"Writers Block"

[ConservativeCody]

I'm currently writing a series called "The Chronicles of the Corruptor" its a 5 part series, and i just wanted to say i have some serious respect for people that can write a BOOK let alone a whole SERIES.

I am on book one and i am completely stuck on chapter 15, page 215 to be exact. ( im using microsoft word and normal margins and Times New Roman 12 font.)

I was wondering if anyone knew a cure to writers block. I have tried everything i read on the internet and even emailed a few authors asking what they did.

i have been stuck for the past week, i have just been staring at my dorm wall just thinking "What can i add"

becuase sometimes i feel as if im repeating myself, or repeating a theme, which is VERY BAD...... and i reread the story over and over trying to get a feeling on what im supposed to be writing about.

ugh!!!!! so frustrated

[CID_0687]

Drinking helps. :D

[ConservativeCody]

sorry, underage, and i will never drink alchohol, smells bad and tastes worse.

[ConservativeCody]

not to say i havent tried it, becuase i have.... its disgusting.

[CID_0687]

Oh, well in that case I don't know. Other than reading similar works or watching movies with a similar theme...that helps me sometimes when I get to a spot in my book where I'm stumped. But, most of my writing is under the influence...I seem to be more imaginative that way. :lol:

[ConservativeCody]

haha, well, i just figured that i ahve nothing better to do on the weekends, and i love fantasy fiction novels, so i decided to write one of my own so after i get out of this community college, and if i get it published before then... i can use that as an entrance/payment for a major university.

[sgdp]

Music, nature, and/or photography. Or all at once!

That's what I do. :)

Also, don't sit at the computer thinking what to write. Get some fresh air and let your thoughts flow naturally. If a gem comes along, write it down and then go back to the computer.

[CID_0687]

haha, well, i just figured that i ahve nothing better to do on the weekends, and i love fantasy fiction novels, so i decided to write one of my own so after i get out of this community college, and if i get it published before then... i can use that as an entrance/payment for a major university.
Mine is kind of a supernatural mystery. I started on it a couple of months back...didn't like where it was going, so started over...it's looking like it's coming together now. I've got a lot of free time on my hands right now, while I'm between jobs, so it helps occupy the time. If I get it published, great, if not at least I can say it's something I accomplished.

[sgdp]

You guys are inspiring me. I've had a novel plot going through my head since I was 10, but I keep putting off getting it down on paper.

[khigh]

Don't write at all for a little while. Do something else. Then, grab a pencil and a piece of paper, close your eyes and free write. Don't think about what you are writing or even if it conforms to the page, juts write whatever your hand wants. Typing doesn't work, just writing. I keep a journal of my free writing, and some of the stuff that you write down makes sense to you later and you can use it. It just gets the juice flowing again.

[Abe]

I've found that, during a block, if you just write random thoughts for a while, it can flow back. It's not instantaneous, but it works for me...


Example:
I don't know what to write. Maybe if I just ramble on a bit... I wonder how many pages I can fill like this. Maybe, when I'm 90, they'll find me sitting here still writing nonsense and hoping to snap out of it. Oh well, only 30 years to go...

[mysticbeauty_nbeast]

I'm currently writing a series called "The Chronicles of the Corruptor" its a 5 part series, and i just wanted to say i have some serious respect for people that can write a BOOK let alone a whole SERIES.

I am on book one and i am completely stuck on chapter 15, page 215 to be exact. ( im using microsoft word and normal margins and Times New Roman 12 font.)

I was wondering if anyone knew a cure to writers block. I have tried everything i read on the internet and even emailed a few authors asking what they did.

i have been stuck for the past week, i have just been staring at my dorm wall just thinking "What can i add"

becuase sometimes i feel as if im repeating myself, or repeating a theme, which is VERY BAD...... and i reread the story over and over trying to get a feeling on what im supposed to be writing about.

ugh!!!!! so frustrated

Writers block...I hate it! I think anyone who tries to compose a work of fiction bumps into this wall every now and again. Best way to get your imagination flowing again is to actually begin a whole new story...ya know...on the side. Write out a base outline of the completely different story..and begin filling in the story itself. Usually within a chapter or two...your writers block for the first story opens up and your writing again. Now it's important to write this second story on a completely different topic then your first. So if your composing a SciFi piece in your first offering...then do a alternate history or a children novella or comical narration in your second story. Works like a charm every time.

