conquering writer's block

[Formeruser012523]

Opium seemed to work for Lewis Carroll. Legally, I think the only cure for writer's block is time. Illegally, there's a medicine for every ill, even temporary creative deficiencies.

Wow! Really? Hadn't heard that one. Knew of a rumor that little girls were his drug of choice. *shudders* Yuck! *yucky*

I do know he had Epilepsy (as do I, & the prescriptions are lately my largest blockade to concentration). Caffeine has been my biggest aid as far as that goes. :coffee:

Unfortunately, alcohol's not an option. But I'm sure it would just put me to sleep & I sleep enough already. lol
Tried everything else. Outlines, notebooks, time away, pacing myself. Handwriting just took too long & I've switched to the keyboard. It helps my writing flow easy & much more quickly.

Think I'll go get another frappuccino...

 

[Taz-man]

I understand how you feel Mae. I am also suffering from writers' block. I can't seem to get past it either. I used to write soo much and now can't seem to hardly write anything. It is so annoying.

 

[Shangas]

Hey Mae.

If story outlines and notes and whatnot don't work, then perhaps some one-on-one brainstorming might?

I do that with a friend online every now and then. We just shoot ideas back and forth, working off each other as we go, until we have a full concept that we can write about. Sometimes, you just need another person's input/advice to keep you stimulated.

 

[Steven180]

Find inspiration.

Whether you're trying to focus on a subject, or attempting to wordsmith an emotion, find some inspiration to refocus your head and your heart. We often get caught up in life's issues and those pile on to distraction.

So watch the movie, do some research, read on the subject, or engage in some good conversation with someone who loves the issue as much as you do to find your enthusiasm and thought again.

And if that inspiration comes at 1 a.m., then get up and run with it! That's when the best work gets accomplished!

Stay away from the opium.
M.

 

[Shangas]

What are you writing about, Mae?

 

[Philip A.]

Write without knowing what you're going to write, be surprised by the story unfolding on that white paper or screen...

 

[Pompidou]

Write without knowing what you're going to write, be surprised by the story unfolding on that white paper or screen...

That's by and large what I do. Since my current story is in verse, I've on several occasions, taken the plot in new directions because I just didn't have the right words to say what I planned. As it stands, the story is writing itself. In some ways, it's better for it. I don't know what's going to happen next, because even if I think of something, I might not be able to rhyme and meter it. At every line, I think, "Now what can I say next?".

 

[Tomasso]

I can barely summon the strength to post this...it's that bad.....

 

[Rathdown]

Writer's block? Hmm.

Like Dorothy Parker said, "Writing is the art of applying your ass to your seat." Anything else is an excuse.

 

[MikeKardec]

I can't say what will work for you but coming from a line of productive writers, here's the formula that I have seen work and what, professionally, works for me ... when I'm smart enough to follow it. My betters have shown me the way no matter how remiss I am at following their example.

Butt in chair at a particular time of day -- every day. No radio, TV, Internet, telephone, books or other distractions -- none. No need to write but it's going to get boring if I don't. A release time, say four hours later. At that point I can go, whether I have written or not. If it's going good, don't stop. If you let yourself answer the phone or screw around then work another half hour or more.

Have an outline. You don't have to follow it but you can fall back on it. I rarely follow it religiously ... hell, I rarely obey the above rule religiously but things go better when I do. I outline but I also let the story tell me what it wants to become, I really believe in that but I've done it long enough to know whether it's the 8 inch angel on my shoulder or the 8 inch devil talking. The outline keeps you from going into "I don't know what to do so I'll stop" mode.

Don't stop during a first draft. Don't let research get the best of you. Research can KILL you with distractions. Blurt out a first draft, then research ... you'll have a better idea of what you need to know by that time. NEVER be afraid of being bad. NEVER. That's what rewrites are for. Write down what you want to accomplish tomorrow just before you go to bed ... let your unconscious work. Always rewrite but not right away. You need some objectivity. Don't go back and redo your work when you should be moving forward ... sometimes you have to but less than you'd think. You must be goal oriented in the first draft stage, they don't call it a rough draft for nothing. Get to the end, see what it is, then go back and make it a more perfect version of what it is.

