Nemo

So many times I'll open Word and have an idea ready to start. Its all planned and I know what I want to do. My hand will hover over the key board...five minutes later nothing has happened. Its like I lock up or something. I know what I want to do its just I can't get it to go

Anybody else get this, and if so what do you do to remedy it? I guess I will just have to plow right through it and what goes down goes down. Theres always time to edit right .

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"Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."

Xeen

I get that problem alot. One of my favorite things of all time to do is to write, and I've got tons of things I can write on, but you don't see me actually writing on anything now do ya?

I think sometimes the problem will be is you have too much to write on or you have too many distractions.

Sometimes it's just a matter of getting the ball rolling... then you'd probably have to have somebody pry you off your keyboard to come up for air.

I have 2 things that help me out of writer's block that works pretty well... doing one will usually do it. You can either A) Go read some really bad writing or B) Go read some really good writing.

Same works for movies with me. Watch a good, inspirational movie. The Lord of the Rings trilogy usually makes me want to draw though.

Eh... good luck, hope you can get something out

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extensiveness in a random sort of restricted way. *shrug*

journyman161

Are you perhaps trying to write a perfect first phrase? Maybe try typing the thought that's in your head, break the white space with something like, 'fantasy, with dragon that can move through time' then see if you can expand it out. What kind of dragon, is it an earth setting or alternate reality, fairies, wizards or something else?

Or perhaps write the description of the character you're seeing in your head & then what s/he's looking at, then where /she is etc.

Or leave the PC on, go for a walk outside where you can see things at a distance, the come back, sit down & write.

Good luck!

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*He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
*Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
*Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it - Moses Hadas
*He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know - Abraham Lincoln

Nemo

Thanks guys, I think its just that first phrase that gets me. I'll see if these things help, probably just trying to hard .

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"Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."

smcd

I'd agree with all the advice already posted. It can also be helpful to try writing something completely different. Something new to get your writing juices going again.

Whende

Usually when I have a problem, I either go to something else for little while. Other times, I'll blast music from the computer and it puts me in my own world. I guess it might sound a little crazy, but it works for me.

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mistress_batty

I have that same problem. I'm supposed to be writing creative non-fiction about me working in a bakery and I'll just sit here at the computer and stare at the screen even though I have specific stories thought out.
Lately I've been looking at writing prompts and taking the stories I want to write and...I try to look at them in a different light while using the prompts..

Gehrig

Avoid the "stage fright" and scribble your thoughts on paper. Make doodles, draw thumbnail sketches, use point form. No matter, just get the juices flowing.

Afterward, turn on the computer and load word. Then use the sheet of ideas to get going. Works for me...

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"If I see an ending, I can work backward."
- Arthur Miller

Monkey King

In journalism we tend to put so much focus on our lead sentence that writers choke and get nothing done.

Having trouble with the first line, skip it. Write the second or the third. Once that's fleashed out more you can go back.

Give yourself pressure too, got let laziness kill your idea.

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Cut me some slack. I just found out that only I can prevent forest fires and that's a lot of pressure.

Zan

This happens to me all the time... or as I hope to say, use to happen to me all the time.

There are a few ways I like to deal with this, many of which have already been mentioned here.

First, I just write. Usually I am way to critical of that first sentence or paragraph. Rephrasing it, changing some words here and others there, then revamping it completely. Eventually, I have devoted so much time to the first sentence, still not satisfied with it, leading me to grow frustrated and annoyed eventually getting nothing accomplished. So I have found just writing as if no one would ever see it helps, then you can go back and edit if you wish.

The interesting thing is, as a history major, I have to write a ton of papers and reports. When I write a paper that isn't nearly as important or one that I haven't done a lot of research for, it usually goes rather quickly. Mainly because I don't care as much about it. But when its an important paper, or one I care about a great deal, then it takes much longer. The funny thing is I knew the least about my topic and got it done the easiest and quickest. But when writing for fun, actually knowing the plot, having done my research, I lock-up.

Secondly, just pick up a good book you like that tends to give you inspiration. Once you are swept up in it, and you begin to write, don't let that inspiration die. Just write to get the ideas done in prose form and then go from there.

At least thats what works for me.

Writerpersonwrites

I tend to sit outside with a laptop or PDA on a bench in front of a small "house pond" with a fountain and write out there, or in complete darkness, the darkness one may seem crazy, but it helps me to get my focus off my surroundings and on my story.

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"There are many reasons why novelists write, but they all have one thing in common: a need to create an alternative world."
-John Fowles

"There are some things in this life that should not be revealed to the public...and you are one of them."
-Future President of the United States

crunch

Wow. I guess I'm just lazy! I usually just don't write and spen a few days planning out how to write the first paragraph. Then, once I've got it all planned, I actually sit down and write it.

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