How I Beat Writer’s Block: An Honest Review Of Sarah Selecky’s The Story Course
Six years ago, I was a recent MFA-grad who had completely stopped writing fiction.
I was freelancing as a copywriter for local businesses and also writing for a couple of online sites. I didn’t love any of it. The writing itself was completely underwhelming, and the pay sucked.
And for the life of me, I couldn’t write fiction anymore. I had no ideas, no inspiration, nothing to say. The muse was gone. The stories had dried up almost as soon as I finished my two-year-long MFA program. Suddenly, I had an advanced degree in fiction writing, and not a single ounce of desire to write stories.
One night in early 2012, after almost a year of being a non-writing fiction writer, I was scrolling through social media on my phone when I came across Sarah Selecky’s Story Course, then called Story Is A State Of Mind.
Every cell in my body froze as I read about the program.
Created for writers whose self-doubt, absent muse or lack of discipline has driven them from their craft. CHECK.
No matter what wall you’ve hit, this program is designed to work alongside and within that resistance, to make the task of writing not just enjoyable, but simply irresistible. NEED.
The in-depth exercises, video tutorials, extraordinary story examples and detailed audio debriefs are on hand to help you stay dedicated and inspired, every step of the way. YES, PLEASE.
I would’ve enrolled on the spot if I had the extra money. Instead, I tucked the idea away and told myself that one day I’d sign up. One day, I’d take this magical-sounding writing course and get my creativity back.
By that summer, I did… and it completely changed the trajectory of my writing life for years afterward.
That summer I enrolled in the very first Story Intensive. I was so wildly out of practice with fiction writing that I knew I needed the live element of the Intensive instead of the self-study element of The Story Course.
(Although, spoiler alert, I’ve done The Story Course MANY times over the years and even started my novel during one of my revisits to the program. They’re both incredibly valuable.)
During the Intensive, I had accountability from my classmates and teacher, so I had to write something even if I still felt blocked.
As annoying as it is, that’s the trick to getting through a writing block. You have to just write.
I don’t know that I would’ve actually done as much writing on my own without the support and momentum that comes along with a classroom setting. At the end of the Intensive, I had a completed short story that felt ready to polish thanks to feedback from the teacher and other students. I hadn’t given up because writing felt too hard. I’d reminded myself what it is I love about the writing process.
And more importantly, I was back to writing regularly!
So regularly, in fact, that it’s six years later and I’ve written many short stories and a novel, which is now in its fourth draft. Taking the Intensive and then working on The Story Course lessons on my own gave me so much momentum, I’m now committed to making a career out of writing.
And I know I can always go back to the course materials whenever I need to right the ship.
The Intensive is incredible for writers who feel ready to make their writing a priority and who crave interaction with other writers they can trust.
Over the years, I’ve worked through The Story Course on my own and with my writing group whenever I needed to reignite my writing life. And I even taught a section of the Intensive. I’ll be back to teaching it this fall, and enrollment is open now if you’re interested in joining us.
The important thing to remember is that you don’t need a writing program to help you write. You can do that on your own for free any time you want. You can do it right now. Just pick up a pen and notebook, and you’re all set.
But if you’re stuck or blocked, you know that starting can often feel so daunting you’d rather just avoid it completely (which usually makes you feel worse with every non-writing day that passes). Sometimes, it’s not as simple as just writing. Sometimes the words genuinely will not come.
So if you commit to something like The Story Course or the Intensive, you’re giving yourself a nudge in the right direction. That nudge might be enough to propel you past the huge block of resistance keeping you from your work. This is the true value of a writing program. The craft lessons are hugely important, yes, but getting yourself past your own resistance is the most important thing.
You can’t write anything if you feel blocked.
You can’t feel blocked if you’re working on a writing program that encourages experimentation, freewriting, and working within your creative flow.
Want to learn more about the Story Intensive? Don’t wait — enrollment for this fall’s session closes on June 23rd.
If now isn’t the right time for you to enroll in the live class, consider The Story Course. You can work at your own pace and revisit the materials anytime you like.
Going through this course on my own in 2014 helped me start my novel, which I’m now querying to agents.
Have you taken a writing class before that helped you get out of a writing rut? I’d love to hear in the comments which class or classes you’ve taken and how it helped your writing life!