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Because I regularly struggle with writer’s block, I have found countless articles, books, and blog posts about it. I have watched podcasts on creativity and investigated the science of imagination. But none of this research broke my deadly writer’s block. In fact, I believe that the most effective way to break a writing block is to look outside the craft of writing. Often, common methods that actors use to “get into character” are useful for the struggling writer. Authors already see themselves as actors because they must empathetically inhabit each of their characters, acting out emotions, behaviors, and desires through crafted sentences. Therefore, writers should approach their writing as a form of acting.
I must caution the reader that every writer is an individual with individual needs. Some writers may easily break writer’s block with just the suggestions made on writing websites—changing positions to spark new ideas, writing with pen and paper and not with laptops, taking a walk, eating a snack, reading other authors, taking long breaks, watching movies, freewriting, and starting in the middle of a draft. These steps are already vital for a writing schedule on a good day. However, some writers may slip into such a deep slump that simply moving from the couch to the bed will not do the trick and break their writer’s block.
Simply put, I believe writer’s block is largely caused by imagination blindness. Imagination blindness does not occur because the writer is necessarily at a loss for words. Most writers have a vocabulary that would fill a small dictionary. Writers will not magically lose their vocabulary overnight. Instead, writer’s block occurs when writers temporarily lose touch with their sixth sense, their mental ability to create images that they can taste, touch, hear, and smell. When characters and their surroundings become unreal to the writers, the reader will also grow bored. Writers will become discouraged and conclude that they may never write again.
Writers need to slow down, take a breath, and approach their writing block as if they were actors preparing for a scene, not washed-up writers desperate to pump out prose. I believe that the steps for breaking writer’s block can loosely follow common methods actors use when they prepare to inhabit a character. Writing already requires immense focus. And without imagination to drive them, our creative wheels will stop turning. The following steps will show you how you can reclaim your imagination from the abyss of dismal despair—and have fun doing so.
Emotional Core
Actors and writers alike are encouraged to identify a character’s emotional core–the character’s desires, fears, ambitions, and predominant emotions. Writers must ask, “What does the character want, and what must he do to get it?” This emotional core is where writers need to start to reclaim their imagination.
First, when your mind feels eerily empty and still, sit down somewhere quiet. Take a deep breath and forget about fears and writing altogether. Music is often good for this step because it minimizes distractions and makes you more open to the process.
Next, surrender yourself to whatever feeling is central to you in that moment. If you feel light and springy, this emotion might lead to a scene in which you wittily argue with a fellow detective as the villain draws nearer. If you feel grave, perhaps wander mentally to a funeral scene where two old friends accidentally meet after a decade. Armed with your creative emotions, step into another person, time, and place. Apply your emotions as a character’s emotional core. Then allow a random scene to rush you and your character with rich colors and textures. Stand in that intensely private place. The key is not to force anything. You are simply allowing your imagination to lead you by the hand.
I would caution you, however, to be discreet. Reject promptings that might lead to overdone emotionality or violence. Try to temper what you are feeling in the moment and decide whether it is right to put it on paper, where readers will be influenced to feel the same emotions.
Inner Life
Actors and writers must also create an inner life for their characters. This inner life differs from a character’s emotional core because it encompasses memories, past experiences, and even secrets the character carries. Actors and writers may never tell anyone about these details. But knowing them as the creator can effectively drive your creative process.
When you create an inner life, you are building furniture to arrange inside your character’s heart and head. Stand in the character’s emotional moment as them. As stated above, let emotion ripple through you and spill into the character (with moderation) before you assign imaginary reasons for that emotion. Perhaps the character shares your anger because he has just discovered that someone broke into his safe and stole the family heirlooms. Maybe the character shares your despair because she can never forget the day her family left her behind and believes she will never see them again. Or maybe the character carries a secret message for a general and shares your sense of humor, only to keep it hidden from his friends. By building the character’s inner texture, you give your imagination limbs. Now you can begin building a plot around your emotional core and your scene.
Characteristics
Actors and writers must consider a character’s traits. Now that the character’s inner life and feelings are driving your imagination, consider how each idea will affect the character’s external characteristics. Think about how anger might make the character’s hands quiver or how fear might make him tremble. You may already find yourself gesturing like the character. Assign your character a particular way of biting his lip, turning on his heel, or snapping his fingers. Mimic his facial expressions or even his walk. Actors often spend hours trying out walks, voices, or faces that they feel best fit their characters. I think writers should also allow themselves to sink into their characters. After all, scenes involve what the characters are doing just as much as what they are saying.
Presence in the Moment
Actors and writers must stay present in the moment. This last step—staying present in the moment of writing—is the most important for breaking writer’s block. Putting words on paper can sometimes so preoccupy writers that a scene slips away between their fingers. The writer no longer believes in the scene, gives up, and spirals into despair. But just as actors remain vulnerable to a scene’s feelings during filming, writers must not force anything during writing. Follow the flow of the moment. If you start to lose a scene, get up and take a walk.
Sometimes the scenes will not return with force until a week later. Do not be alarmed. Think of writing as a chronic allergy that flares up and dies away at random intervals. Do not live for the flights of fancy, but be willing to trudge through mud, maintaining your focus on the character’s emotional core, inner life, and immediate surroundings. Live as fully through the character as you can while you write.
Once you are done writing for the day, try not to think about that character or story. I call this practice “off-loading” because this method keeps your mind from getting tired of the character prematurely. If the scene or the character will not let you go at the moment, then you have truly broken writer’s block and should write for as long as you physically can.
Of course, these simple acting methods by themselves will not work for everyone. But take advantage of these methods’ freshness when the other methods feel stale. And above all—just keep writing. Don’t wait for the scenes to come to you. Go to the scenes and wait to see what you find there. As Tolkien said of Aragorn: “Not all those who wander are lost.” I suspect that we writers have many more writing days ahead of us, even on our most paralyzed days.
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Author Bio
Alaina Suttles is a senior at Pensacola Christian College, where she is studying for a bachelor's degree in professional writing. When she was still in high school, Alaina discovered Write the World and fell in love with its welcoming community. She won runner-up for a Write the World fantasy competition and later won first place for her college's creative fiction competition. As a young writer, Alaina was grateful to discover Write the World's community of fellow writers where she could share her work and experience constructive and kind criticism that helped her grow her writing skills. Now, as a summer intern, she hopes to build that same confidence in other young writers and to encourage them to put their talents to the best use.
