How to Deal With Writers Block During Quarantine

Now is the best time to start working on a novel. You’re stuck in the house and can’t go anywhere except to the grocery store, or maybe take a quick walk around your neighborhood, keeping six feet apart from others of course. So, after you’ve had your snack and watched some TV, why not start writing? I’ll tell you why, because it’s not that simple. Being in quarantine may give you more time to write, but that doesn’t mean you have the inspiration. Even with everything going on in the world right now, it’s not enough to spark motivation in you because right now feels like all of those dystopian novels we’ve read. It’s been done, so now what?

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We’re reading a lot more now that we have time and with each new book we pick up, it feels as if every thought we had about writing a new novel has been done in some shape or form. We all know the saying, it hasn’t been done by you yet, which is true, but it doesn’t help give you any confidence to start writing. So, what do you do?

Here’s what I do…

1. Write 500 words a day. 

I gave myself that number because 1,000 words are intimidating to me. Sometimes 500 words can be intimidating, so I lower the goal, or I increase it depending on how the words are flowing. Just start with a word count and go from there.

2. Write ANYTHING

What you write doesn’t have to make sense or flow right now. In the beginning, you’re just trying to find the story and figure out the characters, so just write the first thing that comes to mind and go from there. Remember, this isn’t the finished product… it’s just the beginning, the first draft, and with a first draft comes a second and third draft. It doesn’t have to be perfect right now.

3. Relax

It’s okay to have writer’s block. Right now the world is a scary place and it’s important to do things to keep your mind at ease. You may want to begin your novel right now, but if you can’t that’s okay. Your novel will get done one day, just take it a step at a time. Write when you want to, not because you feel like you should. Being a writer is a passion and what you write comes from the heart, so be kind to yourself and do what makes your heart happy.

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