illfoandillfie

[illfoandillfie]

Things That May Be Causing Your Writer's Block- and How to Beat Them

I don't like the term 'Writer's Block' - not because it isn't real, but because the term is so vague that it's useless. Hundreds of issues all get lumped together under this one umbrella, making writer's block seem like this all-powerful boogeyman that's impossible to beat. Worse yet, it leaves people giving and receiving advice that is completely ineffective because people often don't realize they're talking about entirely different issues.

In my experience, the key to beating writer's block is figuring out what the block even is, so I put together a list of Actual Reasons why you may be struggling to write:

(note that any case of writer's block is usually a mix of two or more)

Perfectionism (most common)

What it looks like:

You write one sentence and spend the next hour googling "synonyms for ___"

Write. Erase. Write. Rewrite. Erase.

Should I even start writing this scene when I haven't figured out this one specific detail yet?

I hate everything I write

Cringing while writing

My first draft must be perfect, or else I'm a terrible writer

Things that can help:

Give yourself permission to suck

Keep in mind that nothing you write is going to be perfect, especially your first draft

Think of writing your first/early drafts not as writing, but sketching out a loose foundation to build upon later

People write multiple drafts for a reason: write now, edit later

Stop googling synonyms and save that for editing

Write with a pen to reduce temptation to erase

Embrace leaving blank spaces in your writing when you can't think of the right word, name, or detail

It's okay if your writing sucks. We all suck at some point. Embrace the growth mindset, and focus on getting words on a page

Lack of inspiration (easiest to fix)

What it looks like:

Head empty, no ideas

What do I even write about???

I don't have a plot, I just have an image

Want to write but no story to write

Things that can help:

Google writing prompts

If writing prompts aren't your thing, instead try thinking about what kind of tropes/genres/story elements you would like to try out

Instead of thinking about the story you would like to write, think about the story you would like to read, and write that

It's okay if you don't have a fully fleshed out story idea. Even if it's just an image or a line of dialogue, it's okay to write that. A story may or may not come out of it, but at least you got the creative juices flowing

Stop writing. Step away from your desk and let yourself naturally get inspired. Go for a walk, read a book, travel, play video games, research history, etc. Don't force ideas, but do open up your mind to them

If you're like me, world-building may come more naturally than plotting. Design the world first and let the story come later

Boredom/Understimulation (lost the flow)

What it looks like:

I know I should be writing but uugggghhhh I just can'tttttt

Writing words feels like pulling teeth

I started writing, but then I got bored/distracted

I enjoy the idea of writing, but the actual process makes me want to throw my laptop out the window

Things that can help:

Introduce stimulation: snacks, beverages, gum, music such as lo-fi, blankets, decorate your writing space, get a clickity-clackity keyboard, etc.

Add variety: write in a new location, try a new idea/different story for a day or so, switch up how you write (pen and paper vs. computer) or try voice recording or speech-to-text

Gamify writing: create an arbitrary challenge, such as trying to see how many words you can write in a set time and try to beat your high score

Find a writing buddy or join a writer's group

Give yourself a reward for every writing milestone, even if it's just writing a paragraph

Ask yourself whether this project you're working on is something you really want to be doing, and be honest with your answer

Intimidation/Procrastination (often related to perfectionism, but not always)

What it looks like:

I was feeling really motivated to write, but then I opened my laptop

I don't even know where to start

I love writing, but I can never seem to get started

I'll write tomorrow. I mean next week. Next month? Next month, I swear (doesn't write next month)

Can't find the time or energy

Unreasonable expectations (I should be able to write 10,000 words a day, right????)

