I think we all know the feeling.
One day the words are flowing and all you have to do is let them out, and the next you're sitting in front of a blank Word document and can think of nothing at all. Your readers are waiting for your next chapter and are starting to send in angry reviews. What can you do? Help!!
Writer's Block is a disease that I think almost every writer suffers from every now and then. Everyone has their own ways to get over it, but sometimes it can be helpful to hear what cures others have. Try them out and see which works best for you. Mine are:
a) Shut your computer and do something else for a while. Personally I like walking outside and playing with my dog. Then try again.
b) If you're writing a fanfic, try reading the book you're writing about. It might remind you of everything you loved about it or give you new ideas. Each time you read something again you will see it through different eyes.
c) Call it a night. You might just be having a really bad day -- don't force yourself to do something you do not feel like doing. In the morning you'll feel the words coming again.
One of these three usually works for me, but I'm always looking for new tips. Share them here!
Well, the fics I write are usually pretty short. I have some sort of minimalist disease. But if I really have to write something longer, and I'm stuck, my favorite thing to do is write backwards. By that, I mean to write the last line -- and make it a good one. Then write the rest of the last scene, then write how you could lead up to that scene. Going chronologically is just boring sometimes.
I like to get ideas from songs. I don't write song fics, but I imagine a plot where the song would be the theme song for it, and that's how I get a buttload of my ideas.
So, I'd say music is good therapy for writer's block.
I'd have to agree with Parasite on that one. I have some scenes that were entirely thought of because of songs. When someone asked me once what my inspiration was and I replied with music, I got weird looks. Every song just tells an important story (or, with some of them, maybe not exactly *important* but you catch my drift) and it's not unusual to find one that matches emotions or scenarios in your writing.
*evil laugh* I love the fact that I don't get writer's block. I can write anything, anytime, if asked too. The only thing I have that's a problem is a short attention span... Probably part of the reason I have so many unfinished stories! But when I get bored, I just switch to something else. I get so many ideas at once (I wrote 4 one-shots in one day whilst in America) that I'm never short of something to write...
And I also agree with Parasite - I'm always hearing songs that remind me of one of my stories
Writer's Block is a disease that almost every writer suffers from every now and then so be thankful for that..
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Writer’s block is a common affliction when you do a lot of writing. Here are some steps to help overcome it.
Step1: Look over your past articles. Looking at what you have written in the past may help spring some new ideas.
Step 2: Read other author’s articles. Sometimes when you are reading an article, a new idea will come into you head. Just make sure you do not plagiarize or rewrite the other author’s article. Make sure it is original.
Step 3: Read a magazine. Magazines are powerhouses for ideas. Again, make sure you do not copy the magazine article. Your article must be original.
Step 4: Watch shows on television stations like PBS, HGTV, and DIY Network. These stations are loaded with ideas. Do not steal their exact idea, use the shows as a springboard for something new.
Step 5: Write down what you do through out the day. You never know when something like, “mom, you make the BEST oatmeal”, may lead to a great article. Things that you do regularly can easily be turned into an article.
Step 6: Write down ideas as they come into your head, no matter if they seem dumb or not. That “dumb” idea, may lead to another idea that would make a great article. Plus, if you have a list of potential articles on hands, it will make it easier the next time you have writer’s block.
Step 7: Consider writing somewhere else for a bit. There are a lot of online sites and not all articles fit with all sites. If you are having trouble coming up with ideas for one site, rest your brain for a while by writing for another site in a different format.
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I most definately agree with Parasite. I got my idea for my story STARLESS by listening to one of Crossfade's old CDs. I listened to the first track and immediately thought of what Bella was going through when Edward left her. If you listen to music, here's a really important tip: ~*Pay VERY close attention to the lyrics in the song. If you have to, look them up online. This will make for an easier comparision to the Twilight World, and just about anything can be turned into a Twilight Story if you just believe!!! Haha.
Another thing I do is to just stop writing and start watching TV. There's lots of things on TV that can spark an idea like newscasts or cartoons.
I also go for walks. Just looking at the scenery around my house is enough to think of a great story plot or title.
And lastly, look at movie titles. These can be a MAJOR help when trying to think of something to name your story. It doesn't have to be the movie title itself, but maybe the picture on the front or some words from the title.
