Walking in Circles

Breaking Through Writer's Block in Story and in Life

Photo by travelnow.or.crylater on Unsplash

Do you believe in writer’s block? Some writers do, some say it doesn’t exist. I’ll tell you this: getting stuck when writing a story is inevitable. Whether you call it “writer’s block” or simply “being stuck” writing good stories requires a tremendous amount of not just creativity, but dreaming, planning, research, plotting, figuring out the gold of your story, from what perspective should it be told? What matters and what doesn’t? Which ideas are worth keeping and which should we discard?

For me, at least, writing stories is solving problems. Just like solving problems in real life. We’re all living stories, after all.

This past week I was feeling it. Stuck. I’ve been splitting my time between being a mom, in-house counsel, book marketer, and author guest as I hit the road to connect with readers. I was a guest on my first podcast, had my first book signing at a Barnes & Noble, signed up for several fall events, and answered questions for an upcoming magazine for one of my alma maters. And—I’m writing a novel. Trying to, anyway.

Which brings me to the stuck part.

As if I didn’t have enough to do, I make it a goal to walk four miles a day, at least 3 days a week, but ideally five. Lots of my work involves sitting and moving is important for health, so I set out each day (there is no rhyme or reason to the time of day, just wherever I can fit it in).

This past week, I set out on my walk one early morning at a local park. If you live in New England, you know, early mornings in the fall are full of dewy wet grass. Since I didn’t want soaking wet sneakers, I had to walk the track. This meant multiple times walking in circles to reach four miles.

That’s right, multiple times. Walking in circles. Kind of like how I was feeling in the writing of my next book: walking in circles.

I really didn’t want to do it—the walking in circles part. I prefer to go for a hike, walk at a cemetery, anywhere but a track in circles. But here I was.

So here’s the thing, the park I was at is my childhood park. From the track where I walked, I could see SO many things from my childhood. Memories started pouring back from as young as three to my adulthood, since, of course, I’ve brought my own children there.

It got me thinking about space and time. (I know, I’m a nerd, but hey, I wrote a time travel mystery novel, remember?). It’s so weird to look at spaces that are ghosts of your past. The same place, different time, yet somehow the same, still there.

Like, check out these pictures—me as a kid, and the space today:

Special Note: Remember my creative nonfiction, Static, well here’s the photo to show those days of me being afraid to swing my bat :) That’s my father, standing behind me. My mom is taking the picture! Below is the field today, taken from a slightly different angel, but same space.

Here’s me age five . . . and below, the same hill today.

Below - same space, different decades: at age five, seven, and the space today.

Liminal Space . . .

My son is always talking about “liminal spaces” According to Wikipedia, “In Internet aesthetics, liminal spaces are empty or abandoned places that appear eerie, forlorn, and often surreal. Liminal spaces are commonly places of transition, pertaining to the concept of liminality.” Liminal spaces in broad terms refer to describing a place, a state of change, or a transition. It can be physical, like a doorway, or psychological, like the period of adolescence. It’s the sense of “in-between.”

I was definitely feeling like I was in the “in-between”—but of what? My story? The transition from writing in my pajamas to actually showing up places and talking about my book? Of promoting and writing at the same time? On the verge of growing as an artist?

I kept walking, faster, around and around in circles. Thinking about time. Liminal space. The little girl that used to stand on this stage in the photo below as she made up pretend stories with her dad:

That’s when it hit me—the solution to my story problem. I was somewhere around lap eleven when I figured it out! I can’t tell you the solution, because, well, it will spoil the next book.

The point is: sometimes walking in circles is exactly what you need.

It sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? But sometimes, we are enlightened in the mundane. And sometimes, even if we THINK what we are doing is just routine, boring, nothing special, we couldn’t be further from the truth. I might have been walking in circles, but the sun was shining bright, the early morning birds were singing, and the rhythms of the world somehow eased my soul.

So, here’s to walking in circles. If you’re stuck, don’t worry. You’ll stumble on the answer when you least expect it.

Then, you can get going on your way.

Till Next Time,

Sarah

AKA A Busy Lady

PS

Stay up to date on upcoming events and the details on past events at my website, www.sarahcrownebooks.com

Also, here’s my link to my first ever podcast, KPL Lit Talks - the episode is “The Power of Stories” I was super nervous and this was my first one. Hopefully I get better with time and experience!

What I’m Reading: The Life Impossible by Matt Haig (it is AMAZING)

What I’m Cooking:  Pumpkin Cheesecake, of course. Check out my video at TikTok here.

What I’m Watching: Beatlejuice II did not disappoint!

What’s Next at A Busy Lady: I’ve got an awesome author/special guest interview coming up! Get ready, it’s going to be great!

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