writer's block

[SarcasmDispenser]

When you have writers block, how do you deal with it?


I can't come up with anything to write about, I want to write an on-going script, (sit-com drama type) of high school, perhaps a bit older students, but it seems that these days that sort of thing is done at every corner.

Any ideas?

 

[Barrenlimb]

Ball of Pla-Doh helps ease the mind and open up the creative juices in your mind. Doodling, drawing, playing an instrument, painting, rhyming words, or poetry. All of these things help trigger a certain amount of creativity. Begin with an excercise to open up that part of your brain and then move over into thinking about your story.

 

[Akuma]

You can always try writing something else until you get in the mood. Or you can do it the old fashioned way and sit there staring at your writing and trying to force yourself to write. If you don't like what the "forced writing" produces, get rid of it and try again.

 

[Kaylee4Christ]

I people watch. get my ideas from other people's behavior.

kaylee

 

[Tariel]

When I have writer's block I complain about it to all my friends. Ok, that's probably not the best way to deal with it, but I do it anyway .

When I can't get ahold of my friends to complain to them, or when I run out of friends, I sit and stare at my laptop. When I get bored of that, I usually read something. I'm not sure why, but reading usually helps me.

 

[silentpoet]

free writing maybe.

 

[Sojourner<><]

I like to keep a "whatever" notebook with me wherever I go so that I can write down whatever comes to my mind. That way I keep myself thinking about different ideas instead of getting caught up on one specific plot. When I get blocked I just put it aside without worrying about it and I'll come back a month or so later with alot of new material in my notebook.

 

[Fledge]

Physical activity does wonders for a clogged mind. Even something as simple as a quick (5 min) walk can help. If your problem is an inability to get good ideas, one thing you can try is brainstorming (preferrably with someone else), and then adapting the ideas to fit what you want the story to look like.

 

[Westvleteren]

If I already have the basic idea and I've just hit a speed bump, nothing gets me over it like a hot shower. Any source of white noise, actually, frees up the brain, but hot water relaxes you, too.

If I need an idea to begin with, I start journaling. Just start writing down the little things that happen during the day--weird people I saw on the train, an odd newspaper article, a really beautiful flower arrangement, the perfect chocolate cookie. Eventually something will trip the switch.

 

[Tariel]

I'd recommend spending any time at all with my youth pastor, but I don't think that's very possible. Takinga shower definately helps, as does playing video games. Playing the piano helps a little bit, reading a really good book can help, doodling randomly helps. Writing backstories for the characters is also a good way to get the brain running again.
I find writing backstories especially helpful because A). You're writing something, but it's not what you've been working on. and B). it can help spark ideas.

 

[Westvleteren]

Writing backstories for the characters is also a good way to get the brain running again.
I find writing backstories especially helpful because A). You're writing something, but it's not what you've been working on. and B). it can help spark ideas.

Oooooh, yeah--that's a good suggestion. I got started on a backstory once and I liked it so much I ditched the first plotline and used the backstory instead.

 

[Fledge]

<snip>

Writing backstories for the characters is also a good way to get the brain running again.
I find writing backstories especially helpful because A). You're writing something, but it's not what you've been working on. and B). it can help spark ideas.

One thing that I think made Tolkien's work so great is the incredible level of detail behind his story(s). Writing backstories is a great way to develop the history behind the story, and if you know the background well, the story almost writes itself. I've been trying to write a rather long story for a little while now, and ended up working on a few short stories that are currently much longer than the "main" story is at the moment.

 

[Tariel]

My "main" story is like 43 pages right now...not including the thirty or so pages that still need to be rewritten, so It's hard to get backstories that are longer, but I have writen twenty-page backstories before . They're really fun to do.

 

[Westvleteren]

My "main" story is like 43 pages right now...not including the thirty or so pages that still need to be rewritten, so It's hard to get backstories that are longer, but I have writen twenty-page backstories before . They're really fun to do.

Sometimes I surprise myself by how interesting my characters are. I've written a couple of "throwaway" characters whose stories turned out to be fascinating, once I listened to what they had to tell me.

 

[Tariel]

Sometimes I surprise myself by how interesting my characters are. I've written a couple of "throwaway" characters whose stories turned out to be fascinating, once I listened to what they had to tell me.

Oh yeah. It can be almost scary how interesting minor characters can be. I have one character that I put in the story for a reason I can't even remember (it was a very small part though) and now most people say he's their favorite character! It's true...just ask your characters who they are, and see what they say.

 

[Tamara77777]

Hi, I left a post here the other day, guess it didn't take...

What I shared was a friend of mine who is a published writer, told me to write daily, sit at computer or with pad of paper and free write on anything that comes to mind...or choose a topic or a idea, or ? whatever anything you fancy and write...you can start by writing for 10 min...if your struggling write less, if your inspired keep going...just let the words come...flow out of you...and in time it will clear your mind and you could journal these words as you might have found a few good one liners and you make a 'creative binder' to keep them in...the Lord gave me that idea btw, and it is cool to look back on things you write that maybe at the time didnt' seem like much but you can actually use it.

hope this will help...it has also been working for me too lately! I've written some nice lyrics/poems.
Blessings! praisingonpiano

 

[rstrahan]

Professional writers have said repeatedly that you should write daily, write something, write notes, write thoughts, write about anything. What you think you should write about may not be what your inner writer thinks you should write about. Besides, it can give you story ideas, scenes, etc that you can use later.

 

[Received]

Speaking as a person undoubtedly deluded in regards to thinking how much writers block he has:

I find immersing yourself in all kinds of great, deviating ideas, whether presented in books, movies, or even music can help you "click" into your writing self. As another member here mentioned, playing an instrument does really help, if not with the creativity then dealing with the frustration that comes with creative obstruction. I advise buying an acoustic guitar and teaching oneself.

Other than that, if writers block is something that occassionally or moderately bothers you, it might be best to simply drop what you're doing and do something else constructrive in a sense of possibly helping your current endeavor. This again goes back to books, movies, and music.

But if it is a writers block that virtually never grants you any progress, perhaps it is best to resign your project. It can be hard, but you'll save yourself bad health, and if the itch to write is genuine, you will not leave this planet without creating something you feel you have expressed yourself decently in.

 

[Skyman87]

I get writer's block too. I'll think of an idea, then don't know where to go with it too.

 

[Arikereba]

Physical activity, hot bath.

Watching lots of movies, reading lots of books, listening to lots of music--not just slacking off, but watching and listening for what stirs my passion, to find out what I love, to find out what I love enough to write about it.

Thinking and freewriting about the characters--if my idea is still vague, it usually means that there isn't enough conflict there. So you just keep stirring and poking the idea until something turns over and you find what kinds of awful and sadistic things you can do to the characters.