Finished your manuscript but want eyes on it before you click publish? Or written the first 20k and stalled out wondering if you should even finish the darn thing?
Hi, I’m Mary, and I’m the story expert who’ll make sure you’re on the right track.
I’m a writer too. I know what it’s like to be stuck.
I deeply dislike the term writer’s block. That makes it sound like this thing that just plopped itself down in front of you and now refuses to move, no matter how much you push on it.
I’ll let you in on a little secret it took me years to understand. Most blocks are put there by us–the authors. Sometimes, we’re overwhelmed. Sometimes, we’re afraid. Sometimes, we know we have to go back and fix Chapter 2 so we can make sure it matches what happens in Chapter 25, but we just don’t want to because “why am I still revising this? Shouldn’t I be done by now?”
As someone who’s revised for the sake of revising, I can confidently say there is no limit on how many changes you can make to a manuscript. There will always be another sentence to rewrite, another plot point to revisit, another character’s eye color to change. You’ve heard “if you build it, they will come?” Well, “if you reread it, you will revise.” Knowing when to stop, hand the manuscript to someone else, and say “I’m not looking at it until they give me their thoughts” is one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox. It doesn’t matter if you think you’re just about done or if you know you still have miles to go before you sleep. That second set of eyes (or, really, brain cells) is the key to moving forward.
Sometimes, you just need a change of scenery.
This doesn’t have to be a walk in nature (though, those are good too). Specifically, this means to get the heck away from your manuscript. Read something else. Consume stuff that has nothing to do with the desert-dwelling culture your fantasy society is based on or the architectural blueprints that inspired the setting of your locked room mystery. Give your brain a break so it can come back refreshed and ready to work.
Seriously, I’m not just saying this. Remember, I’m a writer too, and I’m doing my level best to live by what I’m telling you. That’s actually why I restarted my blog. I can post a few hundred words of whatever’s on my mind each week to give myself a break from untangling plot twists. Just knowing I have that break has changed my entire mindset, so if it will help you get into the habit of taking breaks, join me.
Just remember, it’s okay to get help.
This feels so obvious. But you wouldn’t believe how many people (myself included) need to hear it.
So, I’ll say it again for good measure:
It’s okay to get help.
Your brain and story will be better for it. I promise.
Plus, that’s literally why I’m here.