Writers Block!!! - Writers Forum

Kaku-Ryu · 04-14-2005, 03:40 PM

Not quite sure if this is the right place to post this or if it's been done before but;
I've been stuck in a writers block for a while now on one story and it's starting to really bother me. What does everyone here do when you're stuck?
Anyone care to share some ideas?

MetalDog · 04-14-2005, 03:47 PM

Usually I do one of two things.

Either I skip ahead a section and go back and fill in the bit I was stuck on later, or, more often, I try to reason out why I'm stuck. Quite often I'm stuck because something I've written recently isn't right in some way. Some part of the story has taken a wrong turn and needs full spinal adjustment before I can continue.

Sometimes this can be quite drastic, changing the entire arc of the plot and necessitating a good deal of correction on first revision, but usually it's something that only needs a couple of steps backwards.

Hope that helps.

valeca · 04-14-2005, 04:14 PM

People will say writer's block doesn't exist.

I say, 'You're not me.'

I've learned something, recently, about myself and my writing.

I can't force it. The more I force it, the more frustrated I get.

It's a personal standards thing with me. I'd rather not write, than write trash.

Not much on advice, I know, but sometimes stepping back and letting it come when it will, is the wiser choice

Gauda · 04-14-2005, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Not much on advice, I know, but sometimes stepping back and letting it come when it will, is the wiser choice

No, actually that's good advice. When it comes, it comes. Writers block, unfortunately, cannot be prevented, but it's just something that comes to every author. Relax, drink some coffee, don't stress out too much about it. That's all I can say.[/quote]

cyberspecter · 04-14-2005, 04:26 PM

Have to agree with both of you. I can be caused my letting your story go in a direction that your inner compass says "no" too... or maybe you aren't sure where you want it to go.
I know with my own writing, quite often I can't go forward because I see the end. I have to have a general idea of how a story ends or I can't seem to move on.
When that happens, I do as Valeca does. I step back let it bang around in my skull till such time as I can visualize an ending. Then it's back on track for me.

One way you can wait it out is to work on something else. Or you can write about your problem in a journal. Sometimes the answer will come to you as you identify your problem in your journal.

Good luck to you.

MetalDog · 04-14-2005, 04:31 PM

If I waited on my muse's fancy, I'd be lucky to write 30k words a year.

Sometimes all you can do is wait and /forcing/ yourself doesn't work for everyone, although I found while it didn't work at first, it began to work later as I built up a more solid writing habit.

Stephen King suggests writing at the same time each day so that your muse knows where to find you.
He also said something that I found inspirational, although I daresay valeca won't ;)

"Sometimes you have to go on when you don't feel like it. Sometimes you're doing good work when it feels like all you're managing is to shovel sh*t from a sitting position."

Try both approaches and see which one floats your boat, matey.

osiris · 04-14-2005, 05:18 PM

Basically I think there are two ways of dealing with writers block:

* The freudian way: dig deep. Find out what is stopping you - are you secretly thinking the result is not going to be good enough, so that your subconcious doesn't want you to get to the end? Is what you're writing about reawakening bad memories? Is there something else in your life that takes precedence over writing?

* The behaviorist way: force yourself to write. Although the text you will produce will not be any good, it is still a base for refinement or for finding new ideas.

my two cents...

PS. I almost suggested distraction - but when I look at my own problematic tasks, doing something else almost always is a way of just postponing your troubles.

Talia_Brie · 04-14-2005, 07:33 PM

I'm one of the people that say that writer's block doesn't exist. When I say that I don't mean that writer's never get into a situation where they don't know what's next. That happens, but I don't think that's writer's block.

Writer's Block is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. If you let it hang over your head, you'll eventually attract it.

In my experience 'writer's block' is more generally lack of planning, lack of inspiration, or just plain plot-line difficulties.

The best way to get over it, as far as I can tell, is to either start working on something else, or read through what you've done, from the beginning. If you can get excited about hte story again you'll know what comes next.

evadri · 04-14-2005, 07:55 PM

I agree with both of the last 2 posts.

First you need to work out if your problem is actually procrastination. If it is, then the best thing to do, is sit down and write SOMETHING, anything, even if it is trash. Maybe work on something different to get back into your groove, and definately write at the same time everyday, until it becomes a habit to write.

I have read that what is termed ' writer's block' is actually a 'lack of faith'. This ties in with the Freudian thing. Are you afraid of success or rejection or that you'll dry up? If so, you need to deal with these and think of reasons why they are stupid. If you can't write anything else, write 'I am a good writer, I deserve success...' etc.

If you're having plot or inspiration troubles, leave it, but WORK on something else for a while and don't think about it. The answer will often come to you in a 'flash' an hour to a week later usually. If not, you could always try lucid dreaming. (do a goodle search if you haven't heard of it.) Once you can become lucid, apparently you can choose problems to solve.
I've never been able to use this method yet, but I have gotten wonderful ideas and 'links' in non-lucid dreams.

badwriter1000 · 04-14-2005, 08:09 PM

The best way that I have found to get through it is to write, write, write.

I usally switch to something other than what is blocking me or, I just keep writing on the story knowing that I will dump it all a week from now when I get through it.

Like my uncle Olaf says. "You gotta shovel a lot of shit to get to the Pepsi."

Don't really know what that means but I think you can make it fit!

Good luck

valeca · 04-14-2005, 08:36 PM

I believe Freud also said (or at least it's attributed to him): Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar

I do what works for me. Simple.

executiveman · 04-14-2005, 08:51 PM

having WRITTERS BLOCK is like a pink gin and tonic with out a slice of lemon, totally useless.
my advice is to quite what ever dull it is job you have and travel only with a small case/backpack around european capitals, all ways rent private apartments, see the sites, talk to people and get stoned, drunk and most importantly vast amounts of speed, after a few weeks/months of this you shall have more interesting real life stories and have no problems in writting again (and maybe a chemical dependancy)
contact me if you think this is for you and i'll tell you some cool places in europe to go to.
danieljosephbleasdale@herzeleid.net

northerain · 04-15-2005, 04:52 AM

Skiping a scene or two would help, but you might wanna avoid that, since the outcome might look ''pasted'' in the end. Like it was written by different people. Something that always works for me, is speed writing. Just take a pencil(works best, the keyboard is too slow) and write very fast, not stopping to correct mistakes, not thinking too much about what you've written. You can edit it later. Hope it helps, let me know how it went.

Kane · 04-15-2005, 05:07 AM

some of us type faster than we handwrite =)

northerain · 04-15-2005, 05:22 AM

When typing fast, you misstype alot, and before you think, you're deleting and retyping it. It breaks up the flow.