Feeling discouraged and wondering why I'm even trying

Things that can help:

Follow the 2 min rule (or the 1 paragraph rule, which works better for me): whenever you sit down to write, tell yourself that you are only going to write for 2 minutes. If you feel like continuing once the 2 mins are up, go for it! Otherwise, stop. Force yourself to start but DO NOT force yourself to continue unless you feel like it. The more often you do this, the easier it will be to get started

Make getting started as easy as possible (i.e. minimize barriers: if getting up to get a notebook is stopping you from getting started, then write in the notes app of your phone)

Commit to a routine that will work for you. Baby steps are important here. Go with something that feels reasonable: every day, every other day, once a week, twice a week, and use cues to help you remember to start. If you chose a set time to write, just make sure that it's a time that feels natural to you- i.e. don't force yourself to writing at 9am every morning if you're not a morning person

Find a friend or a writing buddy you can trust and talk it out or share a piece of work you're proud of. Sometimes we just get a bit bogged down by criticism- either internal or external- and need a few words of encouragement

The Problem's Not You, It's Your Story (or Outline (or Process))

What it looks like:

I have no problems writing other scenes, it's just this scene

I started writing, but now I have no idea where I'm going

I don't think I'm doing this right

What's an outline?

Drowning in documents

This. Doesn't. Make. Sense. How do I get from this plot point to this one?!?!?! (this ColeyDoesThings quote lives in my head rent free cause BOY have I been there)

Things That Can Help:

Go back to the drawing board. Really try to get at the root of why a scene or story isn't working

A part of growing as a writer is learning when to kill your darlings. Sometimes you're trying to force an idea or scene that just doesn't work and you need to let it go

If you don't have an outline, write one

If you have an outline and it isn't working, rewrite it, or look up different ways to structure it

You may be trying to write as a pantser when you're really a plotter or vice versa. Experiment with different writing processes and see what feels most natural

Study story structures, starting with the three act structure. Even if you don't use them, you should know them

Check out Ellen Brock on YouTube. She's a professional novel editor who has a lot of advice on writing strategies for different types of writers

Also check out Savage Books on YouTube (another professional story editor) for advice on story structure and dialogue. Seriously, I cannot recommend this guy enough

Executive Dysfunction, Usually From ADHD/Autism

What it looks like:

Everything in boredom/understimulation

Everything in intimidation/procrastination

You have been diagnosed with and/or have symptoms of ADHD/Autism

Things that can help:

If you haven't already, seek a diagnosis or professional treatment

Hire an ADHD coach or other specialist that can help you work with your brain (I use Shimmer; feel free to DM me for a referral)

Seek out neurodiverse communities for advice and support

Try body doubling! There's lot's of free online body doubling websites out there for you to try. If social anxiety is a barrier, start out with writing streams such as katecavanaughwrites on Twitch

Be aware of any sensory barriers that may be getting in the way of you writing (such as an uncomfortable desk chair, harsh lighting, bad sounds)

And Lastly, Burnout, Depression, or Other Mental Illness

What it looks like:

You have symptoms of burnout or depression

Struggling with all things, not just writing

It's more than a lack of inspiration- the spark is just dead

Things that can help:

Forget writing for now. Focus on healing first.

Seek professional help

If you feel like it, use writing as a way to explore your feelings. It can take the form of journaling, poetry, an abstract reflection of your thoughts, narrative essays, or exploring what you're feeling through your fictional characters. The last two helped me rediscover my love of writing after I thought years of depression had killed it for good. Just don't force yourself to do so, and stop if it takes you to a darker place instead of feeling cathartic

#writing advice

[illfoandillfie]

Oh i am screaming

#top end wedding #miranda tapsell #gwilym lee

[illfoandillfie]

Reblog for a larger sample size!

No "show results", if you're not a fanfic writer just be patient.

I saw a post about an anon saying it was embarrasing to have an ao3 account in your 30s (it's absolutely not), so I want to do a poll and see what the age range actually is.

