I am experiencing a pretty bad case of writers block. Normally I try and write every day, but for the last month I have been totally unable to write a word. My book is almost finished, and I know how I want the ending to go, I just can’t get back into it. I haven’t lost enthusiasm, I just can’t write. I don’t know why and its killing me...

It all started after I received a bit of a revenge review on YWO. It was a pretty spiteful review and it knocked my confidence a little, (not to mention my fragile ego!)

Anyway, I am no shrinking violet, and to be honest I wasn’t that badly affected, but nevertheless I decided to take a week of writing to let myself calm down and get back on track, but then a week became two, and then three, and then...here I am: a month and a day has gone by and I haven’t written a thing...

Has anyone else gone through this....
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I went through Writer's Block when I was at university, it was only for about a month but when you are having to submit things every week and having to force yourself to write things it really doesn't help because you generally produce crap.

Luckily we had a break (I think it was Easter) and I just left the writing, tried not to think about it and focused my mind on something else. What happened then was that while I was away from the writing desk, I got some inspiration, I had some ideas and was finally able to get back to writing.

My advice is to step away (I know you say you haven't written in weeks) either completely from writing or from the piece you were working on before. I gave the advice to a friend and it worked for her. I told her to collect every bit of information she had on a book that she was trying to write and place it in a drawer somewhere, just put it away out of sight and spend a week or so without looking at anything to do with that work (which should be a bit easier at this time of year). Try writing other things, listen to songs or watch TV and see if something gives you an idea, if it does, great - write it down, if not give the work a rest and then go back to the work that you have done, that you placed in the bottom drawer or left unopened on a computer and re-read it (or some of it depending on the size) and chances are things will fall into place, you will see where the story needs to go and it will make it that much easier for you to write it and complete the journey. "Sometimes a little ambition goes a long way"


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Good News - I'm unblocked

I managed a 1000 words before breakfast today. It turns out the problem was in the mechanics...I’ll explain: I wrote the bulk of my book on a PDA that I used to carry around with me all the time. It was great, I could organise text, jot things down, check spellings etc, then just upload it onto my PC and tidy it up.

Problem is my PDA died a few months ago and I have had to resort to writing on my PC, which was fine for a while because I already had 60000 words to noodle about with, and I can sit happily for hours at the computer correcting, re-writing, and generally messing about with text.

However, when it comes to sitting down and creating original raw material, I can’t do it sitting in front of my computer...strange I know! Anyway, I decided to go old school and use a biro and a small notebook and low and behold my juices started flowing again....thank god!

Thanks to everyone who sympathised!
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Hurrah!

Interesting solution. On the same sort of note, I find it hard to be creative at the point of writing - I usually think of all the stuff whilst out walking or day dreaming then brain dump it on the PC.
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