Breaking the Block: How to Get Your First Book Done

Writer’s block is one of the most frustrating obstacles a writer can experience. No matter how hard you try, the words just don’t flow as freely as they used to, and you might even start doubting your writing abilities. Rest assured, you do still know how to write. Your difficulties could stem from creative fatigue, a lack of inspiration, the fear of failure, or a myriad of other reasons.

Now, you aren’t here to learn the mechanisms behind writer’s block. Your goal is to finish your book by any means possible! That’s why our book writing team came up with 7 useful strategies and tips that’ll help you reach the finish line. Read on to learn how to become a better writer!

   

Timed Writing Sessions

While there are many different causes of writer’s block, the 2 Ps are arguably the most pernicious of all: Procrastination and Perfectionism. Timed writing sessions help with this. They’re basically chunks of time dedicated to writing and only writing. This means no phone calls, emails, or heaven forbid, social media.

Best Practices for Timed Writing

As antithetical as it might sound, it’s best to adopt a quantity-over-quality approach. Seriously, just write continuously until the timer goes off, and then review and edit your work. You’ll be surprised at just how much you can get done when you stop thinking too much about it.

Tools and Apps for Timed Writing

There are a number of tools and apps that can help you with book writing. If you want to try the Pomodoro method, which involves 25-minute stretches of work followed by 5 to 15-minute breaks, try PomoFocus or TomatoTimer.

Physical Movement

There’s a clear correlation between physical movement and creativity, so maybe all you need to break out of writer’s block is a jog! Now, if you’re not exactly the jogging type, there’s a whole host of other movements that can get your creative juices flowing.

Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, famously hangs upside down whenever he’s having trouble writing. This is called “inversion therapy”, and it can work wonders for your focus and creativity. The extra blood flow to the head might’ve been the secret behind Dan’s success, and it could help you rekindle your spark, too.

You don’t have to do anything quite so strenuous either. Something as simple as going for a walk in the park can be a big help. You’ll return to your writing desk with a clear mind, a fresh perspective, and possibly a ton of new ideas!

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual brainstorming technique that some studies suggest can boost productivity by as much as 23%. It’s a great way to organize your thoughts and clarify relationships between characters and plot points.

How to Create a Mind Map

A mind map is essentially a diagram based on a central theme. In your case, this main concept is probably just “Idea for a book” or something else that covers your project in the broadest strokes possible. Once you’ve written that down, add branches connecting the main concept to characters and plot points.

Digital Tools for Mind Mapping

There’s a certain rustic charm that comes with mapping out your ideas with a pen and paper. However, we happen to live in the 21st century, where there’s an app for everything! As far as mind mapping is concerned, Lucidchart and Mind Meister are two excellent tools you could try.

Character Interviews

You probably want your characters to seem like real people, so you should be able to answer questions from their perspective. A quick Q&A session can help you flesh out their backstories and develop their personalities, resulting in enhanced character depth, clearer motivation, and better dialogue.

Creating Effective Character Questions

Start with basic details. How old is your character? Do they have a job? Where were they born? What motivates them? Answer these questions in the character’s own voice. It doesn’t have to be a straight answer, but developing a character-accurate response is essential. Feel free to let the character surprise you!

How to Use Character Interviews in Writing

Once you’ve uncovered new details, integrate them into your writing process. If you end up receiving a surprising response, you might want to use it to drive character and plot development. The trick is to step outside yourself and embody the character.

Linguistic Recombination

Sounds fancy, but don’t let it intimidate you. Linguistic recombination is one of those writing tips that sounds a lot more complicated than it is. Granted, it’s a rather technical way to break through writer’s block, but it essentially just involves combining words and phrases in unexpected ways.

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Techniques for Linguistic Recombination

• Word Association: Come up with a word related to your book’s central theme, then write the next word that comes to mind. Keep the chain going until the words start flowing more freely.
• Cut-Up Technique: Cut your text up into pieces and randomly rearrange it. You can also use an online tool like The Cut Up Machine to avoid wasting paper!

Creative Constraints

As fun as it can be to write without limitations, sometimes it can help to impose some constraints on your creativity. It helps you think outside the box and adopt a problem-solving mindset, resulting in a more innovative writing approach.

Types of Creative Constraints

Find a writing prompt and impose a word limit. For example, you could try writing about a dog returning to its owner in under 500 words. This will force you to convey a lot of emotion and substance as quickly as possible. For a real challenge, consider sticking to specific genres or styles!

Examples of Successful Constraints

Several authors have written brilliant books under seemingly impossible constraints. For example, Dr. Seuss wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” when his editor bet that he couldn’t write a book with just 50 unique words. Dr. Seuss obviously succeeded, but creative constraints aren’t just great for writing children’s books.

“The Mezzanine” is a great book by Nicholson Baker that takes place over the course of a single escalator ride, with the author delving deeply into the protagonist’s thoughts and deconstructing the angst of modern life in the process. Similarly, “Room” by Emma Donnaghue is told from the perspective of a five-year-old who’s spent his life in a single room, which added depth and tension to the novel.

Collaborate With a Ghostwriter

Did you know that some of the best-selling books of all time were actually ghostwritten? Beloved “Goosebumps” author R.L. Stine is just one example. While he was responsible for the bulk of the writing, the only way he could maintain his prodigious output and meet high demand was by enlisting ghostwriters. They wrote under his guidance to maintain his unique style and tone, and in a way, they helped R.L. Stine become the household name he is today!

Similarly, Tom Clancy’s op-center series was written primarily by Jeff Rovin, with Steve Pieczenik helping to flesh out the world and deliver the intricate plots and detailed narratives that fans expected.

Both these examples show that hiring a ghostwriter doesn’t necessarily involve compromising authenticity or quality. On the contrary, leveraging the expertise of professional writers can help bring your vision to life and ensure your story reaches its full potential!

CDP’s Expert Book Writing Services Are at Your Disposal

Did you know that 97% of authors never finish their manuscripts? Breaking writer’s block is easier said than done, but with our team of skilled writers by your side, you’ll be able to hit your publishing deadline without breaking a sweat. That goes for self-published authors too! If you can’t see the end in sight, you’ll join the thousands of authors who give up on their dreams every year.

CDP has 15 years of experience writing fiction and non-fiction books for clients around the world. Whether you need help finishing a book, or if you’ve yet to get your project off the ground, we’re here to help.