Hey, so, writing a novel is hard (who knew!)
Lately, I’ve struggled with keeping up the pace, so I turned back to some old lessons (that somehow never really sink in?) at the tail end of a hard 3-month run of drafting my current project. The slump hit me, and then I hit a wall at the end of Act 2. It wasn’t a story problem or an inspiration problem (though I’ve been there), because I know exactly what needs to happen next, but I’m struggling to engage with the draft.
When I’m flagging or losing motivation, It’s hard to remember that I’m not alone. We aren’t machines, so we’ve gotta work with the ebbs and flows (preferably more flows, if we can get them) of productivity to get across the finish line.
For me, there are levels to this kind of slump, and I’ve created my own little reset protocol that I run through whenever I’m feeling like this about any project of any sort. Since I’m currently in the midst of it, I thought I might share!
Worth noting, sometimes you actually need to take a longer break than working with short term fixes. Don’t burn yourself out, it takes a really, really long time to recover from that.
Reset
Redoing part of my routine acts like a mini reset, and helps me feel physically refreshed back in the right frame of mind. This is essentially my ‘start the day over’ reset, and sometimes it works for getting back into something that same day.
Take a shower.
Brush teeth.
Make a fresh cup of tea in a different mug.
Step away
Sometimes we just need a break! It’s okay to step away from your writing and think about something else for a while.
Take a walk around the block.
Take a nap and when you get up, put on a different outfit.
Complete a concrete, easy task to give your brain a dopamine boost. Keep it simple (empty the dishwasher, make a phone call, or play with the cat)!
Change perspective
There’s nothing like a new way of looking at things to get you out of a rut.
Physically move to work in a new space.
Write on paper instead of working on your laptop, or narrate the story to yourself and make a voice recording.
Skip to the next scene. Don’t force it if you’re stuck on a certain part! You can always come back to it later. This is what ‘TK’ was made for :)
Find the fun again
I love this song, which I listen to when I forget that I’m supposed to be having fun:
Jennifer Lynne Barnes recommends keeping an ‘id’ list, which is a list of all the settings, scenes, jokes/bits, big dramatic moments that you love to read and see on screen. I’ve been keeping one of these, and when I’m really struggling with a scene I now try to go to that list and see if I can reframe it by setting it in a location that lights up my pleasure centres, or include moments in the book that spark joy for me.
I also made some writing playlists to get me in the right headspace for whatever scene I’m working on.
Check in with yourself
Mindfulness can help you to be fully present and engaged with your work.
Remind yourself why you’re undertaking this project—focusing on ‘why’ can help us to see that the struggle is worth it. Your ‘why’ might also change over time, and that’s okay too.
Manage your feelings of frustration or demotivation with intention. Intentionally decide to ride the wave, but don’t try to ignore your feelings or pretend they’re not there.
Acknowledge where you are, and think about what future success looks like to you (this is called mental contrasting). What small step can you take that gets you closer to your goal?