Ennui

Any writer can tell you something about writer's block. Some say it is frustrating, and others say it doesn't even exist.

Well based on some experiments I have conducted, I believe the secret to writer's block is how you feel.

Emotionally, I have been very stressed out lately. It has resulted in a lack of will to write, and when I do, it seems that I can't even do it anymore. But in these odd times, when I am in a good mood, I can sit down and write 12,000 words in a couple of days. But then, my emotional level goes back down, and then I give up on the story completely because since there is something wrong in my life, it has reflected back onto the pages of my story.

So perhaps the secret to writer's block could be to stay happy.

I could be wrong, just my opinion.

Mike C

Surely that's the secret to everything!

__________________
My writing
My Photo Blog
Web design for Writers
The Oddville Press

Flexbile Garphite

I had writer's block for four years because I thought to myself, "oh, what I've written so far is crap because I'm such a sh*tty writter, and if I look at it again I'll have no choice but to throw it out and start over." I read it again and it was crap. But I didn't throw it out; I edited and revised it, and wrote a more solid outline that would carry the story to its conclusion. For me, seeing that there is a beginning, middle, and end to my story really helps illeviate writer's block.

__________________
F.G.
===============
"Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens." -Jung
"Blessed be the cracked people, for they let in the light." -anon
"Issues with nice men are unbearable. Issues with jerks are workable." -anon
Check out some of my literary work at: http://www3.telus.net/public/xmler

Dixie

Im starting to look at it the same way as Flexible Graphite does. Before when I was writing I was in the mindset that there is a begining and an ending, and never thought about the middles.

Im now trying to develop some characters for a story Ive been wanting to write for the past 4 years but never been able to muster up enough courage or energy to do it because I thought it was going to be another false start. Now that I start thinking about my middles, how you get from point A to point B it seems so much easier, and the words seem to come more easily. I believe that writers block comes down to how you think and feel. Hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll have a rough draft of my first chapter up for critique.

CandieK

You may be on to something there, Ennui.

Writer's block does exist, and I think it does have something to do with your mood and what's going on around you.

Me, I'm too careful and self judgemental about my work. If I think what I write is not up to par, I won't even post it, -or finish it at times. Thus creating my own self-imposed writer's block.

__________________
-Groucho Marx

Fantasy of You

Smells like horse testicals to me.

__________________
It's only natural to want something profound in your sig.

Emerson Darkness

Writer's block has everything to do with how you think and feel.
A writer has to get into his character's skin so to speak. You have to be able to put your character 'through the ringer' and not be afraid to cut off a few fingers in the process.
Changing our characters in the process of a story can be one of the hardest things to do because when we create them, we often view them as perfect already. We often think, "no this can't happen to Steven!"
But what if it did happen? $$$$
That's what makes for an exciting story - when it does happen. When angry or upset you can even spin a story into gold, because your writing can change and twist the plot differently than when your happy. It can give your writing variety, and you can find out what your characters are really made of.

Otto Ray Sing

You have to write for you. I have several stories that are in the not so good catagory, but they were from my thoughts at the time. I don't plan to ever do any more to them than I've already done. For a long time I wrote with the thought of eventually selling my work. What I was writing wasn't me. I also spent so much time striving for perfection that I lost interest. Now I write when I'm inspired to do such. If something looks like it might have potential, I'll invest more time and work on it. As was stated ealier, sometimes there are things going on in life that just don't allow the juices of imagination to flow.

__________________
We grow too soon old, and too late smart.

Emerson Darkness

I agree a writer should always write for his/herself, i've never writen anything except for that reason. But i've really only had a few instances when i wasn't feeling creative.
Later on i found that it was my own mind set preventing me from writing anything worth while. It was a fear to push my character down 'the hard road.'
After i got over the fear of actually changing them, i havn't been able to claim that my ink pen has run dry, no matter what mood i am in.

discipleofWORD

"What if?"

I love that question. Something that everyone including me should ask ourselves and be open to possibilities.

__________________
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
-C.S. Lewis-

Emerson Darkness

What if, can go a long way...

SilkFX

Count me in as another fan of the What If...

__________________
you can't you can never be sure
you die without knowing
whether anything you wrote was any good
if you have to be sure don't write

Ennui

Good points have been posted...

I realise tonight that maybe my writer's block is coming from what people say I should do.

I completely agree...a person should write for fun, aka write for yourself.

Emerson Darkness

Maybe you endanger the lives of thousands by getting nothing written

Aeris

Perhaps that is best for you. I find that I write best when I'm feeling emotionally numb. My characters can have greater depth of emotion because I don't fall into any extremes. But I never edit when I'm not in a good mood - I'm most likely to scrap the project in that case.

But I agree with posters above - that emotions are important for writing.