Know when to stop - another way to foil your writer's block worries

We’re not machines. Some of us can write for hours and hours, others write in short spurts. But we all need a break eventually. Those breaks can be treacherous - or hugely beneficial!

I’ve written about writer’s block before and so won’t repeat myself (much). Basically I think it’s a phantom problem, only real if you believe in it. I’m with Charles Bukowsky in believing that we can always write - and that’s the key, to keep writing. in his words:

“Writing about a writer’s block is better than not writing at all.”

However, as we all know, a great deal of the writing doesn’t happen on the page, it happens while we’re busing living life, it’s percolating, always happening, somewhere deep at the back of our minds. Non-creatives will look at it as just hanging around - but we know better, don’t we!

Now then, have you ever powered through to the end of a scene or sequence, thrilled, happy with it - and then decided that you’ve earned yourself a break? That is actually the worst moment to take a break. Why? Because you’ll likely be struggling to get back into that zone again afterwards. Want an excellent way around this challenge? Here goes:

Whenever things are going well, whenever you feel the need for a break coming on - stop in the middle of a scene, in the middle of conversation, in the middle of a shoot-out. It makes continuing after the break very easy.

This isn’t quite as easy as it sounds. When you’re in the middle of a great scene, everything flows, the dialogue sizzles, the action is brilliant and your every writerly fiber screams “Go, go, go!” to reach the end of that scene, that next mini-climax. You think “I’m on a roll, I’m in the zone!” You think you can’t stop now because you’re worried that you won’t get back into that flow.

But give it a try next time you’re in the middle. When you’re there, in the midst of that great scene, realize that the perfect moment to place a break has come.

Then hang with the family, walk the dog, go shopping, catch a movie, enjoy a long weekend, whatever. And I guarantee you that you’ll effortlessly get back into the flow. You’ll be aching to continue, you’ll know exactly where you are, how to continue, you can’t wait to finally finish that great scene. You’ll be sitting down after your break - and you’ll be smack back in the middle of the scene and it’ll scream “Go!” and you’ll be perfectly charged to oblige.

PS: I haven’t really thought about my 12 screenwriting principles in a long while. But when I look at them now, they make as much sense as they always have.

The first one is about daily writing - and while for Mr. Bukowski it was to maintained his sanity, for most beginning writers it is simply about growing the muscle … and then, right after this principle follows the one about the importance of procrastination - two sides of the same coin, they really, ideally, do fuel each other.

Anyways - that’s it for today - enjoy the weekend!

Cheers

D