The other thing Neil does (and I've just adopted) is starting his writing day by using a different coloured ink so each day's work can be separated visually
That's really smart. Colors have always helped me with writing (and everything really). Too bad I can't use it with pens and such since my handwriting is literal chicken scratch, but maybe with Word.
My handwriting is bad to the point that most teachers refuse to accept handwritten homework. I still write everything by hand exept collaborate stories. I don't know it's just nice and lets me write free from bluelight at night.
I did a 30-day free trial of MasterClass and listened to his class. I had never read anything by him and I REALLY liked his class! Worth checking out. You can watch/listen to a ton of content in under 30 days.
I'm sure Gaiman does a lot of research for his fiction books as well. The mythology in American Gods is incredible!! But I agree, the research part of writing isn't talked about nearly enough
It's usually antecedent to the writing itself. At least for me. So like during the outlining phase. I'm a murder mystery author. Currently penning a contemporary noir murder mystery novel. Hopefully set to publish next year but I'm in-between publishers so we'll see. Also, I'm a pocket writer so I write throughout the whole day whenever something strikes me. That means the rest of the time I spend reading, either some other book or research material like books on forensics, pathology, geography, history etc.
Neil Gaiman's: "you cant do anything other than write," is really helpful for me, once I tried that technique out, I found out, that I write more and am more focused on my novel... Without this video I probably wouldn't have found his advice, so thank you really much for doing this challege and sharing it!
For myself, I feel like calling a writing difficulty “writer’s block” makes it harder to resolve it. I don’t want to give up my agency by treating the problem like a mysterious force outside my control. I try to recognize the specific problem. Am I struggling because I don’t know what happens next, or because I’m worrying that none of what I’ve written is any good, or because I’m just plain tired? Knowing the cause gives me the power to find solutions.
I like that! Framing it as a specific issue gives you something to tackle instead of a faceless monolith. Even if it's just "None of this feels right so I'm going to pause and come back later when I'm fresh," that can be really empowering.
I think the handwriting aspect of his approach benefits in the transcription of the work to computer. You are more likely to look at a sentence or paragraph and rephrase and summarize a point more concisely.
Or rework scenes entirely. That's been my experience. Most of the largest draft overhauls happen when I make myself physically rewrite the draft, rather than just tinker with it.
I'm actually watching his class on there right now, so it'll be interesting to see what I think of him in light of what I learned about his writing routine in this video. Lol (And Kate's experience. Ha!)
Writer's block is definitely real. Just that it's usually misinterpreted. All it means is: my brain is blocked and I have no inspiration to write this story right now. So, yeah, its definitely real.
I find that it happens a lot during trauma. I went through it a lot during high school/college and now during the pandemic. I also think that it happens a lot during mental growth periods as that is when genres shift for me.
Writer's block: When you don't plan enough of your story out and you're at that dull point and WHAT THE HECK GOES NEXT and then you kind of lose interest in it.
I'm at that point with one project. Think I need to skip ahead to the next interesting scene and come back later. Maybe by then I'll have figured out what happens 😂
😂😂 That's what I always think too! I'm sure it'd be great to pick his brain and world-building aspects, but in terms of "routine," I'm not entirely sure what to grasp from GRRM. (But I could be wrong!)
I have such similar routines as Neil Gaiman and Nora Roberts. I write 6-7 hours by hand. All 1st drafts are written by hand and I work on multiple projects at once. I love the relaxed therapy of the smell of a leather journal, ink from a fresh fountain pen and the feel on smooth paper. It's just glorious! Thank you for sharing!
@@QuillASMR Sadly my first agent and I separated as I'm writing in a different genre now so I'm in the requery world but the book I was subbing I've been sharing on my website and wattpad. How have you been doing?
This may or may not be useful, but there is a cool tool for writing screenplays called Fountain which does all of the formatting for you automatically, you just write a plaintext file and put certain things like character names and descriptions in all caps. I've used it before and it was pretty cool!
@@CHloE748 Yes. Just because she can. (I realize that being deadpan with words is not a reachable goal for me. But secretly I do want to see that because I think Kate would do a better job)
Here's my biggest question about this series. All of these writers focus on writing multiple hours a day. I'd be interested to hear what their writing routines were like when they were still working a day job. I highly recommend only using paper with margins for handwriting! When I get random ideas that the story isn't ready for I jot them down in the margin so I don't forget! My old lady pup, Ruby, also hates storms. When the real bad ones hit at night she'll wake me up and won't leave me alone until we go into the bathroom and close the door to sleep. I think she's watched too many movies about tornados hahahah. I do not believe in writer's block on my own part. If I'm not writing or don't feel like writing it's because I'm either A)staring at some other shiny thing that is taking up my time or B) lazy.
I know that in the case of Neil Gaiman, he has talked about what he does when he doesn't have time to write. Essentially he will just write a few lines an evening before bed, and by the end of the week he has a paragraph to a page of writing done. When he has more time then he will take advantage of that to get a larger chunk done. He's talked about how that was how he finished Coraline.
I don't remember what author it was, but she was both a working mom and she wrote a significant portion of the first draft of her novel in the car for those 10-15 minutes after work and before she had to pick up her kids from school.
V.E. Schwab finished her first novel while attending collage. She insisted on how important it is to make yourself some time even if you don't seem to have it. She wrote 30 minutes before going to bed back then, if I recall well.
I very much do believe in writer's block because I've gone through it several times, but that being said, I actually think what it is differs from person to person. For me, it is being unable to get what is in my head written down. It isn't that I don't know what I want to write, it is just that no matter how I try, I just can not get it out of my head. I go to write something and my mind goes completely blank no matter how much I knew what I was gonna write beforehand. I couldn't do his routine just because if I don't have multiple things going at once, I can't concentrate. It is not uncommon for me to have a video in the background and a game of solitaire in the background for when I'm thinking. The word count thing is something I could aim for while I write, especially since it is flexible. I don't actually look into writing routines because I can barely sit still to write let alone follow a writing routine like most authors. That being said I really love Tolkien and Margret Weis. Their books are what made me want to write in the first place.
SAME!!! I know what I want to happen in the paragraph or sentence or scene but when I sit down to write it out and I don't know how to get the idea out of my head and into words.
I tackle this by using the voice notes app, i will just sit alone in my room, on the floor (I Don't know why, but it helps), close your eyes and then just speak. Doing this makes me form a jumble of words that I can listen to and rearrange into cohesive work.
It sounds like Gaiman feels like he constantly has to work on something. So maybe he will stop working when he feels stuck and works on something else?
This is pretty late, but what helps is just writing an outline/keywords of your idea. Something is 100% better than nothing. You also could be on to something good and can go back to it later. To all my writer peeps out there, outlines help so much to circumvent writer's block or keep it at bay a bit longer.
Amber Greenwood it’s was most people know him by because of how much his series “an Unfortunate Series of Events” have impacted people. I’m really bad at explaining, sorry if anything is not making sense.
@@teaforthepublic4000 I know the series, but it's still a pen name. You can do Daniel Handler writing routine. Which would be the person writing not just what the books are named under.
