Hi guys! I've teamed up with Wattpad and MasterClass to share some stuff I picked up from my MasterClass instructor, James Patterson, particularly on how to navigate writer's block. MasterClass offers an immersive online experience that allows you to take lessons from the world's best experts in writing, photography, film, and more. You can learn more about MasterClass here! #Sponsored

Nothing kills motivation like staring at a blank page. Writer's block is our worst enemy. It hits too often and I've never been able to figure out a foolproof way to overcome it.  Sometimes I'm burned out, too distracted, or whatever I write just isn't coming out right. I end up jumping between staying up for an unhealthy amount of time, consuming all the media I possibly can, or ignoring the project altogether.

James Patterson isn't a stranger to this and simply suggests scrawling TBD wherever you hit the block, moving on to the next part, and then coming back to it later. He says that you can leave it as TBD for that draft and come back to it during the next. I know that can't be done if you're posting your story chapter-by-chapter on Wattpad, but the method can still be applied.

Where did you hit your block? Is it in the middle of a conversation? Is it a monologue or a big reveal? Identify the area and then forget about it completely. Move on to the next part. Easy enough, right?

I used this for the latest chapter of the Enhanced. I hit a block at a particular scene, so skipped it and went back after I finished writing the rest of the chapter. In this instance, the method did make overcoming that block easier. Think of it as putting together different areas of a puzzle before you combine them to form the whole picture. After you put everything else together, the pieces you were struggling with are easier to deal with.

I find that my most stubborn cases of writer's block come when I'm not feeling particularly passionate. Passion is important in any form of art - writing, painting, music. If you aren't passionate about it, your audience will know and it'll detract from your work. Artists want to finish what they start. It bothers us when we don't. The truth is that it's okay not to finish.

James says, "When you start doing this, if you don't love it,you're not gonna finish the book. You're not gonna finish the outline. And that's okay. That's telling you that's not what you're going to do."

Ask yourself why you lost your passion for that book? What made you lose interest? Once you figure that out, you know what isn't working. You can either fix that and continue with your renewed interest or you can move onto a different project.

Neither of these options is wrong.

https://youtu.be/lbMPDk7CF6g

Giveaway

I've decided to give away two one-year MasterClass subscriptions. Comment below and I will randomly select and send passes to two of you!

1). Open to all countries and people of all ages.

2). Check out their website and, in the comments, tell me which class you want to take and why. It doesn't have to be writing.

3). Ends September 30, 2020. Winners will be announced on my page on October 1st and receive a PM with everything they need to redeem their prize.