#i'll be 31 in under a week

[illfoandillfie]

Happy Birthday Month Brigid!! I hope that it is a lovely one! 🥳🎂🎉

ah! thank you! 🥰 i'm on school holidays for the next couple of weeks so the month is defs off to a good start lmao

#about me #the end of the term was v busy and lowkey burnt be out a bit #so im hoping that a break for things will get me back in a writing mood #also! i'll post some info about a bday celebartion sleepover/hangout thing in like the next couple of days

[illfoandillfie]

[illfoandillfie]

Helloo I was so excited to see your post, I miss you being more active on here, along with a lot of the Queen fandom , but I suppose thats life isnt it! 😌 So glad to hear you are doing well ❤️ and honeslty I am scared to admit how excited I am at the prospect of a new chapter of Adkoe!! 🙈😍

i wish i was more active like i used to be but i just don't get as much queen content showing up for me to reblog lmao plus my work blocked tumblr for a while which was so rude of them (im a little surprised ive been able to get on this morning lmao)

I'm excited to have this chapter done and for everyone to see it! It's defs one of the shorter ones but hopefully you all still like it! I just need to actually finish the damn thing skdhsksfksd I have some very enthusiastic student library monitors who are at my desk before school, during both breaks, and sometimes after school as well, so they're giving me very little time to write my porn 😅

#about me

[illfoandillfie]

haven't had a chance to write much over the last couple of weeks (partly because its been a p busy part of the term partly cause ive been in a bit of a writing slump but those things are probably related anyway lmao) but my boss is officially on leave and theres only 1 week left of work so im hoping i'll be able to get back into writing more frequently and fiiinaly get the next chapter of ADKoE done (its honestly so close, its just the end of the smut and then a bit of talking afterwards that needs to happen)

also! it's my bday in early april and i'm p sure i'll still be on holidays for it so maybe i'll do a bit of a sleepover thing for it?

#about me

[illfoandillfie]

QUEEN II IS 50 TODAY

Queen's masterpiece Queen II was released fifty years ago today: 8th March 1974!

#ah! #what an incredible album #Queen

[illfoandillfie]

Hey Brigid how are you, I hope life is treating you well! 😊🌞

Hi darl!

Things have been p good lately. Work has been a bit crazy and theres been some weird vibes because one coworker is being obnoxious about some stuff and my boss is stressed out. But then on the other hand I've apparently become friends with the cute english teacher so we spend a lot of mornings talking about books and movies and stuff which is very nice.

I've been seeing a lot of movies lately, watching a lot of Dimension 20, talking to Lauren almost constantly lmao. I've kinda been getting back into tarot reading so I'm lowkey thinking of doing some sort of sleepover thing for my bday in april. oh! And I just ordered the new Queen pop vinyls based on the IWTBF music video.

But yeah, mostly p chill start to the year lmao. How have you been?

#about me

[illfoandillfie]

Contents of letter:

🎀🫰🏽🫶🏽🤟🏽💋❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎❤️‍🔥❣️💕💞💓💗💖💘💝💟♥️♥️💟💝💘💖💗💓💞💕❣️❤️‍🔥🤎🤍🖤💜💙💚💛🧡❤️💋🤟🏽🫶🏽🫰🏽🎀 😗😙😚😘🥰🥰🥰 Happy Valentine’s Day, I love youuuu 💘🥳💘🥳💘

Thats so funny because my letter was v similar:

💙💞💜💛💗🧡😻🤎���💝💚💖💕💓❤️❣️♥️🩷🩵🩶🤍🫶🎀🤙👐👄🫂🎀💙💞💜💛💗🧡😻🤎💟💝💚💖💕💓❤️❣️♥️🩷🩵🩶🤍🫶🎀🤙👐👄🫂🎀 Happy 😗😙😚😘 Valentines 😘😘🥰🥰 Day! 🥳🎊🎉 i love you too 💚💚💚

#about me

[illfoandillfie]

👩🏽💭👱🏻😍🤔💡📝📩💌➡️📬📫🚐🛩️✈️🛩️🇦🇺📨📤💌🦘➡️📬📫

👱🏻📫📬🫴📭💌📃👀🥰🥰🥰💭👩🏽✍️📝📩💌➡️📬📫🚐🛫🛩🛬🇺🇲📨📤🦅➡️📬📫

#🥰🥰🥰 #about me

[illfoandillfie]

Okay, I've unpinned the advent blurbs but you can still find them linked in my masterlist with all my other blurb event collections.