Great video! And I'm loving this series, keep it up. :) It was actually authors like Neil Gaiman, Andre Dubus III, and Joe Hill, who inspired me to try writing a first draft by hand. And having finished, I can say I'm not going back to doing the first draft on the computer any time soon. Yes, it takes some getting used to. Yes, it takes a while (7 months of writing a page every single day either before or after work). And it does help with being more purposeful with your words, but the biggest takeaway I've found is that the story is so much more concrete in my mind than when I wrote on the computer. I still recall most of the events even two weeks after having not picked it up. Whereas when I finished on the computer, there were huge swaths of story that were just gone from my head despite having just written it. It's the difference between walking through town and driving--the journey takes longer but I feel a stronger connection to what's around me, vs going faster and only remembering the landmarks and odd bits that stuck out. That's just me, though. It's definitely not for everyone. And on writers block... I guess I'm going against the majority of comments and say I don't believe in it. *sweats*
I like the idea of multi-day trials of writing methods! And I like this series. My suggestion is Agatha Christie. She was my favorite author when I was a teenager.
100000000% believe in writers block!!! I had writers block for a few years, then I started watching your video and immediately got back to writing!! THANK YOU, YOU KIND SOUL! 😊 I would describe writers block as not having any ideas for a new story, and just not in the mood to write. Request: jk Rowling ( her outlining plan ) ( and I know you don’t really outline but I thought I would try ) Also maybe try one of your author tube friends writing routine! If they have one!
I think that kind of ‘block’ is more likely due to other circumstances in your life, or maybe a lack of discipline. If you don't have any idea, just write. Anything. Force yourself even if it doesn't seem right. After five minutes you won't be able to stop! In order to write, you have to write. I know that seems silly. But just don't wait for inspiration to strike. I hope it helps you! (I would love to see a JK Rowling writing routine too!)
I remember not writing for three years. The ironic thing was that I already had my characters *established* but I did not know how to write their stories. I finally have the will to write. I just need to write about who they are and their background and I should be set.
I'd caution against it. You have to type slow or risk jamming the keys very often. It doesn't damage it but it slows you down because you have to pry them free when that happens. It's when the hammers of the letters hit each other because you hit two letters before the first one could fly back down.
@@convolution223- Did you watch the video? The purpose of the non-digital writing (either by hand or in this case typewriter) is to be slow and *purposeful* about what you write. Think about it as you go along. So the fact that a typewriter forces you to write slowly is the point! And yes, go look at thrift shops. I picked up a typewriter for $2.50 in great condition. I thought they'd misplaced the dot and wanted $25, but no, $2.50. Make sure the ribbon has ink!
The ad I got right before this video was for a Masterclass with Neil Gaiman, and I think that's a sign that I should write like him. I think I'll try to write this way, because he too is a writer after my own heart.
I'm also not really sure what people mean by writers block? I think different people are using it to mean different things. There's only really one thing that stops me writing, which is fear of failure (which can be pretty immobilising, but I find ways to break out of it... like switching to hand writing, actually!) I'd love to see you try a scriptwriter's routine. I have SO much admiration for good scriptwriters right now, as there are brilliant shows coming out in the UK written by the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Russel T Davies that are just - ugh - AMAZING. And I watched Sense and Sensibility last night, having only recently realised that Emma Thompson wrote the award-winning screenplay for it, and I just think it's great. I love that Neil (our best friend Neil) has also experimented with other writers' routines... maybe one day soon there'll be a crop of 'I tried writing like Kate Cavanaugh' videos!
I'm a bit late to this video, but I wanted to comment on the writer's block/no writer's block quote. Here's the thing...yes, those people DO have blocks sometimes. Writer's use a special name for it because, well, we're word people and we cope by naming things and describing them and, generally, using our words to define what we know. I'm a musician, a writer, a teacher, and a whole host of other things as well, and I've experienced "blocks" in each one of those things. For example: I play the piano. There are days when I'm practicing a piece, where I cannot, no matter how hard I try, play a section of the piece correctly. My fingers won't play the right notes or the right rhythms and I can't make them do so. However, I do think that sometimes we use these "blocks" as an excuse not to work on whatever it is we're supposed to be working on. Whether we are writing, or playing an instrument, or whatever, there are going to be times when our brains just can't cope with what we're doing. As long as we acknowledge the block (preferably without getting angry about it) and walk away for a set amount of time (read: a reasonable amount of time), and then come back to the project, we can deal with the "block" and don't have to pretend it's not a thing. Neil Gaiman calls it "getting stuck", he's just got different words for the same thing.
I'm with Neil. I don't believe in writer's block, but I also work on multiple projects so if I am stuck on one thing, I go to the other. I love you content. Makes me work on my own writing!
I’m really grateful for your channel. I found you about 2-3 months ago. After college, I stopped enjoying reading for pleasure and quit writing. It’s been like 3 years but stumbling upon your channel and watching the writing challenges you do and your passion and excitement for writing has inspired me back into it :) I have a hard time finishing things and will hop around from idea to idea and abandon a story. Going to try this routine tomorrow!
My favorite things about writing from hand are strikethrough, sticky ites, and actually turning pages to locate things...like a book, but not a finished book YET. It's lovely to see so many hand written pages and be able to put the plot point pages in different order, or several varioations of the same chapters together in order to figure out how best to fix something. I did my best writing that way early on. Before I got used to doing the entire processes of drafting and editing on the computer.
This was a wonderful video :) was great to see how someone took Gaiman’s words on his process and do their thing. The main draw I took from his advice in the podcast, other interviews, and his Masterclass was to make the process of writing fun. Or at least more interesting than doing nothing. For him that’s having the physical process of using a fountain pen and having that physical work on a page rather than a screen. For others like Stephen King that means writing on a computer so it’s faster and you can get ideas out of your head as quickly as they come. And for Ian Fleming it was literally making it a hostage situation of write or die situation XDD which I found hilarious For me I went with something like Gaiman’s process because I saw value in it and realized how much I liked handwriting in my youth. I use Pilot G2 pens because I love them and they’re workhorse-ness of it (and I can’t imagine the patience and skill it takes to use and handle a fountain pen), and I have a specific brand of really nice notebooks that I dedicate to my fiction. Then when I’m editing, I have to go line by line and word by word to get it typed up. And it’s a wonderful editing process because I can honestly look at my writing as work and something that needs to be fixed. If I type it all the through, I feel like it’s done because it’s typed and I tend to abandon those stories. I love the video, again, and I’m glad it showed you some insights into your own writing process and how you are as a writer.
I did his masterclass online and despite the fact that my genre is drastically different, i gained so much from his insights and found him quite inspiring. I am not sure that I have it in me to write the way he does. but I still find it encouraging
Hello! I'm new to authortube and just came across your channel and am LOVING this series! I actually took Neil Gaiman's masterclass and he's wonderful! Helped me find my writing voice by telling me to do exactly what you're doing in this series: choose a few of your favourite authors and try to write like them. Turns out, it's much less fun writing like someone else (probably because it's all based on comparison and when does that make anyone happy?) so I accepted and now enjoy my own voice for what it is. This is a super fun series, I'm binging right now! Thanks! All the best, Lovis
i Love Neil Gaiman, I purchased the masterclass and maybe ended with more psycological problems than before. Like everything he said made sense and I just wanted to cry. For me is not a block, is like a mix of troubles that get in the middle of your work. Like kind " I just don't know were the plot goes" or this is plain awfull or im having seconds and third and fourth thoughs on my work. But I always can write something even if it is a shit. So there's always that. I would like to be capable of writing like those big classical authors like Jane Austen or maybe Agatha Christie (that would be amazing) but i just cant write the god damned thing all by hand or even in a writting machine. I loved your video. And im definetly a fan. Grettings from Argentina and also sorry for my typos they are bigger than me. kisses!
