Ask the Author: Tamara Haddock
Answered Questions (2)
Tamara Haddock
I am in the 2nd draft edits of a book called "Love Never Dies" about a boy who died in a car wreck a month before graduating high school. He's haunting his girlfriend as she's caught in a down hill spiral triggered by her grief.
I'm working on rough drafts for two different stories, one with a working title of "Obsession" It's another ghost story. This one deals with a guy suffering from the loss of his brother.
My second rough draft is a story about a company using cloning to solve murders.
I'm working on rough drafts for two different stories, one with a working title of "Obsession" It's another ghost story. This one deals with a guy suffering from the loss of his brother.
My second rough draft is a story about a company using cloning to solve murders.
Tamara Haddock
My most common methods of breaking writer's block are free writing, researching, timed writing sessions, and trying new angles. Writer's block for me is caused by either lack of inspiration, lack of motivation, or lack of knowledge. I usually tackle it based on what the root cause is.
I have an idea folder with dozens of ideas I could work on but sometimes none of them are appealing. I'll either free write until I figure out what I'm in the mood to work on, or I'll look up subjects that interest me until something catches my attention.
If I have a project I should be finishing, but I can't get motivated to work on it I'll set a timer for fifteen minutes, disconnect from the internet and focus only on the project until the timer goes off. If I'm still not feeling it. I'll take a break and try again in an hour. I have a daily word count goal. Some days it takes me an hour to get it done, some days I work on it all day long in short bursts.
Some of my writing has stalled because I don't know enough to write it. Either there's something technical, or legal, or something about the character or scene that I just get stuck on.
For those blocks the only way to get past it is to research whatever it is until I'm comfortable moving on.
If I'm just stuck and can't seem to move forward rather than over think it I'll try a new angle on the project. Usually something like changing the point of view character will open up new ideas. I have a story that I've been working on for a couple years that I recently considered changing the gender of a main character. I may not go through with that change, but it did give me a new perspective to look at how those character interactions would change. It was inspiring even if I don't change the character.
Writer's block lies. It tells you that you can't. Either you can't come up with good ideas, or you can't finish the project, or you can't change what you've already written. Beat it by calling it a liar try new things, change old things, do whatever you have to. Just don't stop writing.
I have an idea folder with dozens of ideas I could work on but sometimes none of them are appealing. I'll either free write until I figure out what I'm in the mood to work on, or I'll look up subjects that interest me until something catches my attention.
If I have a project I should be finishing, but I can't get motivated to work on it I'll set a timer for fifteen minutes, disconnect from the internet and focus only on the project until the timer goes off. If I'm still not feeling it. I'll take a break and try again in an hour. I have a daily word count goal. Some days it takes me an hour to get it done, some days I work on it all day long in short bursts.
Some of my writing has stalled because I don't know enough to write it. Either there's something technical, or legal, or something about the character or scene that I just get stuck on.
For those blocks the only way to get past it is to research whatever it is until I'm comfortable moving on.
If I'm just stuck and can't seem to move forward rather than over think it I'll try a new angle on the project. Usually something like changing the point of view character will open up new ideas. I have a story that I've been working on for a couple years that I recently considered changing the gender of a main character. I may not go through with that change, but it did give me a new perspective to look at how those character interactions would change. It was inspiring even if I don't change the character.
Writer's block lies. It tells you that you can't. Either you can't come up with good ideas, or you can't finish the project, or you can't change what you've already written. Beat it by calling it a liar try new things, change old things, do whatever you have to. Just don't stop writing.
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