How do you get your pen (or word processor) moving?

[NekoNoOujisama]

I am a writer... or at least, I should like to think of myself as a writer. Yet for all the many ideas pouring out of my head each day, I can't seem to find the drive to just sit down and write them out in full. Give these ideas of mine real life and luster.
I wonder if anyone else has this problem, and if so, how do you combat it? I seem to make excuses for myself; after a nap, the weather is too muggy, something might be on TV...
Any tips on what to be done or what you have done in this situation?

[Gamine]

Truthfully, I haven't found out how to remedy this, either, and I've been struggling with it for years razz . But then, I don't consider myself a writer yet; granted, I've been writing stories since 4th grade, but they're mostly for my eyes only, and most of them never leave the sanctity of my head. But when I am feeling creative, I initally get absolutley everything teeming in my head out onto paper/screen/whatever, no matter how disjointed or nonsensical it may seem. Then I stick it in a drawer/save it and forget it exists. However long later (hours, days, whenever I feel like it), I'll take it out and put it all into order (or scrap it entirely; it may have seemed like a good idea at the time). It's a lot better then having a great idea, but not having the will to write it down, and then having forgotten it when you DO get the drive to write. Of course, I have no clue whether this works for anyone else..my methods seem to only work with me, seeing as I'm a complete weirdo. Not to mention it's 3 am, and I'm not sure if any of that just made sense. wink

But when all else fails, nothing cures the writing blues like a good 11 hour sleep.
G'luck smile

[Calnus]

Alot of people would tell you to wait until inspiration strikes, but I disagree. Just sit down and write, it's a matter of will power. Actually writing down your stories is not fun. It's tedious and often what you write down doesn't live up to your initial vision. But this doesn't change the fact that it has to be done if you ever want to be a real writer. Some times you have to force yourself.

[NekoNoOujisama]

I find it so amusing to go back on the stuff that I have started to write (and my Gods, did I use to write a lot, actually write!), and look at what I thought was good at the time. Maybe that's one of my problems though, I feel that nothing I do write is going to be any good...
Anyway, too early in the morning to worry about this stuff... maybe staying up until 3am and later isn't the best route either...

[Jaithien]

alot of my writings revolve around my art work and dreams. if i have a weird enough dream or get really into a drawing, i'll write about it.

[Prairie_Fire]

I inject heroin directly into my eyeball.

[Jaithien]

oO` whatever works....

[Queeny]

NekoNoOujisama

I am a writer... or at least, I should like to think of myself as a writer. Yet for all the many ideas pouring out of my head each day, I can't seem to find the drive to just sit down and write them out in full. Give these ideas of mine real life and luster.
I wonder if anyone else has this problem, and if so, how do you combat it? I seem to make excuses for myself; after a nap, the weather is too muggy, something might be on TV...
Any tips on what to be done or what you have done in this situation?

Hold up... you're a writer yet you make excuses not to writer... which part of that makes sense??!
If you really wanted to be a writer you really wouldn't let the muggy weather stop you, unless you like to sit outside and write - and even then that should stop you. Let me see, how about you get that pen in you hand and a piece o paper and write ANYTHING. It's not even writers block you have cos the ideas are there you just need to not let the world affect you when you're ready to write. Yes I guess I've made the odd excuse but I try to write something every day.
My teacher says it's a great idea to write anything every day. I'm harsh at times, I know, but give it a good just write/type something blaugh .

Good luck

[Achtzhen]

I too suffer this plight. I don't even consider myself a writer that much anymore, seeing as I haven't touched my prized novel-in-progress for seven or eight months.

My solution is fairly workable though. Get a friend or two who also write and make the agreement with each of them that by the end of one week you will write so many words/pages/chapters if they also meet an established workload in the same week. I organized this with some friends about a month ago, and even then I didn't recover from my procrastination, so it's not fool-proof.

Another thing, set extremely short-term goals. Decide how many sentences you will write within the next twenty minutes. That way you don't give yourself enough time to procrastinate.

[Echelon Mykal]

I started a story like a week ago, did a paragraph. Stopped. I know what I wanted to put, but I couldn't be arsed! I know everything, but I lack drive.

[pianoblack]

It sounds like many people here have what Julia Cameron (author of 'The Right to Write') refers to as an over-active internal censor. She says that this is very common in those who would like to write, but she offers a solution: first thing in the morning, write 3 pages of ANYTHING. It could be your dreams, your shopping list for the day, what you're going to eat for breakfast... heck it could be that you hate writing the morning pages. But if you write those 3 pages every morning and stick to it for a long while, what you'll be doing is training your internal censor to shut up and let you write!!

You might just end up liking morning pages too :O I kind of have.

ps. morning pages won't make the job of writing any easier; as Calnus said it's a matter of will power. What they will do, however, is make it more enjoyable and worthwhile.