I partially believe in Neil Gaiman’s statement on writer’s block. My definition of it would be the absence of any ideas or ability to write (excluding physical or cognitive disabilities). I believe that while it exists, many writers don't experience true writers block; maybe symptoms of it, certainly writer hurdles, but hardly a complete inability to write or think about the writing process in order to further/complete their story. It can manifest under many circumstances, or through nothing at all. I’d imagine mental illness like anxiety or depression can easily trigger it. Thankfully that hasn't happened to me... yet. Regardless, my point is that writers block is a thing, I just think a lot of people experience something similar but completely different.
Writer's Block...it totally exists. I get it often, but then I redirect myself. If I can't write, then I'll read and it'll put me back on track. I have a lot of favorite authors, but I think it would be interesting to see how Laurell K. Hamilton. I've read articles where she's been interviewed about her writing style. She said something that really stuck with me (mind you I was inappropriately reading her books in middle school...) and she said that she lets the characters tell their story. So she has this inner dialogue with her characters, like she's the one interviewing them. Another thing I picked up from her was to have theme music playing while she writes particular characters. I can't tell you how many Spotify playlists I have for my characters. Those really help get me in the right headspace.
This was actually really interesting to watch. Mostly cause I'm glad to know that there are still authors out there who write by hand still. I find it a lot easier to write by hand for my original stories. As for writer's block, I don't really think it's a thing. I think it's more along the lines as you don't quite know how to get from one point to the next. If anything, it would be like having a map with Point A and Point F marked, but how to get to Points B-E is unknown. IDK, that's just how I see it. Also, I know this one might be hard, but would it be possible for you to try and write in the style of H. P. Lovecraft? I know a writing routine for him would be next to impossible to research, but I've been reading his work lately, and I find that he had this interesting way of writing that I don't see much of, and thought that it might be fun to try. Love your videos, and stay amazing :D
I’ve been going through a spout of writers doubt that’s been stopping me from writing, but somehow your video really inspired me to write today. So, yeah, thanks for this awesome video! : )
you had such good timing with this video! i LOVE that it's so long!! I'm halfway through american gods (first NG book i've ever read) and loving it! i totally agree with him about writer's block--i think you can get stuck with a story but you can always use a prompt or something and still write. ps. i had no idea lucifer was originally a neil gaiman book!
I had a commercial for Neil Gaiman's master class come up right before this video. That was accidental perfection. Also I love your videos, and this series!
i just want you to know that this video single handedly got me out of my writing slump that i’ve been in since nanowrimo 2014. i think maybe i’ve written just a little bit after that, but not really WRITTEN. so thank you so much, if i ever finish this novel imma put you in the acknowledgements hahah
Yaaay, Neil Gaiman is one of my all-time fave writers! And you made this video almost on my birthday! :D I am now considering it a birthday gift, hahaha.. Seriously though, I comment before I watch for this one, so I'm gonna go watch the video now xD
I love your reaction to the handwriting part. I'm dyslexic, my handwriting is terrible, and I can't spell so that would never work for me. That's why I handwrite in my journals, I never want to read them again. I think writer's block is just not knowing where to go or what needs to be done next. As you said, that could be because a mistake was made earlier in the process.
He loves to write that first notebook draft in fountain pen also. He is REALLY into fountain pens as well. I used to have a hobby in collecting and writing with fountain pens, and when I heard him on Ferris’ podcast, I recognized how much he uses them by the way he spoke about them as well as his thoughts on different notebook quality. His acknowledgement of the decline in Moleskine paper quality a half dozen years ago or so was hardcore legit.
I think writer's block is true to some extent, especially when there's a lot of stuff going on around you. Writing is so much more mentally and emotionally taxing than, say, gardening that Neil Gaiman uses as an example. Sometimes you just don't have the energy, and it certainly happened to me when I was moving house about a month ago. For more than two weeks I couldn't get a single word on the page. But once I relaxed a little and got to writing regularly again, even if it was just 200 or 300 words, the inspiration soon came back. I'd love to see a Brandon Sanderson writing routine video!
For me, writer's block is : I am a writer and I am blocked, I need to go back in my story and fix what I need to block to not be blocked anymore. I also believe that not having any idea to continue the story is not writer's block, it's brain's block. Most of the time it means that I need to stop working on it and do other things, because focusing on it will not help me
Writing in notebook by hand in high school is the crux reason I cultivated a love for literature. Like I absolutely agree with what you said about the nostalgia of it!
Lol I love the fact that you're so honest with your attention span I'm totally the same! 😂 I always watch your videos to re-inspire my writing Love from Australia 😊
For me, writer's block is anything that gets between a writer and their writing. This definition means that a cat on your keyboard could be writer's block, or a lack of inspiration, or having a word on the tip of your tongue, or the siren call of Netflix binging, or your computer suddenly dying, or a creative burnout, or a depressive episode... lethargy... lack of motivation. Whatever. I like my definition because it validates a very common experience among writers (the block itself) without mysticizing or deifying and almighty and insurmountable block. I would also posit that creative endeavours are the ones more likely to have blocks. Artists, songwriters, poets, and so on. Maybe a cellist doesn't have cellist block, but the person who wrote the instrumental music that the cellist was playing might have had a musical block. In short, I believe in writer's block, but I don't believe that it's something a writer can't work past. Every block can be pushed past. Move the cat, read a book for inspiration, take a nap, put pen to paper, push forward however might be necessary to get over a particular block. (or, in the case of burnout, take a break and destress.) Blocks can't stop you unless you let them. ✌❤
😂 You are so endearing, it makes me want to read everything you've written! I assume TH-cam showed me this because of all the Gaiman process videos I've watched and I'm glad it did. You've got a new fan!
I do believe in writer's block. I believe that writer's block is when you have come to a certain part of a story and you don't know what will happen next, and you can't figure it out, ergo you are "blocked" from writing that story. It is quite probable that many writers use "writer's block" as an excuse to not write, but it is a real thing. I think it is probably is more likely to happen when pantsing, but I have never plotted so I don't know. By the way, I play the violin, and can tell you definitely that neither I, nor any musician I've ever met, as ever gotten "violinist's block." I don't think it's comparable to writing; playing music is like recording an audiobook, where you tell the story someone else has already written. I do wonder, though, if Bach ever got composer's block?
Hi Kate, Thank you very much for this excellent video. TH-cam served it to me in recommendations, and I am so glad they did. I'm now subscribed, and looking forward to the next instalment of this series. Take care, Casey
Great video. Enlightening and relatable. 👏my issue is that I keep writing the plan but once I start the chapter one I get confused about the next pages even to complete the first chapter.🏆🌠🕊
I was just bingeing your videos while writing earlier and I'm so happy you uploaded today (although it's upsetting I did not get the notification from TH-cam).
I feel so much better hearing I'm not the only one who writes in that distracted that way! I'm so bad about write, phone, youtube, write, tv, etc etc. I love his advice on only writing or doing nothing and really need to try it. Love your "write like" videos they're super interesting.
I have to admit I’ve always had my doubts about the existence of writer’s block. I know some people can get blocked in their writing but as you said, I’m convinced it’s more of a story block when you have to fix something in your story to keep on writing. Maybe it does exist, but I’ve never experienced it myself so I couldn’t say. Every time I got blocked was because of a lack of motivation and that’s just discipline, not writer’s block. In the other hand, writing is a very psychological experience (we are basically creating entire worlds and lives!!), so maybe it wouldn’t be so crazy if such a specific block did exist. Long answer short: I don’t believe in writer’s block but I understand those who do 😊 (and I cross my fingers I’ll never get blocked lol)
Kate, Your videos are fantastic. I had severe writers block. I watched your video on how to write like Stephen King for a day. I got up the next day and switched the computer on and got going. I am now half way through my detective crime novel. Thank you so much. You deserve every success in your work. Your favourite writing aid is coffee? My favourite writing aid is pancakes. 😋
writing by hand in class was SUCH an escape from science and math lessons lol! But I could never write a book by hand now that I'm so used to typing on a computer!
