The insane ramblings of Lauren Hammond, a YA book author and literary agent.
Writer's Block and How to Conquer It.
I know it's been a while, but I've been insanely busy lately, so I've little time for blogging.
I'm excited for today's post because it's about writer's block and how to overcome it.
How many of you experience writer's block?
I'm sure quite a few of you have.
Personally, I don't get it too often, but when I do these are some of the things I do to overcome it and hopefully some of these things will help you too.
1. BACK AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD & TAKE A BREATHER. - I get it, you're super excited to finish your last WIP. You've worked so hard on it, put passion into it, and suddenly it feels like you've hit a snag in the road. You can't think. Your mind is drawing a blank.
DO NOT I repeat DO NOT just type anything just finish it. If you have to take a break, for a day, a week, a month even if you have to. Nothing good is going to come from a manuscript that's rushed.
2. START A NEW WIP. - Sometimes it helps me when I start a new WIP and come back to the old one. Then again that probably explains why I have like 50 manuscripts saved on my desktop, but I find that when I'm thinking about a new WIP, it completely clears out the blockage I had with the old one and I can go back to it with a clear conscience and a fresh perspective on where I want to take it.
3. DO SOMETHING FUN - If you're like me, there are a lot of times where I'm so absorbed in writing or working on stuff for my clients that I forget how to relax, let go, and have fun sometimes. YOU need this... TRUST ME.
And a lot of times, a ton of great ideas come to me when I'm out with my friends, taking a weekend trip, or even spending time with my family.
4. GET A BETA READER OR TWO - Beta readers are awesome. Why? Because when they approach your manuscript with feedback they have a completely different outlook on it. They will offer you advice and suggestions that might put that blockage to rest. Well, at least for a little while.
Hope some of these comments help.
Have a great weekend!
Cheers!
<3
4 comments:
-
These are great! I love the take a breather. A lot of times I'll just stare at that blinking cursor and be like... okay...
Like you said, it takes some stepping back sometimes. :)
-
Well, I was just taking a breather from my writing and reading blog post. :D That's how I do it. Take a break. When I go for a walk it helps me to regroup. Ideas start hitting me and I walk faster to get home and start writing again. Great post! :D
-
#2 I'm so glad I'm not the only one who does that! I find sometimes I have a block because I need to write at least one paragraph on the new thought before it drives me insane. Then I can get on with the project I'm supposed to be working on.
Check out this awesome project!
Spectral Countdown!
~Touch of Death~
Total Pageviews
Categories
- 11/11 (1)
- 12 Rounds (4)
- A Whisper To A Scream (4)
- action (2)
- adventure (2)
- advice (2)
- agenting (2)
- amazon (1)
- ARC copies (1)
- Asphodel (3)
- authors (1)
- awesome covers (1)
- Balzer and Bray (1)
- Beautiful Creatures (1)
- beautiful nightmares (6)
- beauty (4)
- best sellers (2)
- beta readers (2)
- blog-tour (2)
- bloggers (2)
- blogs (1)
- book covers (4)
- book deals (2)
- book playlist (1)
- Book review (6)
- book reviews (2)
- Book trailer (3)
- books (44)
- boundaries (1)
- boxing (1)
- branding (1)
- Brodi Ashton (1)
- bullying (2)
- chapter 1 (3)
- chapters (1)
- characters (1)
- charity event (1)
- Charlaine Harris (1)
- contemporary (2)
- contemporary romance (7)
- contest (1)
- cover reveal (1)
- creativity (2)
- creepy (2)
- criticism (2)
- critiques (4)
- Cupid (1)
- Cupid and Psyche myth (1)
- dark (1)
- dark books (8)
- debut novelists (3)
- Dec 2011 (1)
- december (1)
- delacourte books for young readers (1)
- Delirium (1)
- destined (2)
- dystopian (13)
- ebooks (21)
- editing (2)
- emotions (2)
- errors (1)
- fame (1)
- Famished (2)
- fantasy (1)
- fashion (4)
- feedback (1)
- fiction (2)
- fun posts (1)
- future releases (2)
- giveaway (7)
- Goddess's (1)