When you start a second draft it's okay to tell people the story but NEVER pay attention to criticism. When you tell the story to someone else, have a notepad ready. You wil add details as you tell it. Write them down. This is your unconscious trying to please your audience and it often tells you good things. NEVER give it to people and ask them what they think -- however, asking them to tell YOU the story, literally tell you back what they just read is seriously illuminating. Try it some time.

Read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Honest 'How To" on writer's block from a pro.

Writing is medieval warfare, all about the hacking. It is hard and remorseless love. You will smell the blood and rust but you are not beaten until you give up. Butt in seat. Fingers on keys. Go ...

Good Luck to all.

 

[Shangas]

Writing should always be looked upon as a pleasure and a labour of love. As an exciting challenge. A bit of fun.

The moment writing starts hanging you and frustrating you and being a pain in the neck, it stops being fun and becomes a chore. That holds you back and stops the muse from helping you with your creative work.

Since my start on Sunday, I have covered forty pages of the first draft of my new story.

I only got that far so fast because I had a clear idea of what I wanted and how I was going to get there and I worked fast, with a passion and never let anything distract me or get in my way. Overcoming writer's block requires a firm plan of what it is you're going to work on. I wouldn't have gotten this far without one.

 

[Pompidou]

Writing should always be looked upon as a pleasure and a labour of love. As an exciting challenge. A bit of fun.

The moment writing starts hanging you and frustrating you and being a pain in the neck, it stops being fun and becomes a chore. That holds you back and stops the muse from helping you with your creative work.

Since my start on Sunday, I have covered forty pages of the first draft of my new story.

I only got that far so fast because I had a clear idea of what I wanted and how I was going to get there and I worked fast, with a passion and never let anything distract me or get in my way. Overcoming writer's block requires a firm plan of what it is you're going to work on. I wouldn't have gotten this far without one.

40 pages is impressive in three days. Out of curiosity, how long did it take to put together the "firm plan of what it is you're going to work on"? I'm wondering what the happy medium is in terms of preplanning and improvising.

 

[Shangas]

I'd been thinking of the story in my head for weeks, if not months. But Sunday was the only time I'd atually thought about writing it. Finally, the urge got too great.

I wrote down a really rough plan, with a basic plot and characters, location and so-forth and then I started writing. Refining my plan and making it more and more detailed as I went as the story got longer and more complex. Every now and then I'd stop, plan out the next bit, write it until I ran out of plan and/or improvisation, stopped, wrote the next bit and so-on.

Oh, the 40 pages doesn't include the four pages of glossary that goes along with the story.

The outline, plans, bullet-points etc, cover about seven and a half pages. All handwritten.

 

[AmateisGal]

Read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Honest 'How To" on writer's block from a pro.

I second this advice. This is an amazing book.

 

[AmateisGal]

Here's something else to consider for writer's block: go outside, take a walk, look at something new. Getting out of your present surroundings will give you a fresh perspective on things.

 

[Shangas]

Story's at 46 pages. Nearly finished. And yes. Fresh air is a big help. Take a shower. Or better yet, a really long bath.

 

[AmateisGal]

Story's at 46 pages. Nearly finished. And yes. Fresh air is a big help. Take a shower. Or better yet, a really long bath.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've worked out a plot problem or other writing conundrum in the shower. It's just weird how that works, but it does.

 

[AmateisGal]

This may be of some help...I haven't looked at it yet, but I have read this guy's previous stuff and he is great.

Free ebook- Creative Blocks (And How to Break Through Them): http://www.wishfulthinking.co.uk/2011/09/29/creative-blocks/

 

[Shangas]

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've worked out a plot problem or other writing conundrum in the shower. It's just weird how that works, but it does.

Can't disagree with you there. Some of my best story ideas came to me when I was in the shower. It's relaxing and allows the mind to wander.

 

[Pompidou]

Can't disagree with you there. Some of my best story ideas came to me when I was in the shower. It's relaxing and allows the mind to wander.

Most of my ideas come whenever I'm stuck at a long, miserable job of any sort. Manual labor causes me to retreat inside my head, where most of my thinking takes place.