It’s January 19 as I sit here writing this and I’ve hardly written a thing all month. Actually, I really haven’t written anything since publishing The Maze Date in October. I always told myself that I’d be really transparent on this blog because I want you to see the reality of being a professional creative. So, here it is. It’s official. I am in a writing slump.
BUT! I am, ever so slowly, coming out of it. I’ve been feeling that little spark for writing again. I’ve been dabbling a little bit in some fantasy short stories and even worked a little bit on a chapter for one of my back burnered WIPs. And if you read my latest newsletter, you’ll know that I am now diligently working on a flash fiction piece for The Maze Date’s 3 month anniversary.
So, since I’m finally finding my way out of my own writing slump, I wanted to take a minute to give you some tips that might help you if you ever find yourself in one too.
1. Try Something New
This is the one tip that I can never seem to implement myself. To be honest, I’m just a bit stubborn and always seem to think that if I can just push through, I can dig my way out of my writing slump by working on whatever caused the writing slump. It’s a hard pill to swallow realizing that that isn’t the case.
So, when I finally get over my stubbornness, I do often try to work on something new. And typically, something very different. In fact, that’s exactly how The Maze Date came into existence. I’d been stalling out on my elemental fantasy WIP It’s Only Magic and needed something new in my life. So, I decided to work on a romance short story… and bam, The Maze Date was born.
So, when I say you should try something new, I mean it. It really can help – and perhaps someday I’ll even be able to take my own advice on the matter.
2. Just Take a Break
If there’s anything that I find almost as hard as trying something new, it’s taking a break. I always think if I take a break, I’ll never get back to my projects. This obviously isn’t true, but I always seem to convince myself of this.
However, when I do take my breaks, I always have this sense of renewal when I come back. I have a fresh mindset. Because here’s the thing: I don’t do nothing when I take my breaks. I typically spend my time off doing self care and journaling to work through my obstacles. I spend the time refilling the well.
3. Bounce Ideas Off of a Friend
I spent a very long time writing without ever sharing my words with anyone. There’s not much that is scarier than putting yourself out there like that, your heart spilled onto the page and placed on a platter for someone to devour.
But finding my wonderful critique partner was a game changer for me. Honestly, finding my CP was almost a total accident, but it was the best thing for me and my writing. She and I work so well together. And when I get into a tough place with my writing, she’s always there to bounce ideas off of.
Talking my writing problems over with my CP has saved me from falling into a writing hole and just staying there so many times. Trust me on this, get yourself a good critique partner.
4. Dive Into Some New Media
When I was in high school, I took a creative writing course. Our very first assignment was to write a paper on our favorite books. The purpose of this paper? Our teacher said to be a writer, you also had to be a reader.
I mentioned it earlier: sometimes you need to refill the well. Sometimes you get into a writing slump because there’s not enough to fuel the words. You need inspiration.
Sometimes when this happens, I dig into a new book. Or I start binge watching a new tv show (currently I’m binge watching The Blacklist). Sometimes I search for new music. Just dig into something new. Something that might spark hope in that little writer heart of yours. Because that’s where the words come from.
I won’t lie to you. Writing slumps are hard. And sometimes getting out of them is even harder. But there are ways to make it easier. I hope these tips will help you make it through to your next writing project. I’d love to hear your tips on getting out of writing slumps. Feel free to share them in the comments below.
Until next time
[Originally posted to latesummersthoughts.wordpress.com on Jan 29, 2022]
Leave a Reply