- grammar (1)
- Greece (1)
- Greek Gods (3)
- guest posts (2)
- Hades (1)
- Hades and Persephone (2)
- Halloween (2)
- happiness (1)
- harpercollins (1)
- HarperTeen (1)
- He Loves Me...He Loves You Not (4)
- Historical Romance (4)
- horror (4)
- ideas (1)
- If I Can't Have You (2)
- image (1)
- indie authors (2)
- Insanity (3)
- Insanity sequel (3)
- Insatiable (1)
- inspiration (2)
- Jessie Harrell (2)
- Juliet Immortal (1)
- Juvenile Fiction (4)
- Kelly Hashway (1)
- kindle (1)
- L.J Smith (1)
- Lauren Hammond (4)
- Lauren Oliver (1)
- literary agents (6)
- lo (1)
- love (5)
- love story (10)
- Love Sucks (2)
- love triangle (6)
- magazines (1)
- manuscripts (2)
- Meg Cabot (1)
- Midnight (1)
- modeling (4)
- My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century (2)
- mystery (1)
- Mythology (3)
- mythology. hades and persephone (1)
- myths and legends (5)
- new adult (8)
- New Adult Genre (5)
- new cover (1)
- new novels (8)
- new releases (29)
- news (3)
- novelette (1)
- novella (2)
- novels (1)
- paranormal (1)
- paranormal romance (5)
- Penguin imprints (1)
- personal growth (1)
- polls (1)
- positivity (2)
- Pride (5)
- Psyche Destined (1)
- queries (3)
- querying (2)
- Rachel Harris (3)
- re-tellings (4)
- reading (45)
- revising (1)
- revisions (4)
- Romance (29)
- romantic suspense (8)
- Romeo and Juliet (1)
- runway (1)
- sample chapters (1)
- self belief (1)
- self-discovery (2)
- self-esteem (1)
- series (1)
- Shakespeare (1)
- Shannon Duffy (1)
- Shatter Me (2)
- Southern Gothic (1)
- Speak (1)
- Spectral (1)
- steamy YA (6)
- supermodels (1)
- suspense (6)
- Suzanne Collins (1)
- Tahereh Mafi (2)
- teaser (2)
- teasers (1)
- teen-fiction (4)
- teens (9)
- tenses (1)
- the asylum trilogy (7)
- The Caster Chronicles (1)
- The Everneath (1)
- The Goddess Test (1)
- The Hunger Games (1)
- The Truth About Delilah (1)
- The Wasted Series (1)
- Thriller (4)
- trilogy (1)
- Trisha Wolfe (2)
- True Blood (1)
- underworld (1)
- Unveiled (1)
- upcoming releases (1)
- Vampire Diaries (1)
- vampires (2)
- vanity (1)
- voice (1)
- white walls (2)
- williammorrow (1)
- WIP (3)
- works in progress (2)
- writer's block (1)
- writers (2)
- writing (33)
- writing tips (5)
- wrting (1)
- YA (25)
- YA contemporary (7)
- YA Fantasy (1)
- YA Paranormal (2)
- You Found Me (1)
- Young Adult (24)
- Young Adult Fiction (3)
- Young Adult Romance (9)
Popular Posts
-
So today, I thought I'd take a little moment to share something with all of you. I've been holding this is for a while... but I can...
-
So readers... This is a totally late post for me... I try to do my posts early in the morning, but I've decided to do something diff...
-
Chapter 1: Aftermath In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 Vivid flashbacks of th...
-
Good Morning, Readers! It's been a while. I've been away from the blogger world due to some family things, but I'm excited t...
-
Good morning, readers! Ahhh it's another Monday. I hope everyone had a great weekend and is ready to start the week off right. Today...
-
The book of the week this week is Origins:(The Vampire Diaries, Stefan's Diaries Book # 1) by:L.J Smith, Kevin Williamson, and Julie Ple...
-
Every now and then, there is something I read that literally makes my blood boil. I'm the type of person that tries to enforce positiv...
-
I have been reading a lot of YA books lately. It seems like the ones that have been recommended to me have been so amazing and I've devo...
-
So.... Today's blog post is about used bookstores... Let's hear it people. Yay or Nay? Monday, I went out in search of a novel that ...
-
Happy Wednesday Readers! TodayI'm super excited to share with you the first chapter in my YA dystopian, Famished. It releases Tuesday, ...
Blogroll
Followers
Subscribe via email
My Books! Check Them Out!!!
Site Meter
YALITCHAT.ORG
Check out this amazing book!
About this blog
I love a good book more than anything else.
I'm overly enthusiastic.
I prefer to think about the positive things in life instead of the negative.
I'm extremely loyal.
I dislike liars. (strongly) Honesty is always the best policy.
I love old movies.
