Question from: Wilfredo, a Facebook friend, 20th June, 2014

Hello: I’m a big fan, and I’m writing a novel. I was wondering if you can tell me how can I overcome the writers block cause I’m stuck in a chapter and it feels like a dead end ….

Hi Wilfredo

Writer’s block is something that can happen to the best of writers, so first rule is not to panic. But I’m wondering if you have writer’s block or you are a victim of poor planning. Some writers don’t plan much before they start their new book. Some don’t plan at all, and it works for them, but I like to plan from the beginning and plot my chapters, one after another, like scenes of a movie, if you will. You don’t need a lot of information in the Chapter Breakdowns, as I call them. You can have as little as a title, or one sentence that is enough to jolt your memory, but the more you put into the Chapter Breakdown, like what the scene is about, what it is meant to convey, how it pushes the story forward, would be very helpful. I like to include some dialogue if possible. If you do this with every chapter I guarantee you will not end up stuck in the middle of a book that feels like a dead end.

As for writer’s block, I found that  the best cure for this is to go for a walk in fresh air, a rainforest, or on a beach, or just around your backyard, with some of your favourite songs playing in your ear – I mean your iPod. While you walk, visualise your characters and the scene you’re stuck on. See in your mind what they’re doing, and what you envisage they will need to be doing next. It’s a good idea to keep a notebook nearby, maybe even tucked in your jeans pocket!

I hope this helps. And congratulations on taking on the challenge of writing a book. Feel free to let me know when you have completed it. I wish you all the best.

Marianne

If you have a question that you think I might be able to help you with, feel free to drop me a line.