I've been working on my main book, 'Lycan', for years now. I was depressed when Underworld came out..and the world 'Lycan' became known to the average SciFi and horror genre. When I would get blocked..I began penciling out the other story I've been working on...a fantasy about a teen girl who is coming of age...as a half demon half human. Complete departure from what I like to read much less like to write about. But...it works..every time. It's a cute story...no where near as serious as Lycan...and easy to write.

Try it...you may end up with two stories...both worth publishing..and feel real pleasure from both offerings.

Good Luck...don't give up...it's worth every bit of time you put into it.

~Mysty

[ConservativeCody]

thats cool, usually. when i cant think of anything, i take a nap. Maybe i'll take a walk. or start a journal like you said about random thoughts....

hahaha, this could be interesting.

[grapabeaux]

If you can't think of what to write as fully-polished prose, try writing about what you want to accomplish in this chapter. It may help you find more than one possible way to get through the rough spot.

[ressurectedUltraSaiyanUSA]

heh.

I'm currently writing a 7-part Transformers novel with lord of the rings andthe greek myths as my inspirations.

wht I do when I encounter writer's block is I take a break, go outside with dogs, do something different, and wait until inspiration comes back. usually if you're into the story, you'll feel it when you can't wait until you put your thoughts into the story. so I just take a break.

[khigh]

Another thing I thought of that works for me is to listen to music in the genre that you are writing about. In my late 1800's novel, I listen to Civil War Era military songs. Minuets and Waltzes for the late 1800's debutante novel.

Futuristic? Techno. Dark? Goth. Western? Old time country. It gets you in the mood. Food might work for you too. Western? Pork and Beans with some Jerky. Historical England? Tea and finger sandwiches.

Or, look at pictures. Open up your other senses.

[ConservativeCody]

Another thing I thought of that works for me is to listen to music in the genre that you are writing about. In my late 1800's novel, I listen to Civil War Era military songs. Minuets and Waltzes for the late 1800's debutante novel.

Futuristic? Techno. Dark? Goth. Western? Old time country. It gets you in the mood. Food might work for you too. Western? Pork and Beans with some Jerky. Historical England? Tea and finger sandwiches.

Or, look at pictures. Open up your other senses.


these are all really great ideas, that i have yet to try. Thank you all. :)

yeah, i might try some things. I heard that completely thinknig in your book only will help you come up with some ideas... like... imagining your teacher as a dragon taht you have to slay, and play out the scenario in your mind.

i've heard alot of interesting things to give it a go. Usually, like i said before, i just nap... cause right when i wake up that is when im thinking the most.

[ConservativeCody]

i think its also becuase of me already knowing how the story is going to end, so i dont write it becuase i see no point. But im trying to fight that, and its becoming a losing battle. The trash can on my desktop is looking like a mighty nice place to "Store" my story for a while....

[angelicmadrigal]

Do what I do, write only in manic states of panic. Chaos, panic, disorder=creative inspiration.

[BlackDirge]

How to break writer's block? Write for a living. ;)

I'm a full-time writer in the RPG industry, and as odd as it sounds, now that I have deadlines, and meeting those deadlines keeps my bills paid...well, I don't get writer's block any more. :)

Seriously, though, my advice to you is to treat your novel like a job. Make a writing schedule, and then set a word count or page goal that you want to accomplish on your writing days. Make sure you set goals for yourself that you know you can meet. For example, if you spend a whole day on your novel, then you should be able to produce around 3,000 words, or six single-spaced MS Word pages. In my experience, having set goals and a work-like structure really helps in avoiding writer's block.

