Breaking The Block: Writing Hacks and Tips

Writing can be really hard.

I used to try and write stories on Wattpad - an online writing community- but I always lacked the motivation to finish. I always had great idea's in the start, but I never envisioned the end. I then moved on to writing my own poetry, and eventually that fizzled out too. I now edit other people's works and write blogs, but I've always had one burning question about writing.


What's the secret?

How do you finish a book? Or keep the motivation to keep on writing?

The answer is so simple. The reason you're not finishing any books is because you're not writing them. You're not physically sitting down and trying to write the next part of your book.

This makes sense to me. I personally always try and think of how I want to write something before I write it, and that prevents me actually writing anything down. By not sitting down and trying to write something, we're all blocking the natural flow of words.

I have found some tips to help all you budding writers out there;

- Plan the end. Usually, we can't finish anything because we don't know the ending. You should have most of your storyline planned, especially the ending. Now that doesn't mean that you have to stick with that ending. You could think of a far better one along the way, but that's what first drafts are for. Many books actually change throughout the writing process, but if you have a clear end, you never know where that planned path may deviate into something more.

- Allocate some time to writing. Life is busy and unexpected but you need to try and allocate an hour or two to getting something written down. Some people give themselves a goal of writing 700 words, some people use time as a goal instead. But the important thing is that you're actually putting time aside to work on your writing.

- Do everything you need to do first. Usually when people sit down to write, they start thinking of all the other stuff they have to do first like cleaning the dishes or finalising plans. Get all this stuff out of the way and done before you sit down to write, otherwise these minimal chores are going to make a very thick wall between you and your writing.

- Remember to take a break. When you stare at a screen writing for long periods, it really hurts your eyes. I suffer from migraines so I am especially sensitive to this. Every 20 minutes or so, I tend to look away from the screen and quickly go do something else like make a cup of tea or eat some food. It gives your eyes a break and your helping your body fuel itself.

- Write down good idea's. When you're on the go, you'd be surprised by how many good idea's you actually get, but then forget about when you're at home. Write them down somewhere, whether that be on your phone or in a notepad or even on your hand. Write it all down.

- Enjoy it. If you don't enjoy what you're writing, you're never going to finish it. Make sure that what you're writing, you're actually enjoying writing about it, and that it's worth the time and effort.

- Writers block. I can't actually tell anyone how to fix writer block but this article has some pretty good points. The part two is also fascinating and hits a lot of writers truths your way. The article is The Best Method I've Ever Used To Break Writers Block.

- Don't worry about getting everything perfect the first time, No one has ever written the first draft of their book and decided it's prefect. No one. Allow yourself to make mistakes and don't worry about editing as you go along. Forget it in fact. Focus on the content before you focus on making it perfect. In fact it's also strongly suggested that you get someone else to edit for you, and that you just focus on the writing.

- Get feedback. But at the same time, take everything everyone says with a pinch of salt. As a writer, you're never going to please everyone. Accept criticism but don't let it shape your writing.

- If you can't write something then don't. If you're stuck on a certain section and you just can't write it in any way then don't. Skip it and go back to it later. There's no point in trying to push something out if it's not coming.

One tip I saw quite a lot online is a very conflicting one. There were many arguments about if you should actually read or not during a writing process. I personally would never tell someone to stop reading. I think that reading through a writing process is extremely important but I also understand that it can serve as a distraction if you're not writing as much as you should be. So I would say be careful. Read in moderation but don't let it overtake your writing time. It's all about balance.

I myself, am really going to try and use these tips for my future writing, especially with these blogs.

If you have any tips hacks or stories, then please feel free to share them in the comments.

Happy writing!


Do you suffer with writers block? What are your tips? Comment them down below and don't forgetto share with your friends!