A different kind of writer’s block: revisions/publishing block

Everyone has heard of the writer’s block. The feeling your creativity has disappeared, your inspiration well is dry, the motivation to continue working on your current project is just not there. The words are not coming, the blank page stares back at you and it’s more and more difficult to find time to show up for a writing session.

The reasons could range from emotional or physical burnout in your day to day life  on one side (like illness, family or work related struggles that leave you depleted) to perfectionism and fear of being criticized on the other (the whispers of the inner critic can form a barrier that’s very difficult to overcome and you suddenly find yourself  doing anything only to avoid writing).

I could write pages about the writer’s block and how to overcome it. But today I want to concentrate on something I’ve realized is not talked about enough.

The revisions block. Or shall we call it the publishing block?

Imagine the scenario—your book is written. You have finished the first draft. You have read through and revised it. Not just once, but multiple times. You give the story to your most trusted critique partner. You revise again with their feedback. Then the book goes to the beta readers. You revise again and incorporate their feedback. After years of revisions (draft twenty or so…) you come to the conclusion you are ready for the next step—start querying agents if you wish to go the traditionally published route or find a professional editor who’ll help you polish the story to perfection if you choose the self-publishing path.

And suddenly you freeze.

What if the story is not ready yet? What if, even after the twenty plus revisions there is still something you could do yourself before you take the next step? You want to prevent rejections from agents, don’t you? And editors are so expensive, surely it’s better to read through again and make sure the book is the best you can make it before you show it to a professional…

So you do another round of revisions and edits.

And another… and another…

Or maybe you just stay in the freeze mode and stop working on the story altogether. Something is blocking you, something is in the way of you moving forward towards your dream to publish the story you’ve worked so hard to bring to life.

This resistance to move forward is most of the time rooted deeply in the emotional self as a hidden fear. It might present itself as an inner critic that stops you from making a fool of yourself by putting an “imperfect story” out into the world. But it also might be only sitting there, in your subconscious, quietly holding the leash. And you may be wondering, why is it impossible for you to move on.

Forcing yourself to overcome this kind of block will, like with the writer’s block, only make it worse. Being angry or frustrated with yourself is even less helpful, it will dig you even deeper, make you feel like a failure.

Instead, be kind to yourself. Don’t fight your fear. Sit with it as if it were your friend. Ask it, what it needs and listen to what it tells you. Your fear is not your enemy. Its function is to keep you safe—from real or imagined threats. Maybe you are afraid of being seen, because you fear being criticized, judged, rejected. Maybe you are worried if your story will make the impact you hope it will. Maybe you are afraid to invest a lot of money into a project you are not sure will be a success.

Try listening to that inner voice. Be patient and gentle with it. Often that simple act of being mindful with yourself can loosen up the knots that block you. Or point you in a direction that will help you overcome the barrier in your way. The one that stops you from what you really want—share your story with the people that need it.

In the Mirror of Truth trilogy

On her quest for truth, Aileen, the protagonist of my Mirror of Truth trilogy, is also learning to listen to and work with her fears, instead of ignoring them or letting them rule her. It’s not an easy journey, but it’s the only one that can bring her closer to her goal—to uncover the truth about the obscured past and expose the wrongdoings and manipulations that govern her world.

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