Thread: Writers Block!!!!

I find myself sitting here, in front of my computer screen with a blank mind. I feel like Homer trying to think. The image of a mule swating at flies in his brain feels too familiar!

I stare at the cursor blinking, reminding me with every flash that I'm getting nothing done.

I've never had this problem before and it's irritating. Serenity Now, Serenity Now!!

Do you have any ideas how to get past this?!?!

I don't mean to be rude, but there are literally hundreds of these threads around the forum. Anything anyone could say here has already been said elsewhere. It might do no harm to do a search for them. You could find what you need. Otherwise, I'm sure you'll get some advice here as well. I'd try to help, but I've never had writer's block.

Okay. Thanks so much. I'll look around and see what I can find.

You don't have a blank mind, you just have nowhere you want to go at the moment; you haven't forgotten how to write, your keyboard is not refusing to accept the gentle caress of your oh so delicate fingers, the cursor is not blinking, it is winking at you like a corny pick-up line in the bar of your choice - Perhaps it wishes to go line-dancing with you, join the others in some hootin' and a'hollerin'.

Write an instruction manual on how to avoid rubbish pick-up lines - If you have a destination, you will find a route...

Ha Ha... thanks for the laugh.. that was great! I'll always think of the cursor as winking from now on..

Stop sitting at your computer and go and have a glass of wine, or go out for a walk. Talk to friends. Watch a film. When I know I will not write I go nowhere near my computer or novel. Then ideas come and I scribble them in a notepad.

Even if you find posts that answer your question elsewhere, I'd still like to offer my input here.

It sounds like you just want to put pen to paper and start churning out additions to your story. That's fine if you're feeling motivated, but that unfortunately seems to be lacking here. So, instead of trying to write new sentences and paragraphs and chapters, why not just take a step back and think about your story? Consider your characters and the scenes you'll want in the future. Think about them interacting with each other (specifically or in general). Develop the "theory" behind your work.

Ask yourself why you have writer's block. Do you not know where the plot is supposed to go? Do you know where it's supposed to go but don't know how to get there? Are you having difficulty deciding what your characters would do in a given situation? If all else fails, don't be afraid to work ahead. Write scenes in the future. Work on developing future character interactions. Consider a few key plot points.

I've found that in my case, writer's block is less a lack of enthusiasm for my work and more a matter of simply not wanted to write the prose. So as to remain productive, I take a higher level approach during those times, developing and planning instead of directly writing. You might be able to do the same.

Robdemanc, I have closed down my word document after writing only 200 words today. That's so slow for me. I'm stepping away from my computer to go out with an old friend for some coffee and shopping. I guess all I can do is walk away from it at this point. Thank you for posting.

Gamer_2K4, I really like your advice. I have written future scenes before because I saw it so clearly at the time. Maybe I should do the same here. I think I'm slowing down because I've got some holes that I need to fill. And yes, I think you're right. Getting to the next part is the key for me right now, I've written myself into a corner. I think I will take your advice and develop a plan, instead of trying to write it out. Thanks a lot!

Good idea to go out and free your mind of worry. I agree with Gamer2K4 in that when I get stuck on my story I will start to muse over what happens in the future or what has happened in the past. I did that once and ended up with a whole new story!

Also I left one of my stories for 2 months and then was able to develop a character into something more than they were.

When you have nothing to write, then don't push it. As others have said, try walking it off. Return to the writing desk when your mind is geared for it. Sure, the hiatus can take weeks or months, but there's no sense betting on a hand when you don't have a hand... Did I get that thought across right? Well, I'm sure you got my drift.

I get writers block ALL the time. In my experience it tends to happen when you seek perfection. I'll be writing something down and I have the whole idea in my mind, but instead of writing it down I tend to keep on correcting what I have already wrote and then I get to a point where I can't enhance my writing anymore and then I get stuck and sometimes the rest of my idea won't fit anymore. If this is similar to what happened to you then my advice would be to just write the whole idea down, no matter how sloppy, and then go back and change it.

Hope this helps.

Robdemanc, I guess walking away can really help. You said that you walked away from your book and in the end ended up changing the whole story. Was the new story better than the previous?

I was ready to start sending out my book to agents, or so I thought. Then I read online, over and over again, not to start a book waking up, or in a dream... Mine had both! I re-wrote the whole first chapter and it was way better. So at the time I was really frustrated, but I worked through it, and now it's soooo much better!

Thefuhrer02, I got what you were saying. I've decided it's not worth it to waste my time staring at a blank monitor when I can be doing something else constructive with my time. I'll come back to it when I feel it again! Thanks.

S.M. grimbldoo, I've never really had writers block before; sure I've got stuck on an idea for a few days, but this has been a good week. And you're also right, I keep going over what I've written and trying to make it sound better. I never did that with my first book until it was done. I suppose I need to do the same thing with this one. I'm writing my first chapter, and I'm sort of thinking this isn't where I want to start my book. I guess I've got to figure that out first, and then hopefully it's smooth sailing from there! Thanks for the comment!

Like Sam, I've never had the problem. But so many people say they are afflicted, maybe it's real. So take the look around he suggests, and find the cure that's right for you. Otherwise forget about it and just write.

I encounter Writer's Block very regularly. I often have these bursts of creativity where I feel like great ideas are flowing through me as if they have a mind of their own. However, as I write them down, over time that creative edge dissipates, and before I know it, my mind has just gone completely blank, and I can't stand writing anymore, because when I try to, I just feel like I'm ranting aimlessly. When this happens, I decide to take a break (anywhere between a few hours to a few weeks) and just try to engage myself in other activities, or even focus on a different writing project (for example, I'm writing a Sci-Fi novel right now, but when I get tired of it, I sometimes switch over to a Fantasy world I'm in the process of creating). Sooner or later, I'll feel that inspirational moment again, and then there is no force that can stop me from writing down around fifteen pages just in one day.
Don't ever try to force it, especially when you're experiencing writers block. You do that, then it's just going to come out as an incoherent mass of words, and you'll only end up extremely frustrated. Writing may take place on the computer, in your writing space, but inspiration for writing comes from all around you, whether it is from real life, movies, video games, or other books. So just take a break and find something else to preoccupy yourself with. When your mind is ready, it will start flooding with new ideas, at which point you won't be able to restrain yourself from writing.

Anyway, that's just how I've experienced it whenever I hit writer's block (which happens probably every two or three weeks for me, hahaha).

Also, something else that really helps me out is to write an outline of my story. I don't mean just a rough synopsis of the storyline. My outlines are very detailed; I go chapter by chapter and just put a couple of bullet points to summarize everything that happens. This way, when I do the actual writing, I already know what direction I want to go. And if I want to change something, it's easy enough to just take away or add a couple of bullet points to the outline.

Originally Posted by Sunny

Robdemanc, I guess walking away can really help. You said that you walked away from your book and in the end ended up changing the whole story. Was the new story better than the previous?

I was ready to start sending out my book to agents, or so I thought. Then I read online, over and over again, not to start a book waking up, or in a dream... Mine had both! I re-wrote the whole first chapter and it was way better. So at the time I was really frustrated, but I worked through it, and now it's soooo much better!

Yes. When I finished the original story I set it aside and started musing for a few months. I found myself constantly thinking of the back story and so I decided to write that instead. The new story I wrote, in my opinion, is much much better.

BTW - I have heard that dreams in novels are a very bad idea unless the novel is about something to do with dreaming (like a supernatural story where a persons dreams keep coming true etc.)