For us word junkies who get high on typing out pages of great sentences, that moment when you sit down in front of your computer and nothing comes out is an absolute nightmare. It’s the equivalent of a dry spell. The worst part is, for nearly every writer I’ve talked to, the reason behind the drought is nearly always the same: a wrong turn in your story.
What do I mean by a wrong turn?
Picture this. You’ve strayed off the main road of your story, and snaked down a trail that comes to a dead end. It is not to say that you should never stray off the beaten path—sometimes, this results in subplots that are just magical for your story—but you have to be aware of it when you do.
My writer’s block can last a few days. The worst it’s been is a week. The reason it even lasts that long is that when I take that wrong turn, I’ll drag it out, I’ll explore, and it takes me colliding into a whopping boulder to spin on my heels and finally return to the main road. In other words, erase all those pages that took me in the wrong direction (btw, don’t erase them; place them in a new file).
It’s heartbreaking at times to remove pages from your novel, but it is essential to shake off your writer’s block. The minute you return to that pivotal moment when your story took a wrong turn, your fingers will soar over your keyboard with renewed confidence and invigorated passion.