It’s been a lovely, long, hot summer in Saskatoon and, while I have been editing and keeping up with the Wattpad workshops, I haven’t been generating much new writing. I’ve finished a draft of a book and tinkered with another project, but I haven’t had the thrill of filling a blank page with a new story for a while.

Sometimes, when I’ve been focusing on edits for months, I start a new project by thinking about the end result. I get caught up in my imagination with what an editor might think. I am immediately stuck. I can’t write a thing. It’s scary to think about who might read a book one day, the judgements, reviews, argh! And so I give up before I’ve begun.

I deal with this in two ways

– 1) I close the door to all that noise. I shut my office door and ignore the world outside. I disconnect from the internet. I switch off the phone.

-2)I remind myself that I’m my first reader. The book has to please me. In fact, before it’s even a book in my head, it HAS TO BE A STORY.

It’s September first and time for me to get back to regular blogging, writing and dreaming. What are your writing goals for September?

Come and have a look at my tips for creating a book with your toddler over on Today’s Parent. It’s a fun way for you as a writer to try something crafty and new with words, even if you don’t have a toddler to hand!

Thriller Writer Gayle Lynds Shares Advice for Tackling Writer’s Block with GOTHAM Writer’s Workshop
Gayle Lynds, author of The New York Times bestseller Masquerade, shares her thoughts on writer’s block.  If you want to read more of the interview, then read it here on Gotham’s website.

(I’ve highlighted in bold italics the line that jumped out at me, see if helps you next time you’re stuck…)

Q: What is your method for overcoming writers block?
I wish there were a pill for this.  I find time is critical. Often a writer is simply creatively tired, or ones unconscious is working on character, plot, or somesuch, and that has brought ones writing to a painful halt. To remedy that, time is needed. On other other hand, I always ask myself, What is the villain doing? The villain drives the plot, whether its a minimalist literary piece or a grandiose potboiler. If you know what your villain is doing, whether it is man, beast, or god, generally you will be able to uncover where the book or story needs to go next.