This series is so fun to watch! I've learnt quite abit and got inspired enormously too. Could you do a tutorial on scrivener? I just switched to that from Word and my god I'm so confused right now
I really love this series. It's not only fun to watch, but I see it as good writing motivation to watch other people write and to hear other people talk about writing. Neil Gaiman has helped me so much as I write my first novel. He has a lot of great things to say on the subject, so I really loved this video. Writer's block is real, there were long chunks of time in my life where I didn't feel creative and didn't want to write even though I love writing. But that was because I was doing drugs, especially Xanax and Valium for anxiety, and that that that blocked me. Now that I'm totally sober, I don't get writer's block anymore. Being stuck is different than being blocked. For me, a block is like an invisible wall blocking you from writing anything. When you do manage to force yourself to write something, whatever you write looks and sounds awful and it's pretty much torture so you stop. I can't write anything when I am blocked and it's not like I am just being hard on myself and will love what I wrote later. I know it's awful when I'm writing it and I will find it awful when I look at it later. It's not a fun place to be. I'm glad I got sober and don't have to deal with that anymore!
So if you feel your hand and fingers get tired after some pages, it’s probably because you rest you wrist on the page and move your fingers with your boned. Better to pick up your hand and let it suspend a bit, use your elbow more to move, and you’ll realize you’re using your muscles more, from your finger muscled to your forearm. This is what muscles are for and they’re more than happy to pick up the slack. You’ll find out as the hours go that you’re basically working out and your writing arm start getting fit, even your shoulder and chest and neck. Good luck. This has been a PSA against carpal tunnel syndrome.
Post-It notes! Sorry if that's random - but that was my first thought when you started talking about the piece of dialogue that was coming up before you were ready for it. That's what I would do, honestly.
Neil was the first ever writer I liked back when he wrote ‘The Graveyard Book’ as a kid I carried it everywhere with me! So glad you did this!! Also writers block is real, im not a writer but I play piano & often times when composing after getting at a certain point you do get stuck & need to do something else to clear your mind. I normally do chores when having ‘writers’ block then go back and can easily finish the piece I was working on.
On writer's block: I do believe in it but I believe it is a catch-all term that is overused or used without explanation. Like you mentioned, it means different things to different people. And while I get Gaiman's point, I think there ARE "blocks" in all fields of work...they just don't call it a block. For instance, I am in the medical field and we deal a lot with "burnout" which I think is a similar thing to block. For me a block, at its core, is loss of motivation or momentum. The causes of this are different which makes it hard to defend sometimes. I think what Gaiman is getting at is, writers don't have blocks; they have laziness; that is what it means to him. And some definitely do, myself included; sometimes we like to get around the onus of doing the work of writing (because it really isn't enjoyable all the time and can just be grunt work) by claiming "writer's block!" That being said, I think it's a bit baby-bathwater to say "writer's block" doesn't exist. It is better, imho, to encourage people to "unpack" what they mean when they say "I have writer's block" rather than dismiss the term entirely. End ramble XD Great video by the way!
YES!!! "I feel like I think of something, and by the time I've gotten to that point, it's like thought is...not that it's gone it's just that it's not the initial pow..." I thought this was only me. My mind is moving faster than my hand while writing, and often faster than when I'm typing. It's the bane of my existence.
I love and admire your dedication to these style of writing like x or y authors and it makes me want to try a few of them! Maybe not this one though! 😅
I have had times when I am so stressed that writing does not happen. But that's not Block it's exaustion. I think there could be such a thing as being blocked but it could be laziness or exhaustion also. Idols for me are JK Rowling, Rick Riordan, Nora Roberts, Cristine Feehan, PC and Kristen Cast. A writing help is The Better Novel Project.
"As a writer you have to finish things."
Best advice ever
Don't forget to sandpaper it and varnish it. That should give it a nice finish.
The other thing Neil does (and I've just adopted) is starting his writing day by using a different coloured ink so each day's work can be separated visually
That sounds interesting, I may try that.
That's really smart. Colors have always helped me with writing (and everything really). Too bad I can't use it with pens and such since my handwriting is literal chicken scratch, but maybe with Word.
I use something like that for revising. I actually go over the same draft multiple times, making changes and notes with another color every time
that's a BRILLIANT IDEA!!!! I should do that...
@@HellsMirror that's a really good idea!!!! :D
Other Authors: I write by hand
Me: Oh cute, you think I can read my own handwriting
My mind works too fast to write that slow. Some of my best scenes ever have been written in three minutes
Meagan Hodgson Same. I outline and brainstorm in notepads, I do my chapter prep in notepads, but my actual writing has to be on a computer.
@@KaiInMotion My most creative stuff tends to be written on napkins, post-its and old receipts lol.
My handwriting is bad to the point that most teachers refuse to accept handwritten homework. I still write everything by hand exept collaborate stories. I don't know it's just nice and lets me write free from bluelight at night.
I can only write by hand
I got an add for the Neil Gaiman MasterClass when I clicked on the video! I love coincidences like that haha
same haha
I did a 30-day free trial of MasterClass and listened to his class. I had never read anything by him and I REALLY liked his class! Worth checking out. You can watch/listen to a ton of content in under 30 days.
TH-cam has an algorithm for placing ads on videos, so it was definitely not a coincidence lol. Gotta love the google internet spies 🙃
@@CHloE748 haha yeah I know. It was so scarily accurate though 😮 sort of creepy. Yep, got to love them!
...but did you sign up? Hmm? 😁
I'd love to see an author who is more research heavy- maybe a murder mystery author? I'd love to see how they fit research into their routine
Or a historic fiction writter :D (Markus Zusak is a person fave, or Joan M. Wolfe)
Agatha christie is a good one because she was originally a pharmacist.
I'm sure Gaiman does a lot of research for his fiction books as well. The mythology in American Gods is incredible!!
But I agree, the research part of writing isn't talked about nearly enough
It's usually antecedent to the writing itself. At least for me. So like during the outlining phase. I'm a murder mystery author. Currently penning a contemporary noir murder mystery novel. Hopefully set to publish next year but I'm in-between publishers so we'll see. Also, I'm a pocket writer so I write throughout the whole day whenever something strikes me. That means the rest of the time I spend reading, either some other book or research material like books on forensics, pathology, geography, history etc.
What about Cornelia Funke?
Neil Gaiman's: "you cant do anything other than write," is really helpful for me, once I tried that technique out, I found out, that I write more and am more focused on my novel... Without this video I probably wouldn't have found his advice, so thank you really much for doing this challege and sharing it!
For myself, I feel like calling a writing difficulty “writer’s block” makes it harder to resolve it. I don’t want to give up my agency by treating the problem like a mysterious force outside my control. I try to recognize the specific problem. Am I struggling because I don’t know what happens next, or because I’m worrying that none of what I’ve written is any good, or because I’m just plain tired? Knowing the cause gives me the power to find solutions.
I like that! Framing it as a specific issue gives you something to tackle instead of a faceless monolith. Even if it's just "None of this feels right so I'm going to pause and come back later when I'm fresh," that can be really empowering.
I think the handwriting aspect of his approach benefits in the transcription of the work to computer. You are more likely to look at a sentence or paragraph and rephrase and summarize a point more concisely.
Definitely my experience. I wrote almost all of my college essays that way too.
Or rework scenes entirely. That's been my experience. Most of the largest draft overhauls happen when I make myself physically rewrite the draft, rather than just tinker with it.
