I received a question from a fellow writer:

“I just wanted to know: is it normal to feel like you’re going insane when you’re trying to write a book? It’s a genuine-genuine question. I really need to know if it’s part of the journey as a writer, or if I belong in an asylum.

Everything I’ve been trying doesn’t seem right and I’ve tried it over and over again and I feel like I’m on the verge of losing it. I want to scream at something. Is it supposed to feel like that? I’m sure self-doubt is normal, but insanity???

Question posed by Aaliyah Rezant (27 April 2024)

If you can relate to Aaliyah’s question, then do not stop reading…

For many, writing is a sort of therapy. It is supposed to calm your anxiety and allow for an outlet when you feel stuck or want to scream. However, when you take writing seriously, instead of just as an outlet, then it can feel like you are being driven insane.

My initial response to Aaliyah was the following:

Hi my dear. I totally understand you because I feel like that sometimes. At times I even feel that I am not ‘feeling’ my books. Times like I work on a different book. I am currently busy with three different books. It helps with the insanity.

I would like to add to my response…

Have you ever heard of the phrase: ‘writer’s block’? Well, that is exactly what it is. Different people experience it differently. Aaliyah might want to pull out her hair with frustration, I might just go blank and have no idea what to type, and someone else might feel like deleting the entire manuscript, throwing all the hard work and time down the drain. I have experienced all three of those emotions before. Thus, it is completely normal to feel like that. I must say that it is not wise to pull your hair out or delete your hard work.

So, here are a few suggestions based on what I do when I hit a blank:

• As mentioned in my response, I open a different book that I am busy with. If you do not have a different book, then start a new book. Even if you only write one paragraph to start it. You do not have to complete a whole chapter, but it can take your mind off the current stress. It can relax you and help you to think straight again, even if you just write a diary entry about how you are currently feeling.
  
• Go back to the drawing board. Go back to what you initially wanted the goal to be. Sometimes, we have a goal in mind, but then we realise that it is not quite working out the way we planned. I have some good news for you, it is your book, and you can change it as you like. I would however suggest that if you make changes, go back and read your book again to make sure that the changes you are making, still makes sense for the rest of the book.
  
• Create a cliffhanger and a book 2. If you have no idea how to end your book, then maybe there should not be an ending yet. If you have already written so much and it is not yet ready to end, then it does not have to end. You are allowed to turn any book into a series, whether it is a fiction or non-fiction. I am currently busy with a series myself!
  
• Ask someone for advice. If you know someone that you can trust with creative advice or honest, positive criticism, ask them to tell you what they think about a section that you are struggling with. All you need to do is explain the background, read the section to them or have them read it themselves, and ask them what they think could happen next, or what your next chapter should be about, or even what they see is wrong with it. Readers also have great ideas for books. If your first person doesn’t help much, go to the next.

The advice and ideas can be endless, but the important thing is to not give up. Don’t give up on months of work, just because you think that you hit a brick wall. Instead, work on solutions to either break down the wall or climb over it. You might find your inspiration on the other side of that barrier.

Or perhaps your next line could be… “out of nowhere, a brick wall appeared” and allow your character to help you figure out how to get over that brick wall.

Happy writing,

Megan