I hope that I helped some people out there that may be suffering from a severe case of writers block!!!
When i suffer from Writer's Block, it is usally for a very long time. Luckily, though, it happens rarely.
Right now i'm in one-and i have been for MONTHS now.
Sometimes nothing works but time-as this is the case for me.
Today i sat down with my New Moon book at my side and tried to finish In My Time. Did that happen? nope. i have 3 chapters to go and i just can't do it. im forever stuck at chapter 27. its just...blank.
but here is what i did, because it usually works-
-Watch a movie that you love. Usually, that's Harry Potter movies, and Stardust and The Phantom of The Opera and even disney movies or Jane Austen movies for me-it sparks ideas, strangly enough. it can be a movie that you haven't seen in a long time too-Hocus Pocus was my favorite Halloween movie when i was little, and i just watched it again. it had me in the mood for writing
-Listen to music. Yes, thats the BIGGEST influence in my writing. sometimes pulling out music that you haven't listened to in forever helps-and then maybe things that you've never listened to helps. for In My Time, because of the era it takes place in, classical music is the thing i have to listen to.
-Read over past chapters. When i do that, it helps me remember why i love writing it and what my goal is. it keeps the characters fresh and it shows me what i totally forgot i wrote. it helps get me into the stories mood again
-Go away. Go far away from the lap top and all that it holds. come back to it
-Spend some time in the great outdoors. i like moving my lap top and sitting under a tree with it. sometimes i like going for walks, passing the forest. for some reason, the forest always seems to get my mind running. usually, i write at night and walking simply isn't an option though.
-write about something so totally random you're wondering what the heck you're doing. writing a weird story that you know will never make it off of the Word Document page is strangly enough fun. once you're in that mood for writing go back and try again.
-i hate to say this but call it quits. i have been doing this for months now, and it hasn't helpped. but sitting at the computer makes it even worse
-go to bed (if its at night). this allows you to relax. before you fall asleep (and i do this every night) think about your characters. for me, this helps me figure out what could happen, and often times makes me dream about them. dreams spark ideas all of the time-Look at Stephenie Meyer and Twilight for an example
-take a drive. every time i'm in the car (and not driving) i always have my i-pod in and i stare out the window. driving is something that makes me think because not only is there anything else to do, but it changes the environment you're used to writing in very quickly. you're never looking at the same thing, unless of course you stop
-Move to a different room-move more than once if you have to. changing things around can be good and refreshing.
-go back in the story, if its chaptered, and edit. don't read-just edit. that helps me sometimes too.
-Map it out. map out your story/chapter with an outline. i like using a white board, but sometimes i use sticky notes and the back of my bedroom door to stick them to, as well (the back of my door is filled with brightly colored post-its and string attached to each if needed-there are pictures also. i dont usually use this method for my fanfic, just my original stories. If somebody came over, and this has happened more than once, and they see the back of my door usually they go 'what the heck is this??' its hard to explain, but as a writer you've gotta do what you gotta do-despite the weird looks you are bound to get). you can use Microsoft Word or Paint...whatever floats your boat. but mapping it out and making an outline helps, so you know what you have to write. if its all there, all you have to do is put some words inbetween until its done
now, none of these have worked for me this time, but have in the past. i think its just because im stuck at a challengeing part of the story, and i dont know how to begin-maybe i'm even too lazy to push though it right now. But never give up writing whatever you are stuck on-come back every day and try again.
Ashley, you probably have the best ideas out there! I've got a few ideas now! although I already use a lot of the same things. like reading over the old stuff, music, mapping it out. but I do that differently. I have a notebook, well actually 3, and they're full of outlines and ideas I may have wherever I go, and sometimes even something I actually write and transfer to type. I get to take it everywhere, and since I draw a lot of inspiration from real life experiences and other things that I see, the books get like 5 pages a day filled.
Another idea might be, if you have more than one unfinished fic, to look back at your original idea for each different one and plug in some things you may have forgotten about, or maybe take something that didn't work in something else, and see if it works in a different place. Don't do that with unstarted ideas though. only do that with things where you are past the thing that has been cut. otherwise the movement of the idea could come back to bite you when you get to finally writing the other thing.