I clicked on the video and the first ad was a MasterClass taught by Neil Gaiman. 😂
That class is awesome btw :)
I'm actually watching his class on there right now, so it'll be interesting to see what I think of him in light of what I learned about his writing routine in this video. Lol (And Kate's experience. Ha!)
Same xD
Writer's block is definitely real. Just that it's usually misinterpreted. All it means is: my brain is blocked and I have no inspiration to write this story right now. So, yeah, its definitely real.
I find that it happens a lot during trauma. I went through it a lot during high school/college and now during the pandemic. I also think that it happens a lot during mental growth periods as that is when genres shift for me.
Writer's block: When you don't plan enough of your story out and you're at that dull point and WHAT THE HECK GOES NEXT and then you kind of lose interest in it.
I'm at that point with one project. Think I need to skip ahead to the next interesting scene and come back later. Maybe by then I'll have figured out what happens 😂
Could you do Rick Riordan's routine, Tolkien and GRR Martin.
I'm not sure if GRM method would be good cause the video would be 7 years long.
😂😂 That's what I always think too! I'm sure it'd be great to pick his brain and world-building aspects, but in terms of "routine," I'm not entirely sure what to grasp from GRRM. (But I could be wrong!)
I would looooove to try Rick Riordan's! I'm a huge fan, that's a great suggestion, thank you! :)
I love Rick Riordan books! Please do his routine :D
I have such similar routines as Neil Gaiman and Nora Roberts. I write 6-7 hours by hand. All 1st drafts are written by hand and I work on multiple projects at once. I love the relaxed therapy of the smell of a leather journal, ink from a fresh fountain pen and the feel on smooth paper. It's just glorious! Thank you for sharing!
Wow that 's amazing .Are u published author ?
@@lastjuliet788 Not yet but my novel is going out on submissions soon. My agent's doing a final read. I'm excited and nervous!
@@KathrynFaye007 you and I are in very similar writing places! Good luck! I'm excited/nervous too!
@@KathrynFaye007 Did you get it published?
@@QuillASMR Sadly my first agent and I separated as I'm writing in a different genre now so I'm in the requery world but the book I was subbing I've been sharing on my website and wattpad. How have you been doing?
This may or may not be useful, but there is a cool tool for writing screenplays called Fountain which does all of the formatting for you automatically, you just write a plaintext file and put certain things like character names and descriptions in all caps. I've used it before and it was pretty cool!
I'm using this right now. I write in vim.
Oh that's great.
Hi Kate! I'd love to see a JK Rowling or Ernest Hemingway writing routine!
Do you want her to turn every. Single. Character. Gay?
@@CHloE748 Yes. Just because she can.
(I realize that being deadpan with words is not a reachable goal for me. But secretly I do want to see that because I think Kate would do a better job)
Drunk Kate
CHloE748 sure, why not
So basically read older stories, mix them together and just copy them, hoping no one will remember the originals.
Here's my biggest question about this series. All of these writers focus on writing multiple hours a day. I'd be interested to hear what their writing routines were like when they were still working a day job.
I highly recommend only using paper with margins for handwriting! When I get random ideas that the story isn't ready for I jot them down in the margin so I don't forget!
My old lady pup, Ruby, also hates storms. When the real bad ones hit at night she'll wake me up and won't leave me alone until we go into the bathroom and close the door to sleep. I think she's watched too many movies about tornados hahahah.
I do not believe in writer's block on my own part. If I'm not writing or don't feel like writing it's because I'm either A)staring at some other shiny thing that is taking up my time or B) lazy.
I know that in the case of Neil Gaiman, he has talked about what he does when he doesn't have time to write. Essentially he will just write a few lines an evening before bed, and by the end of the week he has a paragraph to a page of writing done. When he has more time then he will take advantage of that to get a larger chunk done. He's talked about how that was how he finished Coraline.
I don't remember what author it was, but she was both a working mom and she wrote a significant portion of the first draft of her novel in the car for those 10-15 minutes after work and before she had to pick up her kids from school.
Yes I'd like to see that. Marian Keyes released, I think, three novels before she could afford to give up her day job
V.E. Schwab finished her first novel while attending collage. She insisted on how important it is to make yourself some time even if you don't seem to have it. She wrote 30 minutes before going to bed back then, if I recall well.
I very much do believe in writer's block because I've gone through it several times, but that being said, I actually think what it is differs from person to person. For me, it is being unable to get what is in my head written down. It isn't that I don't know what I want to write, it is just that no matter how I try, I just can not get it out of my head. I go to write something and my mind goes completely blank no matter how much I knew what I was gonna write beforehand. I couldn't do his routine just because if I don't have multiple things going at once, I can't concentrate. It is not uncommon for me to have a video in the background and a game of solitaire in the background for when I'm thinking. The word count thing is something I could aim for while I write, especially since it is flexible. I don't actually look into writing routines because I can barely sit still to write let alone follow a writing routine like most authors. That being said I really love Tolkien and Margret Weis. Their books are what made me want to write in the first place.
SAME!!! I know what I want to happen in the paragraph or sentence or scene but when I sit down to write it out and I don't know how to get the idea out of my head and into words.
AvalonWatching thank you for putting what I go through into cohesive words!
I tackle this by using the voice notes app, i will just sit alone in my room, on the floor (I Don't know why, but it helps), close your eyes and then just speak. Doing this makes me form a jumble of words that I can listen to and rearrange into cohesive work.
It sounds like Gaiman feels like he constantly has to work on something. So maybe he will stop working when he feels stuck and works on something else?
This is pretty late, but what helps is just writing an outline/keywords of your idea. Something is 100% better than nothing. You also could be on to something good and can go back to it later. To all my writer peeps out there, outlines help so much to circumvent writer's block or keep it at bay a bit longer.
I've been pretty impressed TH-cam recommendations. Really enjoyed the video and I'm excited to watch more.
You should do lemony Snicket's writing routine. I love him!!!
isn't his real name though
Amber Greenwood it’s was most people know him by because of how much his series “an Unfortunate Series of Events” have impacted people. I’m really bad at explaining, sorry if anything is not making sense.
@@teaforthepublic4000 I know the series, but it's still a pen name. You can do Daniel Handler writing routine. Which would be the person writing not just what the books are named under.
Great video! And I'm loving this series, keep it up. :)
It was actually authors like Neil Gaiman, Andre Dubus III, and Joe Hill, who inspired me to try writing a first draft by hand. And having finished, I can say I'm not going back to doing the first draft on the computer any time soon.
Yes, it takes some getting used to. Yes, it takes a while (7 months of writing a page every single day either before or after work). And it does help with being more purposeful with your words, but the biggest takeaway I've found is that the story is so much more concrete in my mind than when I wrote on the computer. I still recall most of the events even two weeks after having not picked it up. Whereas when I finished on the computer, there were huge swaths of story that were just gone from my head despite having just written it. It's the difference between walking through town and driving--the journey takes longer but I feel a stronger connection to what's around me, vs going faster and only remembering the landmarks and odd bits that stuck out.
That's just me, though. It's definitely not for everyone.
And on writers block... I guess I'm going against the majority of comments and say I don't believe in it. *sweats*
Hey lad, I don't believe in writer's block either! Yay, fren. :D
@@mophead_xu Glad I'm not alone! :)
I relate to this so much!
I can’t even IMAGINE writing a novel by hand. I’m sure it’s beneficial in ways but my hand cramps so fast. I’d get a paragraph in and quit.
This is my favourite series of yours, and I'm so happy you're doing Neil Gaiman's routine! I use the two of you for motivation all the time.
