Musings on Writer’s Block

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I wrote this post weeks ago, serenely confident in my wisdom. It just went live, but the post has been written for almost a month. And it’s good advice! Nothing has changed… what I wrote then is still true.

But now, as I’m struggling with Book3 in the Erdemen Honor series, I’m reminded of how very frustrating writer’s block is.

I’ve asked a few online writer buddies to help me with brainstorming. Once I know where my characters are going, I can write it. Sometimes I don’t need that… sometimes we’re all heading off toward crazy adventure together. I may not know where we’re going, but I know we’re going, and I can see a few feet down the roller coaster tracks. I don’t have the whole track in view, but I have a general idea of the direction.

This time I need the track in view. And apparently my own little headlights aren’t lighting it up enough… I need more writer brainpower to shine some light down the tracks.

So thank you, writer friends.

And thank you, if you’ve ever been a brainstorming buddy for a writer. Writing can be hard. It can feel lonely. It can feel like pulling teeth. It’s creating something beautiful out of nothing. It doesn’t have to be difficult, but sometimes it feels that way. If you’ve encouraged a writer, helped a writer with ideas, patted a writer on the back, been a beta reader… thank you.

If you’ve ever read a book, thank you! You are the reason we write.