That Dang Block
Writer's block happens to anyone, experienced in writing or not. There are various exercises that exist to help people out of such a rut. I thought it would be good to compile a list of ways to help gain back inspiration, get a new idea, or move past a certain block in a story.
I'm inviting you to add things in the thread, and I'll add them to this first post so people can easily locate tricks and methods. Please, discuss! This is by no means a complete list, and I'd love to hear from you.
Now, onto ways to shake the unpleasant writer's block off.
xxxWrite something based off of a randomly generated idea.
[This link] is a webpage called the 'Writing Challenge Generator'. It will randomly generate a scenario when you click the 'Generate' button. You can fix how many elements of the scenario the website adds for you. If you're not sure what to write, maybe letting this webpage give you extra prompts would be helpful. Also, if you want, you can then find a twist to make it fit with whatever prompt-of-the-day you're currently writing.
[This website] has the same concept of providing information about certain aspects of the story, but it's set up differently. It has numbers like on a phone, and each number represents a different aspect of the story. They have Settings, Characters, Character Deaths, Endings... But that's not all. There are others, too, all written clearly on the first page, so give it a look if you'd like.
[PMS suggests THIS] - The random plot generator on the ScriptFrenzy webpage (top left) is also a fun way to break a block. Mostly it's just a bit of fun, but you can get some really interesting plots - and maybe they'll spark something for you! Or if not, they'll just provide a bit of a break from you wracking your brains. [I just generated and got: While working on a masterpiece, a narcoleptic bear buys an unreliable time machine. Brilliant! cool ]
xxxGo outside and let your mind wander.
Landscapes, natural or man-made, have always been a source of inspiration to all artists. Let your mind take a break from the current stories you're trying to flesh out, or stop focusing on finding new ideas. Take a walk and look around, and let your mind wander. Bringing a notepad is always helpful. Don't force your thoughts, and don't put pressure on yourself to find something to write about. If it happens, it does, and if not, you still took a nice walk. Watch landscapes, bridges, houses, grass, trees, water, people. If no inspiration comes, another benefit to this is that you've cleared your thoughts and can think of previous ideas with a fresh mind.
xxxCarry a notepad and pen with you wherever you go.
I'm trying to do this more often. It doesn't have to be paper and pen, it could be a computer or tablet. Sometimes inspiration comes, but too much time passes before we can get the idea down onto something that'll keep it written, and we lose the thread of it. Having a notepad when you're on your way to and from work or school, or during times alone, any time really (please don't write and drive - don't jot notes when it could be dangerous!) to be prepared for when an idea hits, or to jot down little notes about surroundings and people. Even the mundane can be turned interesting.
xxxSet a deadline for what you want to do.
While it's good not to be too hard on yourself, telling yourself you'll right x amount of words for the story every day might help. Some people work well under pressure, and that's what a deadline provides. Once the story's done, you can edit out parts that seemed forced or redundant due to the pressure. I think something like the 365 Days of Writing challenge might be a lot to add another type of pressure onto, but it's just a suggestion.
Please, give me your own ideas! It's good to share. <3 I'll make sure to add it to the first post as they come. If you don't think the ones already here work, feel free to discuss as well.
xxxPromise a friend/get feedback
Now, this is something that doesn't work for everybody - but if you're a door-wide-open kind of person, and like to get feedback, this could be perfect. If you're working on something that you're having trouble with, give it to a friend! (Or even better, if you're thick-skinned, give it to a complete stranger! XD) Basically, this is a double bonus: if they enjoy the story and want to read more, the chances are they will pester you to write more, and this might just rekindle your motivation OR, at the very least they might be able to give you some feedback from an outsider point of view and give you some insight into what the problem might be. If you don't have friends you trust IRL, let one of us read it! We're honest (and friendly) and if you're embarrassed you'll never even have to look at us. Win/Win, really.
xxxRead!
This one is simple really, but most people don't even think about it. If you're a writer, chances are you're going to enjoy reading. I find that if I go away and read something totally different to what I'm writing I'm sometimes able to just let my ideas germinate in the back of my mind, and when I go back to my document, things are beginning to work them out. Conversely, you might find that reading something similar to the style you are writing in might spark some motivation or encourage you to think about something in a new way. (Just be careful you don't accidentally slip into plagiarism!)
