Feeling stuck is a familiar state of mind that many of us can experience from time to time. When we are stuck, it can leave us feeling overwhelmed, anxious, apathetic, and out of options. But how can we get out of this funk and feel motivated, inspired, and confident again?
First, we have to understand why we are stuck. It could be due to a lack of motivation, inspiration, or resources. Or it could be that we have lost our sense of direction and what is important.
Next, we have to figure out what intermediate state we would like to get into to move ourselves away from our current stuck state and into the one we want. For example, if you are in a stuck state of procrastination, you might want to get to a state of frustration, which will then give you the motivation to move forward.
Then, you might want to get to a resourceful, creative state that will allow you to find new ways to approach your problem. Or maybe you just need to shift your focus.
It’s also good to remember that everyone gets stuck from time to time, and while some people stay stuck, others get out of their stuck state quickly.
You can do that by focusing on the big picture. Try to picture the situation in a different way, such as looking back on it ten years later and telling yourself what you will have accomplished.
For instance, you can imagine yourself as a friend who is in the same predicament and say to them: “I know how it feels, but I am here to help.” This will refocus your perspective and put you in a more positive state of mind.
When it comes to your writing, you can use this same strategy by re-imagining the story that you are currently working on. It will help you find the story’s narrative drive and keep you on track to finishing it.
In the podcast, I go over some different strategies for figuring out your narrative drive so you can start to work through the issues that are holding you back. This is something that I hope you will try out and see if it helps.
Often, writers get stuck in their stories because they are not sure how to get started. This can happen in any genre of writing, but it is more common in literary fiction.
But, even if you are writing science fiction, fantasy, or a thriller, there are still plenty of ways to get unstuck from your story. Here are some of my favorite strategies:
1. Reframe the situation
It’s easy to get stuck in a story because we are often so focused on the writing itself that we forget the bigger picture. If you are stuck in your story, it might be that the story isn’t capturing your audience’s attention enough.
2. Change the story’s structure
If your story is too complex, it might be that you need to re-think your story’s structure. Changing the structure of your story can help you get past your writer’s block and make your story much more compelling.