Labels
- 11/11 (1)
- 12 Rounds (4)
- A Whisper To A Scream (4)
- action (2)
- adventure (2)
- advice (2)
- agenting (2)
- amazon (1)
- ARC copies (1)
- Asphodel (3)
- authors (1)
- awesome covers (1)
- Balzer and Bray (1)
- Beautiful Creatures (1)
- beautiful nightmares (6)
- beauty (4)
- best sellers (2)
- beta readers (2)
- blog-tour (2)
- bloggers (2)
- blogs (1)
- book covers (4)
- book deals (2)
- book playlist (1)
- Book review (6)
- book reviews (2)
- Book trailer (3)
- books (44)
- boundaries (1)
- boxing (1)
- branding (1)
- Brodi Ashton (1)
- bullying (2)
- chapter 1 (3)
- chapters (1)
- characters (1)
- charity event (1)
- Charlaine Harris (1)
- contemporary (2)
- contemporary romance (7)
- contest (1)
- cover reveal (1)
- creativity (2)
- creepy (2)
- criticism (2)
- critiques (4)
- Cupid (1)
- Cupid and Psyche myth (1)
- dark (1)
- dark books (8)
- debut novelists (3)
- Dec 2011 (1)
- december (1)
- delacourte books for young readers (1)
- Delirium (1)
- destined (2)
- dystopian (13)
- ebooks (21)
- editing (2)
- emotions (2)
- errors (1)
- fame (1)
- Famished (2)
- fantasy (1)
- fashion (4)
- feedback (1)
- fiction (2)
- fun posts (1)
- future releases (2)
- giveaway (7)
- Goddess's (1)
- grammar (1)
- Greece (1)
- Greek Gods (3)
- guest posts (2)
- Hades (1)
- Hades and Persephone (2)
- Halloween (2)
- happiness (1)
- harpercollins (1)
- HarperTeen (1)
- He Loves Me...He Loves You Not (4)
- Historical Romance (4)
- horror (4)
- ideas (1)
- If I Can't Have You (2)
- image (1)
- indie authors (2)
- Insanity (3)
- Insanity sequel (3)
- Insatiable (1)
- inspiration (2)
- Jessie Harrell (2)
- Juliet Immortal (1)
- Juvenile Fiction (4)
- Kelly Hashway (1)
- kindle (1)
- L.J Smith (1)
- Lauren Hammond (4)
- Lauren Oliver (1)
- literary agents (6)
- lo (1)
- love (5)
- love story (10)
- Love Sucks (2)
- love triangle (6)
- magazines (1)
- manuscripts (2)
- Meg Cabot (1)
- Midnight (1)
- modeling (4)
- My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century (2)
- mystery (1)
- Mythology (3)
- mythology. hades and persephone (1)
- myths and legends (5)
- new adult (8)
- New Adult Genre (5)
- new cover (1)
- new novels (8)
- new releases (29)
- news (3)
- novelette (1)
- novella (2)
- novels (1)
- paranormal (1)
- paranormal romance (5)
- Penguin imprints (1)
- personal growth (1)
- polls (1)
- positivity (2)
- Pride (5)
- Psyche Destined (1)
- queries (3)
- querying (2)
- Rachel Harris (3)
- re-tellings (4)
- reading (45)
- revising (1)
- revisions (4)
- Romance (29)
- romantic suspense (8)
- Romeo and Juliet (1)
- runway (1)
- sample chapters (1)
- self belief (1)
- self-discovery (2)
- self-esteem (1)
- series (1)
- Shakespeare (1)
- Shannon Duffy (1)
- Shatter Me (2)
- Southern Gothic (1)
- Speak (1)
- Spectral (1)
- steamy YA (6)
- supermodels (1)
- suspense (6)
- Suzanne Collins (1)
- Tahereh Mafi (2)
- teaser (2)
- teasers (1)
- teen-fiction (4)
- teens (9)
- tenses (1)
- the asylum trilogy (7)
- The Caster Chronicles (1)
- The Everneath (1)
- The Goddess Test (1)
- The Hunger Games (1)
- The Truth About Delilah (1)
- The Wasted Series (1)
- Thriller (4)
- trilogy (1)
- Trisha Wolfe (2)
- True Blood (1)
- underworld (1)
- Unveiled (1)
- upcoming releases (1)
- Vampire Diaries (1)
- vampires (2)
- vanity (1)
- voice (1)
- white walls (2)
- williammorrow (1)
- WIP (3)
- works in progress (2)
- writer's block (1)
- writers (2)
- writing (33)
- writing tips (5)
- wrting (1)
- YA (25)
- YA contemporary (7)
- YA Fantasy (1)
- YA Paranormal (2)
- You Found Me (1)
- Young Adult (24)
- Young Adult Fiction (3)
- Young Adult Romance (9)
Ah, you have my countdown up! Yay! Thank you. :D
I don't get writer's block much either, but when I feel like something isn't working out right, I stop and read a good book or go for a run. Both clear my head and get me into a creative mood again.