For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers
Writer's Block... How to beat mental lock down!
Nine months ago you came up with a great idea for a romantic comedy that you pitched to a publisher who was willing to print it. Like any labor of love, you started this project off with a mountain load of enthusiasm, formulating a clever storyline filled with colorful characters and witty dialogue. Three hundred and fifty pages of manuscript later, you find yourself sitting in front of your computer screen with the deer in the headlight expression on your face. You've reached your climax, but have absolutely no idea how to bring your story down to its inevitable end. Congratulations... you just contracted another case of writers block! The preverbial well of imagination has run dry and you don't have a clue as to how bring yourself out of this dry spell.
If you are reading this and have found yourself in a similar predicament... just know that you are not alone. Other more experienced writers have been there, done that and got the T-shirt to prove it. Listed below are some proven techniques that may be of value to you in your time of need.
1. Draft a Story Outline: Retracing your steps mentally does wonders in terms of helping you to get back on the right track. Put all of your ideas on paper... try to envision the story from the beginning, middle and end then reverse engineer it if you can.
2. Talk about it: Learn how to summarize the entire storyline in 2-3 minutes. This technique is what I refer to as your elevator pitch. Why is this an important technique to master? Simply because if you have already written the book (mentally) it will be that much easier to put it on paper.
3. Take a Break: The mind is a complex computer and no matter how long you stare at a screen while in writer's block mode, your inspiration to write that perfect manuscript just won't happen. Like all computers, every so often you need to power down and defrag your hard drives. Before you add sleep deprivation to the list of your literary woes, try doing this instead: take a walk, watch TV, read a book, go bowling or whatever you do to unwind. Time away from the screen will pay off in the end.
Tip for the Day: Preparing for the next Book Fair:
Imagine going to the Frankfurt Book Fair and being stuck in an elevator with the CEO of a major book publishing company for 2-3 minutes. What would you do with that time? A hungry writer would naturally take this opportunity to talk about the book you are working on. Keep in mind, you don't necessarily have to complete a book to sell a million dollar idea, but you can spend the next nine months bringing it to life. Construct a 2 minute elevator pitch and see what happens, after all "Fortune favors the prepared."
Jermaine Rivers
CEO/ Founder
Mainestream Publishing
© 2024 Created by John Kremer. Powered by
You need to be a member of The Book Marketing Network to add comments!
Join The Book Marketing Network