writers block help - Writers Forum

Taz · 01-31-2006, 08:50 PM

What to do if you have no ideas and wan't to write. Get a friend or family member to give you an opening line or two. I find this works wounders and see how you go from there.

Dephere · 01-31-2006, 09:08 PM

I usually just write prose, about something. Even an object will do, but something abstract is more useful (i.e. emotions), just to get the creative juices flowing.

hippiebuddhist · 01-31-2006, 10:48 PM

I usually don't write when I don't have anything to say. But the past few times when I've had pent up writing energy and have had it blocked I tryed a technique one of my online friends suggested and it worked miricales. What you do is write on a scrap piece of paper random thoughts and words until you feel the words you want to write come to you. It definatly works I havn't cleaned out my room from the last time I wrote so I still have scrapes of paper all over the floor.

cellardoor · 01-31-2006, 11:04 PM

smoke some pot and try to remember the random shit you think of

Rory · 01-31-2006, 11:06 PM

I've had major writer's block for my main story lately. Typically what I do when I get writer's block is outline like mad, but even that is not doing it for me. So I put aside my main story, taking on another project. Overall, though, I tend not to think of it as writer's block. To me, it's only my body telling me I need to do something. I do something, then it's good.

bob rulz · 01-31-2006, 11:11 PM

I have serious writers block problems sometimes, where I just stop writing and don't start again on the same story for weeks, even though I sit down and think about it often. However, I've learned to counter that somewhat by not thinking about it too much, as painful as that is to me. I find it hard to stop thinking about my story sometimes, mainly because I usually don't have much to think about.

darthwader · 02-01-2006, 07:46 AM

I had a major case of writers block the other day, where I knew exactly what I needed to write (because I had already completed the first draft) but the words just wouldn't come. I then looked through some text books from a writing course I did, and found a little gem of advice, "If you're having writers block, it usually means that there is something wrong or missing in your story"

Sure enough, I found that my story needed some extra bad guys. I had to edit most of what I had written to make them fit in properly, but now the words are coming thick and furious, and my story is all the better for it. So if you're having writers block whilst in the middle of a story, maybe there is something wrong in an earlier part of your story that needs fixing.

On the other hand, if your problem is coming up with a story to begin with, just sit down with a notebook, a dictionary and a thesaurus. Come up with a single character and a location, then start adding other objects with abstract names. Once you have a solid setting, a story will ususally follow.

Talia_Brie · 02-01-2006, 07:38 PM

I can honestly say I've never had this problem.

What I can't say is that all my ideas are good ones, or that they've all gone somewhere.

SxThorntonxS · 02-01-2006, 11:34 PM

A favorite thing i like to do. I have someone i know give me three random objects and then work a story that at least has to use each one somewhere. Example: Purple sock, mango and a garden gnome.

Talia_Brie · 02-01-2006, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Purple sock, mango and a garden gnome.

I can work with that. Can the gnome come to life?

SxThorntonxS · 02-02-2006, 12:05 AM

it can do anything you want. You just have to use it. You can have the gnome fly a plane if you want, even before it comes to life. lol

But you have to post what you came up with, im interested lol

Shan · 02-04-2006, 01:11 PM

I have this urge to just sit down and write, but once I'm there, I get nothing but blanks. I have this main character, scene, and possible plot in mind, but when it comes to writing it down, I'm sooooo lost. I don't know where to begin. I have a library of books to teach you how to write and overcome writers block, but at times, I find them not useful. So, in which case, I toss everything to the side and don't write anything for weeks, but the urge is still there. I sometimes feel like I'm not a writer at all, just a "wanna be"!! Any suggestions that may help me? Or am I just not cut out for writing?

teflon · 02-04-2006, 01:14 PM

What works is looking through an album of striking visual art, listening to avantgarde music, reading imrpessionistic poetry.

SxThorntonxS · 02-05-2006, 06:50 AM

What you should say is, what works for you, teflon. Everyone has their own inspiration and those suggestions would lead me to playing video games. Music does inspire me a lot though. Id say music and friends inspire me the most.

Shan · 02-05-2006, 07:04 AM

Thanks guys. I do listen to classical and smooth jazz when I write. Just seems to soothe me a little bit. But it doesn't help with the writers block. lol. I've started gathering up newspapers that I toss to the side and going to start making me a collage of notebooks and boards. Maybe that will shake something loose. Who knows, maybe I'll learn how to write yet.