Coping with Creative Blocks
A positive mindset is essential for a writer, particularly a romance writer! You can’t be creating beautiful stories of love if you are feeling all blocked up inside.
Writers should always be looking for new and innovative ways to improve their skills. They should always be striving to be the best writer that they can possibly be, and this is only possible with a positive mindset. Trust me- it is very difficult to write even an outline of a romance novel on a day I got out of bed on the wrong side.
This article is a guide for writers on how they can overcome creative blocks and keep their beautiful creativity alive.
Mindset
In order to be a successful writer, you must have the right mindset. If you’re feeling discouraged, it’s important to take a break from your work and recharge your batteries.
Maybe try to find something that inspires you or motivates you without fail, so you can get back on track and continue working on your project with renewed energy. Maybe this is dancing around the kitchen, a particular snack or drink, a call with a mentor – whatever it is for you, make sure you know what it is and have it ready in your arsenal for a day when no words are coming out of you!
Remember, bad writing days will absolutely happen to all of us! Nothing will go right, you won’t like your characters, your chair will be uncomfortable, the milk will have gone bad so you don’t have any tea… and so on and so forth. Some days, giving yourself a break and taking the rest of the working day off is the only thing to get you back on track the next day!
That said, overall, a positive writer’s mindset is essential for success. Without it, it will be nigh on impossible for you to keep writing at the level that is required of a professional novelist.
Writer’s Block
Writer’s block is a common issue, but it is not an insurmountable one. There are several ways to help you overcome it and get back to writing. These include taking a break from your project for a day or two, or switching to another task that does not require as much mental energy.
I find taking a walk and making sure I’m well hydrated always helps. Maybe watching a rom com film or reading another romance book might prompt some creative thoughts to stir.
Oh, and make sure you have a sketched out book plan to stick to, or writer’s block can really take over your life! That plan can save the day when you have run out of ideas for your current chapter. Pick another chapter and see where that takes you. You can always come back to the one you got stuck on later! It is just important to write, regardless of if that is in order or not.
The job of a writer is often difficult and time-consuming, as well as fun and enjoyable. It’s all the things! It’s also not always easy to stay motivated and maintain a positive attitude.
How to Stay Motivated in the Face of Creative Blocks
Creative blocks are a natural part of being a writer. We all have them. But it doesn’t mean that we should give up and stop writing altogether when they crop up! It just means that we should find ways to get motivated, or get back in the habit of writing again so we can continue our work and make gorgeous love stories come to life.
One way to stay motivated is by understanding the importance of what you are doing and why you are doing it. For example, if you’re writing about something that you care about, then it will be much easier for you to keep going because there will be an emotional connection between your work and your values.
I often hear writers talking about pouring a whole book out in a short time as it echoed their first love, or meeting their soulmate. When they write in a trope that they have chosen because of it’s appeal to the mass market, they often dry up because their focus isn’t on the love story any more. Now their focus is on the business. And that isn’t why they wanted to write romance stories.
Creativity is about the most important skill for writers. Of course, good writing habits and knowing a little about how to market yourself are up there too. But without the creativity of writing your beautiful books, these other skills won’t matter so much anyhow.
Creative blocks are one of the most frustrating things for any writer to go through. They can be caused by external factors like stress, or internal factors like fear of failure. Fear of failure is something that often catches us out without us even realising what it is.
If you ever had a ‘what’s the point?’ thought, it’s probably fear of failure!
That is a major cause of creative blocks. Fear of failure, or perfectionism, which often amounts to about the same thing, anyway. Either way, you don’t get things done so you end up stuck in a rut of not writing because there’s no point, and proving yourself true because you didn’t succeed. Because you wrote nothing. Tough cycle to be in.
The first step in coping with creative blocks is to identify the root cause of your blockage and then find a way to fix it. If you’re feeling stressed, try meditating or journaling about what’s causing you stress in order to get it out of your head and onto paper. If you’re feeling afraid, try finding someone or something that inspires you so that you can get back on track.
Look at your motives for writing romance. Are you writing this story for the right reason for you? Does it resonate with you? Is something about it making you feel gross? No judgement but I don’t know how people write some of the less palatable (to me) topics. But that makes them them, and me me! If you don’t enjoy writing about straight couples, then don’t.
Write about paranormal romance, multiple romance, sci fi romance, LGBTQ+ romance- whatever makes you feel fresh and mentally fertile.
Above all, make sure you look after yourself. Sometimes a good night’s sleep, a few extra vegetables and a lot of water are enough to get a story moving out of me.
Good luck, writers!