Wow. A Neil Gaiman video. Looking forward to this one
Yay! :)
A 33 minutes video? Yay!! I love this serie!
I like the idea of multi-day trials of writing methods! And I like this series. My suggestion is Agatha Christie. She was my favorite author when I was a teenager.
100000000% believe in writers block!!!
I had writers block for a few years, then I started watching your video and immediately got back to writing!! THANK YOU, YOU KIND SOUL! 😊
I would describe writers block as not having any ideas for a new story, and just not in the mood to write.
Request: jk Rowling ( her outlining plan ) ( and I know you don’t really outline but I thought I would try )
Also maybe try one of your author tube friends writing routine! If they have one!
I think that kind of ‘block’ is more likely due to other circumstances in your life, or maybe a lack of discipline. If you don't have any idea, just write. Anything. Force yourself even if it doesn't seem right. After five minutes you won't be able to stop! In order to write, you have to write. I know that seems silly. But just don't wait for inspiration to strike. I hope it helps you!
(I would love to see a JK Rowling writing routine too!)
Pierre G. Thank you for the advice!!
Also I am glad that I am not the only one who want to see jk Rowling writing routine!!
I remember not writing for three years. The ironic thing was that I already had my characters *established* but I did not know how to write their stories. I finally have the will to write. I just need to write about who they are and their background and I should be set.
All of the above !, I share your anxiety. I call it Constipated Mind!
For me, writing block is not inability to write. It is inability to think of scene/plot which I believe would be perfect for the story.
Do Cassandra Clare's writing routine!! That would be so cool!!
this is one of the best channels on TH-cam, every video is both inspiring and informative. thank you for making such great content.
Aww, thank you so much! I'm so glad it can help to motivate you. :)
I also think he has a cute cabin in the woods he goes to when he does write.
Have you tried a typewriter? Might be a good middle ground between hand and computer.
I’ve seen them in second hand stores on occasion in my area; hard to speak as to theirs functionality though.
I'd caution against it. You have to type slow or risk jamming the keys very often. It doesn't damage it but it slows you down because you have to pry them free when that happens. It's when the hammers of the letters hit each other because you hit two letters before the first one could fly back down.
@@convolution223- Did you watch the video? The purpose of the non-digital writing (either by hand or in this case typewriter) is to be slow and *purposeful* about what you write. Think about it as you go along. So the fact that a typewriter forces you to write slowly is the point!
And yes, go look at thrift shops. I picked up a typewriter for $2.50 in great condition. I thought they'd misplaced the dot and wanted $25, but no, $2.50.
Make sure the ribbon has ink!
not nearly worth it considering the expense.
@@agagagagagyo - The expense? What expense? $2.50?
Compared to the $700~1200 laptop you'd be writing on digitally?
The ad I got right before this video was for a Masterclass with Neil Gaiman, and I think that's a sign that I should write like him. I think I'll try to write this way, because he too is a writer after my own heart.
I had the same advert 😂😂
Oh my goodness, my favorite authortuber writing like the writer of my favorite book ever! (American Gods)
YESSSSS. (I still need to read American Gods but my friends have raved.) I really enjoyed making this video and following his routine.
Omg! American Gods is my favorite book too( internet high five )
I would love to see you try to write as Daniel Handler/Lemony Snicket ^_^
I'm also not really sure what people mean by writers block? I think different people are using it to mean different things. There's only really one thing that stops me writing, which is fear of failure (which can be pretty immobilising, but I find ways to break out of it... like switching to hand writing, actually!)
I'd love to see you try a scriptwriter's routine. I have SO much admiration for good scriptwriters right now, as there are brilliant shows coming out in the UK written by the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Russel T Davies that are just - ugh - AMAZING. And I watched Sense and Sensibility last night, having only recently realised that Emma Thompson wrote the award-winning screenplay for it, and I just think it's great.
I love that Neil (our best friend Neil) has also experimented with other writers' routines... maybe one day soon there'll be a crop of 'I tried writing like Kate Cavanaugh' videos!
I'm a bit late to this video, but I wanted to comment on the writer's block/no writer's block quote. Here's the thing...yes, those people DO have blocks sometimes. Writer's use a special name for it because, well, we're word people and we cope by naming things and describing them and, generally, using our words to define what we know. I'm a musician, a writer, a teacher, and a whole host of other things as well, and I've experienced "blocks" in each one of those things. For example: I play the piano. There are days when I'm practicing a piece, where I cannot, no matter how hard I try, play a section of the piece correctly. My fingers won't play the right notes or the right rhythms and I can't make them do so.
However, I do think that sometimes we use these "blocks" as an excuse not to work on whatever it is we're supposed to be working on. Whether we are writing, or playing an instrument, or whatever, there are going to be times when our brains just can't cope with what we're doing. As long as we acknowledge the block (preferably without getting angry about it) and walk away for a set amount of time (read: a reasonable amount of time), and then come back to the project, we can deal with the "block" and don't have to pretend it's not a thing. Neil Gaiman calls it "getting stuck", he's just got different words for the same thing.
Girl, I freaking love these writing vlogs! I’m obsessed!
Aaaaahhhhhhhhh Lucifer!!! It's an absolutely amazing show.
I'm with Neil. I don't believe in writer's block, but I also work on multiple projects so if I am stuck on one thing, I go to the other. I love you content. Makes me work on my own writing!
I’m really grateful for your channel. I found you about 2-3 months ago. After college,
I stopped enjoying reading for pleasure and quit writing. It’s been like 3 years but stumbling upon your channel and watching the writing challenges you do and your passion and excitement for writing has inspired me back into it :) I have a hard time finishing things and will hop around from idea to idea and abandon a story. Going to try this routine tomorrow!
My favorite things about writing from hand are strikethrough, sticky ites, and actually turning pages to locate things...like a book, but not a finished book YET. It's lovely to see so many hand written pages and be able to put the plot point pages in different order, or several varioations of the same chapters together in order to figure out how best to fix something. I did my best writing that way early on. Before I got used to doing the entire processes of drafting and editing on the computer.
This was a wonderful video :) was great to see how someone took Gaiman’s words on his process and do their thing.
The main draw I took from his advice in the podcast, other interviews, and his Masterclass was to make the process of writing fun. Or at least more interesting than doing nothing. For him that’s having the physical process of using a fountain pen and having that physical work on a page rather than a screen. For others like Stephen King that means writing on a computer so it’s faster and you can get ideas out of your head as quickly as they come. And for Ian Fleming it was literally making it a hostage situation of write or die situation XDD which I found hilarious
For me I went with something like Gaiman’s process because I saw value in it and realized how much I liked handwriting in my youth. I use Pilot G2 pens because I love them and they’re workhorse-ness of it (and I can’t imagine the patience and skill it takes to use and handle a fountain pen), and I have a specific brand of really nice notebooks that I dedicate to my fiction. Then when I’m editing, I have to go line by line and word by word to get it typed up. And it’s a wonderful editing process because I can honestly look at my writing as work and something that needs to be fixed. If I type it all the through, I feel like it’s done because it’s typed and I tend to abandon those stories.
I love the video, again, and I’m glad it showed you some insights into your own writing process and how you are as a writer.
Real talk you are the most relatable authortuber I've found on TH-cam, the only reason my first draft gets any progress is your channel. :)
I did his masterclass online and despite the fact that my genre is drastically different, i gained so much from his insights and found him quite inspiring. I am not sure that I have it in me to write the way he does. but I still find it encouraging
Hello! I'm new to authortube and just came across your channel and am LOVING this series! I actually took Neil Gaiman's masterclass and he's wonderful! Helped me find my writing voice by telling me to do exactly what you're doing in this series: choose a few of your favourite authors and try to write like them. Turns out, it's much less fun writing like someone else (probably because it's all based on comparison and when does that make anyone happy?) so I accepted and now enjoy my own voice for what it is. This is a super fun series, I'm binging right now! Thanks!
