The
unfinished manuscript may be one of your earlier attempts at writing; the story
you started as a newbie writer. During the writing journey, you became stuck, unable
to move the story any further. Maybe you felt that you lacked certain skills to
continue with the story. Maybe the story didn’t fit into an easily defined
category. You encountered a ‘brick wall’. What stopped you from moving beyond
this blockage?
In essence,
it’s fear. It’s the fear that, as a writer, you didn’t know how to put into words, that image in
your mind’s eye. You knew exactly what you wanted to say but didn’t know how to
go about getting it into words. You doubted your ability to write the new
material in a way that worked for your story. Think of it in the following way:
you were required to up your game; to move to a higher level. But you were unsure
how to go about doing that. At that particular time, you doubted your abilities.
When you hit
a brick wall in your writing, you have to work through it. Take the plunge,
whether you’re ready or not! No matter how scary it is, reach out and just do
it. You may never be fully ready but you have to embrace the discomfort and
move to the next level. That’s how we grow as writers.
Have you
ever wondered about writers who work on a story for many, many years? As the
writer reaches the next level, the story evolves and changes. The writer also
evolves and changes. The writer isn’t the same person who composed the first
draft years before. As the writer grows, he becomes more skilled, making it
easier to meet each new challenge, push a bit further and move to the next
level.
Keep
stepping up your game. Read dozens of books on the craft. Keep slaving away those hours upon hours in
front of a computer. Be brave and allow yourself to make mistakes. Quit playing it safe. Keep an open
mind. Engage in activities that fuel your imagination. Take some risks in your
storytelling. Break through the fear. Write what you’re afraid to write. It
might work, it might not. You never know until you try.
You will reach
yet another level, where a new challenge awaits. A brand new wall. It will be
time to face yet another uncomfortable growth period. Once you find a way to
get over this, the cycle repeats...
It’s a new
year. Any plans to step up your game?
