Writing is Rewarding (Hope’s Hacks)

Hope’s Hacks

(some ways to break up that writer’s block)

*About the column: Hope Bolinger provides biweekly tips to help you through that writer’s block slump. As a person who has suffered from severe depression and anxiety for eight years, she knows first-hand what it’s like to not want to roll out of bed and face a blank screen and blinking cursor. Here are some ways she’s learned to beat that writer’s block.* 

This month’s cure: Writing is rewarding

What the cure is: Every accomplishment deserves a reward of some kind. Graduated high school? Reward: celebrate by going to a restaurant with your family. Having a baby? That’s what baby showers are for! So, why do writers not view penning the Next Great American Novel in the same way?

Why the cure will help: Positive reinforcement has proven to provide satisfactory results in behavior. The same can work for writing. If you place a reward at every, say, 5,000-word benchmark, you will hit those goals faster and more consistently than before.

Disclaimer: Exercise caution with these goals. Remember, too  much of a good thing can often spoil it.

The Foodie Goal: Set a word count goal and have your favorite treat waiting you on the cusp of that 2,000-word, 10,000-word finish line. At the 100 meter stretch, I see a delicious burger from Five Guys.

The Techie Goal: A bit too distracted by social media when writing? Force yourself not to check any of your accounts until after you finish that chapter. Try it for the next day. And, repeat.

The Movie Goal: Netflix and Hulu waft many great temptations. If you complete the fight scene between Mike and the Mob (or whatever scene you feel stuck on), you can immerse yourself in an episode or two of Parks and Recreation.

The Trendie Goal: I’m not one for shopping but know plenty of friends who, after completing a significant task, will reward themselves with a new Star Wars lightsaber or outfit from Target (or both). You just reached the end of your first draft of your memoir? Congratulations. Now, go get that item you’ve been eyeing on Amazon.

Hope has more tips and tricks for beating her writer’s block here.

Having editor’s block** on your manuscript? **A debilitating disease that affects most writers. Common symptoms include inability to catch copyediting errors in one’s own manuscript, punching plot holes into the book like a pencil through a sheet of notebook paper in a Christopher Nolan explanation of wormholes, and, of course, procrastination.** 

Hope is part of a editing team who will help manuscripts, screenplays, and proposals that need that extra nudge of motivation. Whether you need a Beta reader for the sixth draft of your epic Sci-Fi or a line-by-line edit, her team provides introductory editing rates. You won’t find the cure for editor’s block much cheaper than here.