All the best,
Lovis
i Love Neil Gaiman, I purchased the masterclass and maybe ended with more psycological problems than before. Like everything he said made sense and I just wanted to cry. For me is not a block, is like a mix of troubles that get in the middle of your work. Like kind " I just don't know were the plot goes" or this is plain awfull or im having seconds and third and fourth thoughs on my work. But I always can write something even if it is a shit. So there's always that.
I would like to be capable of writing like those big classical authors like Jane Austen or maybe Agatha Christie (that would be amazing) but i just cant write the god damned thing all by hand or even in a writting machine.
I loved your video. And im definetly a fan.
Grettings from Argentina and also sorry for my typos they are bigger than me.
kisses!
I partially believe in Neil Gaiman’s statement on writer’s block. My definition of it would be the absence of any ideas or ability to write (excluding physical or cognitive disabilities).
I believe that while it exists, many writers don't experience true writers block; maybe symptoms of it, certainly writer hurdles, but hardly a complete inability to write or think about the writing process in order to further/complete their story.
It can manifest under many circumstances, or through nothing at all. I’d imagine mental illness like anxiety or depression can easily trigger it. Thankfully that hasn't happened to me... yet.
Regardless, my point is that writers block is a thing, I just think a lot of people experience something similar but completely different.
The working on two books embraces the "procrastination of successfull people" aka productive procrastination
Love the video💛 I was wondering if you’d like to try Suzanne Collins writing process!! I think it’s super unique and I’d love to see you try it☺️
Writer's Block...it totally exists. I get it often, but then I redirect myself. If I can't write, then I'll read and it'll put me back on track.
I have a lot of favorite authors, but I think it would be interesting to see how Laurell K. Hamilton. I've read articles where she's been interviewed about her writing style. She said something that really stuck with me (mind you I was inappropriately reading her books in middle school...) and she said that she lets the characters tell their story. So she has this inner dialogue with her characters, like she's the one interviewing them. Another thing I picked up from her was to have theme music playing while she writes particular characters. I can't tell you how many Spotify playlists I have for my characters. Those really help get me in the right headspace.
This was actually really interesting to watch. Mostly cause I'm glad to know that there are still authors out there who write by hand still. I find it a lot easier to write by hand for my original stories.
As for writer's block, I don't really think it's a thing. I think it's more along the lines as you don't quite know how to get from one point to the next. If anything, it would be like having a map with Point A and Point F marked, but how to get to Points B-E is unknown. IDK, that's just how I see it.
Also, I know this one might be hard, but would it be possible for you to try and write in the style of H. P. Lovecraft? I know a writing routine for him would be next to impossible to research, but I've been reading his work lately, and I find that he had this interesting way of writing that I don't see much of, and thought that it might be fun to try.
Love your videos, and stay amazing :D
I’ve been going through a spout of writers doubt that’s been stopping me from writing, but somehow your video really inspired me to write today. So, yeah, thanks for this awesome video! : )
you had such good timing with this video! i LOVE that it's so long!! I'm halfway through american gods (first NG book i've ever read) and loving it! i totally agree with him about writer's block--i think you can get stuck with a story but you can always use a prompt or something and still write. ps. i had no idea lucifer was originally a neil gaiman book!
I like Neil Gaiman. I like Kate Cavanaugh. I "thumbs up" the video.
I mean, what else can you do when presented with quality content?
I think I could write like Neil Gaiman. I like his general writing philosophy. Great video.
I had a commercial for Neil Gaiman's master class come up right before this video. That was accidental perfection. Also I love your videos, and this series!
BAHAHAA NO WAY. That's so funny. TH-cam clearly knows what it's doing. ;) And thank you so much!!
i just want you to know that this video single handedly got me out of my writing slump that i’ve been in since nanowrimo 2014. i think maybe i’ve written just a little bit after that, but not really WRITTEN. so thank you so much, if i ever finish this novel imma put you in the acknowledgements hahah
"Emulating someone else's style"... I call that being a Writing Chameleon! I'm so glad other people experience it as well!
Yaaay, Neil Gaiman is one of my all-time fave writers! And you made this video almost on my birthday! :D I am now considering it a birthday gift, hahaha.. Seriously though, I comment before I watch for this one, so I'm gonna go watch the video now xD
I love your reaction to the handwriting part. I'm dyslexic, my handwriting is terrible, and I can't spell so that would never work for me. That's why I handwrite in my journals, I never want to read them again.
I think writer's block is just not knowing where to go or what needs to be done next. As you said, that could be because a mistake was made earlier in the process.
He loves to write that first notebook draft in fountain pen also. He is REALLY into fountain pens as well. I used to have a hobby in collecting and writing with fountain pens, and when I heard him on Ferris’ podcast, I recognized how much he uses them by the way he spoke about them as well as his thoughts on different notebook quality. His acknowledgement of the decline in Moleskine paper quality a half dozen years ago or so was hardcore legit.
I think writer's block is true to some extent, especially when there's a lot of stuff going on around you. Writing is so much more mentally and emotionally taxing than, say, gardening that Neil Gaiman uses as an example. Sometimes you just don't have the energy, and it certainly happened to me when I was moving house about a month ago. For more than two weeks I couldn't get a single word on the page. But once I relaxed a little and got to writing regularly again, even if it was just 200 or 300 words, the inspiration soon came back.
I'd love to see a Brandon Sanderson writing routine video!
For me, writer's block is : I am a writer and I am blocked, I need to go back in my story and fix what I need to block to not be blocked anymore. I also believe that not having any idea to continue the story is not writer's block, it's brain's block. Most of the time it means that I need to stop working on it and do other things, because focusing on it will not help me
Writing in notebook by hand in high school is the crux reason I cultivated a love for literature. Like I absolutely agree with what you said about the nostalgia of it!
Lol I love the fact that you're so honest with your attention span
I'm totally the same! 😂
I always watch your videos to re-inspire my writing
Love from Australia 😊
For me, writer's block is anything that gets between a writer and their writing.
This definition means that a cat on your keyboard could be writer's block, or a lack of inspiration, or having a word on the tip of your tongue, or the siren call of Netflix binging, or your computer suddenly dying, or a creative burnout, or a depressive episode... lethargy... lack of motivation. Whatever.
I like my definition because it validates a very common experience among writers (the block itself) without mysticizing or deifying and almighty and insurmountable block.
I would also posit that creative endeavours are the ones more likely to have blocks. Artists, songwriters, poets, and so on. Maybe a cellist doesn't have cellist block, but the person who wrote the instrumental music that the cellist was playing might have had a musical block.
In short, I believe in writer's block, but I don't believe that it's something a writer can't work past. Every block can be pushed past.
Move the cat, read a book for inspiration, take a nap, put pen to paper, push forward however might be necessary to get over a particular block. (or, in the case of burnout, take a break and destress.) Blocks can't stop you unless you let them.
✌❤
😂 You are so endearing, it makes me want to read everything you've written! I assume TH-cam showed me this because of all the Gaiman process videos I've watched and I'm glad it did. You've got a new fan!
I've been hooked on your 'I've Tried Writing Like..." series. Good stuff! Great for contrasting different writers, processes, and styles. 👍👍
I really like the flexibility in Gaiman's process, but the handwriting would drive me nuts. I'm right with you, my handwriting is atrocious, lol.
