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Writer’s block is considered a psychological condition. It is defined by a period of time where a writer does not make any advancements in his or her writing. It can be a complete stop to all writing or a serious slowdown of writing productivity. The condition was first identified and described by Edmund Bergler in 1947. He was a well-known psychiatrist or psychoanalyst, who was living in New York City at the time he discovered and coined this condition.
Understanding Writer’s Block
According to Dictionary.com, Writer’s Block is defined as “a temporary condition in which a writer finds it impossible to proceed with the writing of a novel, play, or other work.” However, writer’s block can be less severe than the cessation of all writing. Instead, it can be characterized as a slowdown in writing productivity. This can be caused by numerous internal and external factors, including:
Read more: 8 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block and Maintain Your Novel Writing Productivity
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You’ve read all these writing tips before. Maybe you’ve even dismissed them as complete and utter crap. Well, here’s 10 writing tips and explanations of those writing tips that are almost guaranteed to make you crap your pants.
1. In Order to Write Well, You Have to Read Everything
I hear this all the time, and many million-dollar earning mainstream fiction writers and even indie authors have said this. If you don’t read, you can’t write. There’s some truth to this, but the connotation is that you should have a fiction book in your hand and be reading it every moment you are awake. If you’re not reading then you are an epic loser and will never write a good book.
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If you’re a crime, mystery or thriller writer with no legal background, a few good writing books can mean the difference between convincing your audience you know what you're talking about and coming off as amateurish. Not to mention, these books are also good for ideas, especially if you need to murder a character.
Howdunit: How Crimes Are Committed and Solved
This is one of my favorite. I use it regularly when I’m working on the AVIA series. It shows such wonderful things as how an autopsy is performed, information on serieal killers an con artists and how to process a crime scene.
Read more: My 4 Picks for Best Crime Writing Tips and Tricks Books
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As a new or upcoming author, you may be wondering whether you should write a single title book or a series of books featuring the same characters. While this is a personal choice most of the time. Sometimes books automatically turn themselves into multiple books. In this article, we’ll discuss the differences between a single book and a series.
Single Title Books
A single title book is one book with one set of characters. When the book ends, that’s the end of those characters, the plot and all the subplots. This means that the author must write the book in such a way as to leave no loose ends. The major plots and subplots must all reach a conclusion by the last page. Once the book is finished, the author is free to work on their next book idea.
Read more: What Is the Difference Between a Single Title Book and a Series?
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(Note: This article isn't about mental health or avoiding treatment for mental illnesses. If you're sick, schedule an appointment with the appropriate doctor.)
You’re a writer, and you’re insane. I’m sure you’ve heard the clichés about writers and sanity. The truth is that writers just don’t think like everyone else, and that’s okay. Embrace your particular brand of insanity because how you think and how you perceive the world are what makes your writing great and unique to you.
1. Your Insanity Is Your Author Voice
I’m sure you’ve heard writers say that they’re going to be the next Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling or Danielle Steel. It’s great that these writers have confidence in their abilities, but the truth is that you shouldn’t strive to be anyone but yourself. Your author voice is what makes your stories come alive. When you think about your author voice, think about those things that make you YOU. What type of sense of humor do you have? Are you overly emotional or muted when it comes to your emotions? Are you missing emotions or have an emotion that you have trouble controlling? These same traits that make you who you are can make your characters unique in ways that other authors haven’t thought of.
