited, unmotivated, and just straight up not having a good time.
So I took a hiatus and in the silence, I learned a few things about what it means to be a writer, and how to overcome the inevitable writer’s block.
Do the work but take a break
Over the past few months, I have increased my writing volume. I’ve been writing every day, which is not something I’ve ever done before. I used to only write on the weekends, and occasionally during the week if I had the time and inclination.
Writing every day means I’ve made monumental progress on my projects — but it also means I’m really effing tired.
So for the first time in several months, I put my project down and I didn’t touch it for a few weeks.
Forcing yourself to work on a creative project isn’t always a good thing. Sometimes pushing yourself and writing even though you’re blocked can help you overcome it. And sometimes, it just makes you feel worse.
As a writer in my day job, I’ve learned the value of taking a break and cutting myself some slack. Writing is exhausting. It takes a…
