writer's block - Writers Forum

Anonymous · 03-13-2003, 04:33 PM

It's something that happens to all of us, at one time or another. One moment you may have the greatest idea ever--only to have everything slip through your fingers the next.

So how do you beat writer's block? When you're writing a story (poem, song, etc) how do you get past the point of "What Now" or "What word am I looking for?"

Giving up is easy...but it's not the answer. Curious what others out there do to beat the block.

Spudley · 03-14-2003, 04:24 PM

When I get writers block, it usually means my brain doesn't want to think about what I want to think about.

So I find the quickest way to get rid of it is to switch, and write something else instead, and come back to whatever I was trying to write about some other time.

Also, try flash fiction (or 'nuggets', as I call them). This is where you write a very small piece, which is really just a scene or an incident. It would normally be a part of a bigger story, but here you're just interested in this single scene, so you don't have to worry about how the story develops (which is one of my worst problems for writers block).

Of course, all that assumes you've at least got a couple of topic ideas, but if you're stuck even for an idea, I would say stop writing, and start reading.

Reading other people's writing with a critical eye is a fantastic cure for writer's block - as soon as you read something, and you think "I could have written that better or differently", that's when you've started breaking down those blocks.

Of course, you don't want to just re-write other people's work, but almost every time I read something, I start thinking of directions that the author didn't take the story or article, but which would have been interesting. If you can follow one of those ideas, it can quickly develop into a whole story of it's own.

And if all else fails, you could always write about writer's block! If you look around Lit.org, I know there are quite a few poems on the subject in the archives, so you won't be alone in your suffering.

Hope you manage to break down those blocks.

Anonymous · 03-16-2003, 11:59 PM

Hey

I find a good way to avoid writers' block is to not start writing until I'm *fanatical* about whatever it is I'm thinking of writing. I think about it, I explore all the different directions I could take it in, and basically hype it up in my mind before i start - this basically just helps me build momentum

In a similar vein, I do a lot of planning. If i plan before I start (plotting, working out what will happen and when, who my characters are, what the main themes are, etc) then I find I always know what I have to get to next, and what I have to achieve in each section. This is a good way to avoid rambling aimlessly while you wait for inspiration.

I also think what Spudley says about flash fiction etc. is a great idea. To be able to write at the drop of a hat, you've got to "build the creative muscle" as it were. You can't run a marathon unless you've trained - it's the same with writing.

So it's a good idea to write whenever you can, about anything at all. Carry a notebook, for instance, and just jot in it as the mood takes you. This way, you get to try all different kinds of themes, you get used to filling up a blank page, and you get into the groove of building an idea and being creative with whatever crops up in the world around you.

It also means you don't have to labour under the obligations of 'length', or 'finished works' - you can just write and stop when you feel like it, change tack in mid-stream, whatever you like. It gives you the freedom to enjoy and practice writing, so that when it comes ot the "marathon" (writing a complete, compelling, structured piece), you've got the muscle to get there

g

Anonymous · 06-07-2003, 12:34 AM

I've gotten rid of writer's block a lot of times. The way is, I go outside and fiddle around. Jog. Go up town. Do any thing besides writing for a while.

Take the the bar-bells off your head for christ sake!

Scott · 06-07-2003, 11:22 PM

Last week, I had a BIG block. Hours of staring into space with nothing coming back. I'd touch the key pad and then my fingers would freeze. Pissed off, I went to bed. The next day the answer came to me. Words fell into place, exactly how I'd hoped. It made me relise that some things take time. Maybe a block is our mind telling us to have a break.

free_mind_7 · 06-08-2003, 04:24 PM

i dont know about anyone else but, for me, i always just wait til im really tired (usually late at nite) to write. this tiredness and lack of activity around me helps me concentrate. also being tired is like a drug for me. i tend to think differently and release different parts of my mind while im tired.

celestialwolf · 06-08-2003, 10:02 PM

And what if the writers block is warped and not really writers block but more lack of a desire to write what I want to write. I can plan, think, even dream on it for weeks but when I have the chance to write. I'll write a poem or something else so I don't have to write on it. But really, I do! Any advice?

free_mind_7 · 06-08-2003, 10:31 PM

hhmmmmm.....cant help ya there. ive never been so unfortunate to be stuck in a spot like that. i say sleep deprivation is the key. insomniacs rule!

cdm · 06-08-2003, 11:12 PM

Celestialwolf

You are programming yourself for defeat. You are unsure of your ability, and, rather than make a fool of yourself, you avoid doing anything.

As a qualified motivational psychologist, I suggest a tall double tequila and grapefruit ... wait, that's another cure.

Believe me, you won't know what it's like to be criticized until you write something bad, then you will get defensive and write something REALLY good to show that bunch of naysayers up!

Then you will know you can do it, and can give the finger to your critics.

Until you write that first horrible example of a horrible example, you will have that ahead of you, and that's daunting. Once you take that first step, the dread is gone. If you are a writer, you will write, and the devil take the hindmost.

Anonymous · 06-09-2003, 07:53 AM

There's no such thing as writer's block. Only lazy writers.

Anonymous · 06-09-2003, 08:22 AM

Thanks cdm. Honestly it's got to be the pen that is lazy!

celestialwolf · 06-09-2003, 08:26 AM

*slaps myself in the head* I should have logged in first! Obviously the above is from me. See I haven't written much in a long while save a few scraps of poetry. Seems like I remember reading something along the lines of "writing is a muscle and if you don't use it, dont expect to run a marathon." Maybe I'm a little out of shape?

I guess all I can do is work on it..

DragonReborn · 06-12-2003, 11:48 PM

One way that I beat the block is listen to music. This may not be the answer for you. But the point is: Do whatever you need to do to help you WANT to write. Find what you need to help you concentrate. And don't be afraid: One old writer once said that he actually wrote with a shriveled up apple in his drawer. He liked the smell and it helped him concentrate. So don't be afraid of trying whatever you think can help you beat the block.

free_mind_7 · 06-12-2003, 11:51 PM

that apple thing is pretty wicked strange, but the point behind it makes sense.

Bartleby · 06-21-2003, 08:49 PM

I've just come of a nearly two month long case of the block and the only thing that worked was giving myself a project with a definate structure. In this case, since I wanted to write poetry I decided to write some haiku and tanka. These very structured Japansese poetic forms force me to pay attention to my word choice and sentence structure, but the best part is that because they are short by nature I'm left feeling like I've really written something and that sometimes is all I need to get past a case of the block.

On a side note, the poems resulting from this experiment are posted on Lit.org if you wanna have a look. They are filed under the Haiku section.