Goodreads asked Sarah Schmidt:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Sarah Schmidt Writer's block is a hard one, mainly because I'm never really sure what it is for me. Sometimes writer's block is the inability to get words onto the page quickly and so by the time I get there, the exact words have gone. I always feel like I'm trying to catch up. Other times I feel like I've never written in my life and those are the days that are most hard.
The only thing that gets me through this is to turn up everyday and write through it and accept that I'm about to write something pretty ordinary. At some stage I know I'm going to catch up with an idea. It may not be in its 'purest' form but I manage to grab something.
Another thing I do when I'm having trouble with characters is to write them a letter. I ask them what they want and feel, if they got any sleep, blah blah blah and the more I ask, the more they respond and then I ask them something specific and in that moment I've been let back into the novel and I'm working. It's also a great way to figure out who they are as people.
But lets be honest: sometimes characters are awful humans and no matter how hard you try they give you nothing. Turn up to the page anyway.

flag