Today’s post is written by Jessica Hill. Thanks, Jessica!
Writing is similar to being on a never-ending roller coaster. We soar up to the highest highs and enjoy the view for a moment before plunging back down to the lows with our stomachs in our throats. There, we hang around while looking ahead for a way to the top of the next hill.
Every writer experiences slumps in their writing, lows typically caused by some form of negativity—negativity that comes from ourselves in the form of doubt or fear, or negativity that comes from others and their seeming lack of faith in us and/or our writing.
The latter, in turn, can cause us to question ourselves, leading to even more negativity. Slumps are inevitable. What we do when we experience these slumps, and have to pull ourselves out of them, is what’s important.
Here are three things you can do:
1. Have multiple projects to work on.
Have multiple projects to work on at any given time. If you’re writing a novel, have a couple of side projects, whether it’s short stories, poetry, or article writing. When you find yourself stuck on one thing, you’ll have something else to walk away to. The best part is, you’re still working.
If you don’t have other things to work on, you’ll probably end up doing something like surfing the Internet or snacking in front of the TV, which is counter-productive. Being able to feel like you’re still accomplishing something will help keep yourself from sinking even deeper into the slump.
2. Get away.
If you find the slump effects more than one project, physically get away from your work. Take a day or two off, go away somewhere for a long weekend. If you can’t do that, at least take an hour or an evening. Walk away and forget about it for as much time as needed or is possible. You’ll come back to your writing refreshed and ready to move forward.
If you’ve talked with someone about your writing who expressed a lack of faith in the project (or in you), get away from him or her. Take time away and when you interact with that person again, tell them how they’ve made you feel and ask them to clarify why they a have a lack of confidence.
Or, simply don’t talk about your writing with them. If they don’t have faith in you or your writing, you don’t need them in your support system.
3. Talk it out.
If you’ve weeded out the naysayers, your support system will consist of people you trust, are close with, and who are enthusiastic about your work. They should be people that you can turn to when you’re in a slump and will do what they can to help you out of it. They’ll talk out plot points and bounce ideas around with you.
Like so many things with writing, a support system is a balancing act. While you need people in your support system who will cheer you on, they also need to be open and honest with you. We’ve all had bad ideas, and often, we can’t see ourselves that they’re bad. We need people there who aren’t afraid to point them out to us.
Writing is About You
In the end, writing is a solitary act and depends on your belief and confidence in yourself. A support system is helpful, but we need to be careful of whom we let into that system.
In addition, while a support system can help pull you out of a slump, you first have to let them help you. At the end of the day, it’s really up to you on how long you hang out in the low spots.
What do you do when you find yourself in a slump? What ways have you found help in digging yourself out of it?
Jessica Hill is a writer of young adult fiction. She lives in rural Ohio and works at her local community college. You can read about Jessica’s writing journey at her blog or join her on Twitter.
Great points, Jessica! I do all three of these and have found them immeasurably helpful!
Thanks, Jodi! I’m glad others find things like these helpful as well. It’s amazing how much of a difference it can make!
Great post, Jessica. I do both the first and second points. Sometimes I have a really hard time doing the third though. Most of the people who are writers or fellow minded people I know via Twitter and blogs. And sometimes I just crave that one on one, in person talk, you know? But I am thankful for those who I do have.
Again, great post. 🙂
Thanks, Ashley! I agree, the third one can be difficult. Like you, most of the people I talk to about writing, I connect with through online media. It can certainly make it difficult to talk things out, though it’s still nice to know you’re not going it alone!
You are so right – I know exactly who I would or wouldn’t talk to about my writing! It’s so important to have someone who always says the right thing at the right time but is also constructive with their comments.
Great post
Sandra
Thanks, Sandra! That’s exactly how I feel; it’s definitely a balancing act.
Good post! I find it also helpful to read or do something creative that takes a different part of your brain to work. Get away from the story and work on some photography, or take a hike and observe nature, draw a picture, cook a meal. Something like that. 🙂
Thanks, Amber! You make a great point. One of the things I enjoy doing to get away is work on my photography. It’s wonderful having another creative outlet to turn to.
a perfect way is to refocus using a different part of your brain – do a “word search” puzzle … while somewhat mindless … it gives your creative spark a chance to re-ignite by resting for a few moments …
That’s a good point, and I absolutely agree. Sometimes it’s while doing something a little mindless that I get my ideas rolling again. Thanks, Lillian!
Great post, Jessica! The holidays have put me in a bit of a writing slump, but I especially like your first idea about having multiple projects going. Feeling unproductive gets me into a rut that makes it harder to move forward– but if there are multiple options for writing, it’s easier to avoid this kind of sluggishness. Having a few favorite writing blogs to check can actually make even internet surfing more productive too. Thanks!
Thanks, Sarah! I agree, feeling unproductive tends to lead to getting deeper in the slump, making it even harder to get out. That’s a great point about reading writing blogs. That certainly does make internet surfing more productive!
Excellent, helful steps here, Sarah! I just found out how much “getting away from it” for a couple of days has helped refresh my Muse! And I learned a long time ago, when labeled a “bookworm” in elementary school, that I needed to stay away from naysayers as much as possible. Writing in different styles for different purposes is very energizing, as well. Great article. Have a most writerly 2012!
It is all about finding things that work for you, and ways that refresh your muse. Thanks, Rose!
I do mostly cartoons but experience the same thing but I am pressured to come up with ideas several times a week so my productions must be quick and are not lengthy projects like story writing and such. Sometimes there is nothing for days but between last night and this morning I created and finished drew 4 ideas. So it comes in flashes. Sometimes I focus on a theme and can create something but most of the time the ideas just pop into my head without any conscious exertion or input from myself. It is like some outside entity feeding me and am often entertained myself at the results.
That would be quite different than writing stories and lengthier projects. But I know what you mean about ideas coming in flashes, and just showing up out of the blue. Sometimes it does feel like ideas are being fed to us. Thanks, Carl!