Awwww, your pupper, though!!!
You are incredibly awesome for making this video. Huge fan! Omg!!!
@31:55 yayyyyyyyy!!!
Are you planning to redo any of the authors you’ve already done or will you be doing all new authors?
Btw, I’d recommend Diana Gaboldone if you are looking for new authors to write like.
I'm so early!!! You are my favorite author tuber!!!
Awww, thank you so much! AND OMG yes you were so early!! Bahaha.
I do believe in writer's block. I believe that writer's block is when you have come to a certain part of a story and you don't know what will happen next, and you can't figure it out, ergo you are "blocked" from writing that story. It is quite probable that many writers use "writer's block" as an excuse to not write, but it is a real thing. I think it is probably is more likely to happen when pantsing, but I have never plotted so I don't know.
By the way, I play the violin, and can tell you definitely that neither I, nor any musician I've ever met, as ever gotten "violinist's block." I don't think it's comparable to writing; playing music is like recording an audiobook, where you tell the story someone else has already written.
I do wonder, though, if Bach ever got composer's block?
Hi Kate,
Thank you very much for this excellent video. TH-cam served it to me in recommendations, and I am so glad they did. I'm now subscribed, and looking forward to the next instalment of this series.
Take care,
Casey
Great video. Enlightening and relatable. 👏my issue is that I keep writing the plan but once I start the chapter one I get confused about the next pages even to complete the first chapter.🏆🌠🕊
I was just bingeing your videos while writing earlier and I'm so happy you uploaded today (although it's upsetting I did not get the notification from TH-cam).
I feel so much better hearing I'm not the only one who writes in that distracted that way! I'm so bad about write, phone, youtube, write, tv, etc etc. I love his advice on only writing or doing nothing and really need to try it. Love your "write like" videos they're super interesting.
I have to admit I’ve always had my doubts about the existence of writer’s block. I know some people can get blocked in their writing but as you said, I’m convinced it’s more of a story block when you have to fix something in your story to keep on writing. Maybe it does exist, but I’ve never experienced it myself so I couldn’t say. Every time I got blocked was because of a lack of motivation and that’s just discipline, not writer’s block.
In the other hand, writing is a very psychological experience (we are basically creating entire worlds and lives!!), so maybe it wouldn’t be so crazy if such a specific block did exist.
Long answer short: I don’t believe in writer’s block but I understand those who do 😊 (and I cross my fingers I’ll never get blocked lol)
Kate,
Your videos are fantastic.
I had severe writers block.
I watched your video on how to write like Stephen King for a day.
I got up the next day and switched the computer on and got going.
I am now half way through my detective crime novel.
Thank you so much.
You deserve every success in your work.
Your favourite writing aid is coffee?
My favourite writing aid is pancakes.
😋
I think it was so perfect that there was a masterclass ad with Neil Gaiman playing before this video. Lol. Love your writing like videos, Kate!
writing by hand in class was SUCH an escape from science and math lessons lol! But I could never write a book by hand now that I'm so used to typing on a computer!
this is cool!!! have you tried combining different bits from diff authors for a hybrid routine?
I understand what you mean.
Your process is valid.
Don't be embarrassed about your process.
This series is so fun to watch! I've learnt quite abit and got inspired enormously too. Could you do a tutorial on scrivener? I just switched to that from Word and my god I'm so confused right now
I really love how you plot your books Kate! I am looking forward to your published book especially Project Blue and Death!
I see writer's block as either a lack of motivation or feeling defeated by being stuck on something
I'm going to try to actually work on something for a day...
Or tomorrow...
Erin Hand try writing like me for a day! (I’ve never written a thing in my life)
I really love this series. It's not only fun to watch, but I see it as good writing motivation to watch other people write and to hear other people talk about writing. Neil Gaiman has helped me so much as I write my first novel. He has a lot of great things to say on the subject, so I really loved this video.
Writer's block is real, there were long chunks of time in my life where I didn't feel creative and didn't want to write even though I love writing. But that was because I was doing drugs, especially Xanax and Valium for anxiety, and that that that blocked me. Now that I'm totally sober, I don't get writer's block anymore.
Being stuck is different than being blocked. For me, a block is like an invisible wall blocking you from writing anything. When you do manage to force yourself to write something, whatever you write looks and sounds awful and it's pretty much torture so you stop. I can't write anything when I am blocked and it's not like I am just being hard on myself and will love what I wrote later. I know it's awful when I'm writing it and I will find it awful when I look at it later. It's not a fun place to be. I'm glad I got sober and don't have to deal with that anymore!
I need more of these Kate!! They're sooooo good!!
So if you feel your hand and fingers get tired after some pages, it’s probably because you rest you wrist on the page and move your fingers with your boned. Better to pick up your hand and let it suspend a bit, use your elbow more to move, and you’ll realize you’re using your muscles more, from your finger muscled to your forearm. This is what muscles are for and they’re more than happy to pick up the slack. You’ll find out as the hours go that you’re basically working out and your writing arm start getting fit, even your shoulder and chest and neck. Good luck. This has been a PSA against carpal tunnel syndrome.
Neil Gaiman advertises his writing process before Kate goes through it. I love that you do these video's they're so enlightening.
Post-It notes! Sorry if that's random - but that was my first thought when you started talking about the piece of dialogue that was coming up before you were ready for it. That's what I would do, honestly.
Could you try writing like Jane Austen? She's my favourite author and I'd love to see her writing routine
Neil was the first ever writer I liked back when he wrote ‘The Graveyard Book’ as a kid I carried it everywhere with me! So glad you did this!! Also writers block is real, im not a writer but I play piano & often times when composing after getting at a certain point you do get stuck & need to do something else to clear your mind. I normally do chores when having ‘writers’ block then go back and can easily finish the piece I was working on.
I hate writing by hand. Lol. I'll try this nonetheless.
Edit: i have a pretty hardbound notebook that i somehow don't wanna write into.
John Peter Martinez Tolio it’s too nice to mess up, this is common
On writer's block: I do believe in it but I believe it is a catch-all term that is overused or used without explanation. Like you mentioned, it means different things to different people. And while I get Gaiman's point, I think there ARE "blocks" in all fields of work...they just don't call it a block. For instance, I am in the medical field and we deal a lot with "burnout" which I think is a similar thing to block. For me a block, at its core, is loss of motivation or momentum. The causes of this are different which makes it hard to defend sometimes. I think what Gaiman is getting at is, writers don't have blocks; they have laziness; that is what it means to him. And some definitely do, myself included; sometimes we like to get around the onus of doing the work of writing (because it really isn't enjoyable all the time and can just be grunt work) by claiming "writer's block!" That being said, I think it's a bit baby-bathwater to say "writer's block" doesn't exist. It is better, imho, to encourage people to "unpack" what they mean when they say "I have writer's block" rather than dismiss the term entirely.
End ramble XD
Great video by the way!
YES!!! "I feel like I think of something, and by the time I've gotten to that point, it's like thought is...not that it's gone it's just that it's not the initial pow..." I thought this was only me. My mind is moving faster than my hand while writing, and often faster than when I'm typing. It's the bane of my existence.
I love and admire your dedication to these style of writing like x or y authors and it makes me want to try a few of them! Maybe not this one though! 😅
I have had times when I am so stressed that writing does not happen. But that's not Block it's exaustion. I think there could be such a thing as being blocked but it could be laziness or exhaustion also.
Idols for me are JK Rowling, Rick Riordan, Nora Roberts, Cristine Feehan, PC and Kristen Cast.
A writing help is The Better Novel Project.