Also figure it's been a little while so I should probs update you a bit on whats going on.

I am back at work now which is good but also a bit hectic and very tiring lmao. But it has motivated me to write more so I'm currently about 3.4k into the next ADKoE chapter. I'm like almost at the smut section so I'm intending on getting it posted this month, ideally in the next couple of weeks.

Also, requests are going to be open permanently (I'm about to add it to my bio). My intention will be to answer things in between longer fics like chapters of ADKoE or anything else. Keep in mind I don't write virgin stuff but I'm happy to have a crack at pretty much anything else I think. And then if I don't get to them immediately they'll be options for during any sleepover/blurb events I decide to do during the year.

#about me

[illfoandillfie]

nothing pisses me off more than when i see a fic on ao3 talking about reach. "this ship isn't here but i added them for reach" "this fandom tag isn't necessary but i'm adding it for reach" "reposting for reach" STOP IT!!!! this is not tiktok this is not twitter this is an ARCHIVE this is not how it works!!!

#drives me up the wall here #i report shit if i see it in a tag its not related to lmao #ao3

[illfoandillfie]

Hey i was just wondering if you managed to catch Queen Rock Montreal in Imax where you are? I saw it last night and oh my god my Roger obsession is back in full force, after seeing/hearing him up on the full screen in all his glory oh god I had a hard time keeping composure 🙈👀🥵😍

I diiiiidn't but now i kinda wish i had lmao

Honestly, id seen the posters saying it was coming soon but had no idea what date and apparently it was the weekend before i went back to work, so even if i had known idk i would have managed to fit it in

#about me

[illfoandillfie]

Please reblog if you can, I'd like to get as many different results as possible!

[illfoandillfie]

Ooh my god i have just finished the blurb of Rogers perspective of adkoe and it is just.. *chefs kiss* pure perfection!! 😚👌

I think you picked the best scenes/timeline to get his perspective on also i remember reading the part where she was honest in the momemt telling him she thinks about him I was just like Gahh what is going throuvh Rog's head right now!!

Honestly this series has me gagged I cannot wait for the next chapter thank you so much for writing 😍😘

ahhhh i'm so glad you liked it!

I think the idea to have a rog perspective shift around that point in the timeline came from the original request an anon sent me so i cannot take credit for that decision, but i defs agree it was a great place in the timeline to set it. massive shout out to whoever that anon was tho

i've started working on the next part, tho i haven't looked at it much since before christmas (i've kicked my year off by trying to decipher cain's jawbone and it's taken over my lift tbh) but i'm defs looking forward to getting back into it properly soon!

#a different kind of education

[illfoandillfie]

I've seen a lot of fics disappear from my bookmarks, some 10+ years old, because they were added to an unrevealed collection. It makes me wonder if people realize what your fic being added to a collection actually means and if the authors approved it automatically without realizing what would happen.

If someone adds your fic to their collection, they can hide it! They can mark the collection as unrevealed and your fic will be unreadable to anyone other than them! If you're writing works for a surprise event, like a Secret Santa, this is really nice.

But if you're just writing and someone adds your fic to a collection for their own personal use and marks it as unrevealed, that. . . really sucks.

I bookmarked this fic in 2017, almost 5 years ago. Knowing me, the fic itself was probably at least a couple years old at the time I bookmarked it.

This is a 5+ year old fic that is completely inaccessible now because it was added to a collection that, as far as I can tell, is literally just for the collection owner's own reference. There's almost 30 fics in the collection, all of them unrevealed.

Please don't blindly accept collection requests and if your works ARE in a collection, make sure that they aren't being hidden without your knowledge or consent.

#for anyone who posts on ao3