Tips for breaking out of a writing slump
We’ve all been there!
I’ve been having a great time working on a new project since May, but when we went on a family holiday in June/July, my 5000 words a week schedule went out the window. And you know what? That’s fine.
But since I’ve been home, I’ve struggled a bit getting back into the manuscript. I’d sit down at my freshly cleaned desk with a free day ahead of me, put on my playlist, light a candle and…. Do everything but write. My house has never been cleaner! My spices are organised in alphabetical order!
So I asked for people’s advice on Instagram and they really came through! I’ve wrapped up some tips here and will be bookmarking it for when I inevitably end up back in the stuck place.
Of course romance is the answer
‘I find it useful to romance my way back to it like a cat circling their bed. Open it, read a little, put your phone on do not disturb.’ - Meg Dunley, writer, editor, creative coach and host of writing retreats
How gorgeous is this advice?
Last week I took advantage of a free masterclass offered by Kathryn Heyman, who runs the Australian Writers Mentoring Programme (I’m not in a position to do any of their programs at the moment so it was great to be able to sample some of Kathryn’s advice, I recommend jumping on the mailing list). It was all about ‘writing with ease’ and one of the first things she recommended was reconnecting with your purpose - why do you want to write this story? Desire is central for motivating our characters, and it can be a powerful tool to motivate your writing.
Read it over
‘I always start by just reading what I’ve got. It’s a less confronting entry point, I find.’ - Anne Freeman, author of Me That You See
Break it down
‘What's the tiniest first step?’ - Kate Solly, author of Tuesday Evenings with the Copeton Craft Resistance
This is crucial! The task of ‘writing a book’ is so intimidating it can be paralysing. But writing a scene, even a moment, is possible in a short amount of time. Enough of those moments, strung together, make a novel.
Using a timer can be a great tool here. I’m guilty of telling myself I don’t have enough time to write, but if I only have 15 minutes I can actually get some good sentences down.
Disconnect
‘Turn off the internet and hide your phone’ - Ashley Kalagian Blunt, author of Dark Mode
This one is tough! I find switching off hard but find if I take my laptop with me to a cafe without Wifi or on my train commute, Scrivener is the only program I can use and so there’s no resistance to do some editing, which often turns into writing.
If you have trouble putting the phone away, perhaps try putting it to a different use - filming a timelapse of your writing session (don’t worry it will be too mortifying to post) or try an app like Caroline O’Donoghue-endorsed Bear Focus Timer (he scowls at you if you flip over your phone before your 20 minutes of focus is up).
Putting away all devices and writing by hand can also be a good way to silence your inner perfectionist.
Accountability
‘Bringing in someone to make you accountable might help…? A friend, sibling, partner etc? Assuming it’s writing you could tell them you want to have written X no of words by X date and get them to check in with you and catch up for a meal or coffee to celebrate the small win if/when you make it?’ Steph Puls (@stephcanwrite)
Having a deadline to submit for a writing residency really helped me find some urgency, and lining up friends to review my submission made me not want to waste their time.
I’ve also been trying another accountability measure of posting my daily progress to instagram stories, with photographic evidence of me at my desk. It’s early days but so far it’s felt motivating. And probably no coincidence that I’m making a little more effort to get dressed and maybe put on lipstick, which somehow also boosts productivity.
Steph also mentions the idea of celebrating wins here, and I know Karina May is a big fan of a reward system (bribes).
Did I miss something that works for you? Let us know in the comments!
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The Bear Focus Timer!? Haha! Love it. That would work on me! I like your idea of 'getting ready' for writing (even just for the photo's sake), I think that would also motivate me a lot!