Write Through It
Radical Collapse advice pt. 3
The fastest way to finish a book is to stay in motion, not to lie in wait for inspiration. Part of that is the common writing advice that I hear so often — you have to show up to writing like it’s a job, and not just wait for inspiration to strike.
What I disagree with is that you need to show up to the same book, or same project, every day.
You just need to show up to writing in general. Writing as a practice, as a tool.
So what’s the next step when your book is blocked, but you’re still ‘on the clock’ for writing?
I try to tell writers that it’s ok to ‘cheat’ on their projects with a different book, story, essay, or genre. Sometimes, this works — the feeling of doing something illicit and undercover can help remove pressure from the writing.
Most times, it’s a hard sell. Writers know they love their book. They know it’s important that they write it, and that they write it, soon. They have an intense desire to finish it and see the project through.
Both things can be true — it’s time to finish your book, and, you are blocked on it.
The next step is to write through what you need to write through.
This is different than turning to another project and shifting your focus completely. You can keep your strong instincts and self-knowledge that this is the right book to work on right now. You can also honor your block and not just wait for it to leave.
What you’re going to do is keep your ear to the ground and listen for the rumblings of what else is asking to be written.
Then, you don’t have to commit to that other project — you just have to write through it.
See it as training for a marathon even on a rainy day. You can get on the treadmill inside. (I don’t know how running works). You want to stay in motion even when circumstances (writer’s block) are in the way of the main goal, or typical practice (drafting the novel). If you can stay in motion, you will get back to the novel faster.
You don’t have to say to yourself that you’re switching projects or abandoning your goal of the novel temporarily. You can just acknowledge that instead of having writer’s block, what you probably have is something begging to be written by you, that refuses to let go of your psyche until you honor it.
The sooner you honor it, the faster you write, and the sooner you are free again to go back to what you have consciously committed to.
Our subconscious gets held hostage. It’s just the nature of being an artist! Things beyond our knowing are created by us and take over us. This is how we receive our brilliance and make our unique connections.
But, if we don’t honor those ideas that show up, they will have to stage a rebellion.
You will absolutely be able to complete the novel you set out to complete. You just may need to allow yourself to make some offerings to additional local gods along the way.
This is why I assign writers 100 pages during Radical Collapse. Sometimes writers show up with a clear subconscious and aligned consciousness, and they make progress on the book.
Then, after a good chunk of that project, the subconscious makes another request. It’s up to the writer to push on, despite frustration, or allow themselves to write through the detour.
With 10 pages due every week, you have the accountability and support for both detours and the main journey. Your pages are due, so the only option that is not available is to sit and wait for the block to let up. You should try writing through it.