The Official Writers' Block Thread!

[Find_The_XdOGx]

scream Oooh don't remind me of writer's block.... had my share of those!! xd The only way to come over it is to well... keep wirting... but think of what inspires you!

[morbid_bunni]

Of course, that can be difficult. Especially considering that inspiration is such a random event (kinda like boxes, ne? ^_~ ) and a certain dose could come and go totally unnoticed. It sure would be nice to have a sure-fire way to /get/ inspiration. And to keep it around, too.

[Naeroon]

I wrote another sentence! o__O Yay. I'll post the next part in my board. >.>

[MrsMica]

Inspiration is hard to recognize because it can be anything from an idea (the most obvious, smack you in the head inspiration) to a mood (something easily passed up, or easily missed because you had to go do something else). Being in the mood to write helps a lot, but you have to learn to write when you're not sometimes, too. But of course, if I'm in an anti-writing mood I dont try because it'll just turn out crap!

[Naeroon]

Argh! I must write one chapter in another one of my stories by Monday. If I don't, it won't be very good. ._.;

A good thing to do, if you need to get into the mood, play some music. If something funny or cheerful or happy is happening, play some good music! If something scary and stuff is happening, play that kind of music, etc. It's helped me before...

[MrsMica]

Oh yes, that definately helps. Have you ever heard of Blind Guardian? If you like their kind of music at all (power/symphonic rock) then you might want to try them. Their music is so powerful, that I've listened to it a lot while writing and it helps.

[morbid_bunni]

Blind Guardian is pretty good (*prefers Iced Earth herself if she wants something different than what's on her playlist and usual radio stations*), though I tend to totally zone out music when it's playing. Whatever's on is on, but it doesn't affect my writing too much (I've written scenes with excessive violence and bloodshed to ABBA and ALW for chrissakes ._.; ). I just play it for white noise so that I don't feel like I'm alone in my room writing, but rather writing because there're people in it I'm trying to ignore. ^^; Works more often than you'd think.

[BlackBlaze]

I just type. blaugh Even if I have no idea what to write I just write whatever I want to say. Eventually it turns into my story/chapter. O__o

[MrsMica]

(I've heard Iced Earth too. They even did some songs together)

I'd have to agree that I tune it out too: if I didnt, I wouldnt be able to concentrate! But it can help put you in the mood to write-- and usually for me that means exactly what you said. Drowning out other people, and just generally lifting my mood. It doesn't have to do with the scene I'm writing, as long as it's music I enjoy and know the words too.

So, let's see, but I'd like to elaborate on one:
Forcing yourself to write something.

If you've ever read Faulkner you'll know what I'm talking about right away, but I don't suggest this be your final product like it was for him. Sometimes just writing anything can help and turn into something else, and there's a special way to do that. I forget what it's called, but you just write what you're thinking no matter what it is. This should be easier on the computer because you can type faster, and don't worry about punctuation or making sense. I find this especially helps if I want to explore a character: I get in their head first and THEN try the expercise. It doesnt work quite as smoothly when you're just being you, but it's the same idea.

[bluehaze5526]

I try to think of i wil write. if i did not have writer's block and voila!!

[morbid_bunni]

Penden

I forget what it's called, but you just write what you're thinking no matter what it is. This should be easier on the computer because you can type faster, and don't worry about punctuation or making sense. I find this especially helps if I want to explore a character: I get in their head first and THEN try the expercise. It doesnt work quite as smoothly when you're just being you, but it's the same idea.

I don't know what you know it as, but I've been taught it's called 'stream of thought' writing. O_o Everything I do is SoT style, so y'know. You just open up and let the juices flow. I /HATE/ to revise my work XD. And I've never found it useful as prewriting, mostly because my mind clicks to such /weird/ stuff (I go from thinking about bagels to glass window panes to kitties in like... five to ten seconds somedays X_< ), but I know it is for some people. *shrug* You gotta do what works for you.

Interesting note: Sci-fi guru Isaac Asimov also wrote similar to that (only without any mindless rambling that can happen in SoT ) and mastered the art of pumping out a novel in 2 weeks without ever revising a page of it. /THAT/ impresses me.

[MrsMica]

*laughs* that's one thing it's called at least. It's supposed to loosen you and remove and subconscious/conscious blocks you have against writing or saying exactly what you think. I like giving my characters a puzzle to solve better, especially if I give more than one character the same puzzle. It shows how different they are, by how they solve it.

[Naeroon]

Eh. I don't like Blind Guardian or Iced Earth that much. >.o I fancy Offspring. They have very good songs... Like Living in Chaos, Staring at the Sun, etc. I usually put some of my characters in the same puzzle while writing SoT, just to help me understand my characters better. That helps me write more, like you guys said. =P

[morbid_bunni]

Offspring's good, too. I can't listen to the same CD for writing unless I go into what a friend has fondly called 'The Writer's Trance', which is where your eyes glaze over a little, your ears block out white noise (keys tapping and music playing), and you just start writing, and see the scene playing out in your mind as well as the words in front of you as you type. Happens to me a lot.

But a CD or something that repeats constantly (I used to have a really short playlist on my compie) drives me nuts, because I sit there and realize 'O_O Holy Crap! I've listened to this before!' And then I have to lose my groove in order to change music and start writing again. Baah.

Hence, I prefer the radio playing or a five-disc changer set on random when writing. Frees up my mind a lot. It also helps to cut back on the repetitive aspect that I'm a music slut. >_> Give me any kind of music at all and I will listen and possibly dance to it.

*odd*

[wusai]

Writer's block... it passes over eventually. Just sit and don't *try* to write... or else pressure might build up. Also, you shouldn't force yourself to write, since it makes the actual story sound forced. ^^; But anyway, most of the time, ideas just happen, you know... so yeah.

~Wusai