Here’s another thing that helps. If you're the kind of writer that does an outline before he or she starts a large project, going back over your outline can give you the inspiration you need to get over writer's block. Or, if you don't have an outline, write one. Describing the next few chapters in broad strokes can give you a lot of inspiration for when you actually sit down to write them.

Anyway, I hope this helps.

BD

[blackcatrun]

Ever get lost? Not in terms of insult but really turned around so the world is completetly alien? Which way runs around the tin pan like a rock. Being locked in a room how do you get out? It would surprise the most on who gives up and who finds a way out of a particular problem. At the bottem of the well looking up with no one around for miles do you sit there or find a way up?

Asking questions that pertian to the human instinct is what you need.

[Dragon1963]

I'm currently writing a series called "The Chronicles of the Corruptor" its a 5 part series, and i just wanted to say i have some serious respect for people that can write a BOOK let alone a whole SERIES.

I am on book one and i am completely stuck on chapter 15, page 215 to be exact. ( im using microsoft word and normal margins and Times New Roman 12 font.)

I was wondering if anyone knew a cure to writers block. I have tried everything i read on the internet and even emailed a few authors asking what they did.

i have been stuck for the past week, i have just been staring at my dorm wall just thinking "What can i add"

becuase sometimes i feel as if im repeating myself, or repeating a theme, which is VERY BAD...... and i reread the story over and over trying to get a feeling on what im supposed to be writing about.

ugh!!!!! so frustrated

Sorry, I can't help much. I've had a case of writer's block for the past 25 years and I've done just about everything from stopped for a few weeks to starting some short stories based on the title character of my novel. And not one story is completed due to writer's block.

[angelicmadrigal]

I'm a full-time writer in the RPG industry, and as odd as it sounds, now that I have deadlines, and meeting those deadlines keeps my bills paid...well, I don't get writer's block any more. :)


That is one thing I would NEVER ever do. For me the second you take something enjoyable and make it your job, that's the way to kill any productivity or quality. The other thing about that is as soon as you accept money for your writing you are writing for other people, not for yourself.

[BlackDirge]

That is one thing I would NEVER ever do. For me the second you take something enjoyable and make it your job, that's the way to kill any productivity or quality. The other thing about that is as soon as you accept money for your writing you are writing for other people, not for yourself.

Unfortunately, for those of us who make a living off our writing, you have to be productive, even when you don't feel like it. Now, I'm not saying that you have to sacrifice quality, but what you must do is learn how to get yourself into a creative space, even when you don't feel like being creative. For me, getting into that creative space is facilitated by meeting daily goals and setting a schedule for myself... plus copious amounts of coffee. :) I'm not saying that will work for every writer, but it works for me.

Don't get me wrong, I would rather write for a living than do anything else, and I do still enjoy writing very much. However, it is a job, and there are certain realities that you have to face when you turn your hobby/art/passion into a profession. Every writer has deadlines – from Stephen King and J.K Rowling all the way down to little ol’ me. Writers that don’t meet deadlines don’t stay writers for long. Well, they don’t stay the kind of writers that get paid to write, anyway.

BD

[angelicmadrigal]

. Well, they don’t stay the kind of writers that get paid to write, anyway.

There's this assumption out there that you haven't really reached a respectable level as a writer unless you get paid for it. I don't believe that at all. I know a handful of people that write amazingly but have no desire to become the slave to a publishing company. Plus, when you write for a living who are you writing for? Whoever is buying it. You stop writing for yourself. Which is fine if you want to make that compromise, I personally can't.

As far as in the gaming industry I've only even met ONE writer I was impressed with. He's a freelancer for AEG, and has done some editing projects. I also prefer companies that let their writers have more creative freedom (and have the same core base of writers and a few freelancers) as opposed to say a company like White Wolf. THOugh I am of the firm belief that some companies have typesetters and editors that need to be SHOT for letting some stuff go through.

[Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese]

I'm currently writing a series called "The Chronicles of the Corruptor" its a 5 part series, and i just wanted to say i have some serious respect for people that can write a BOOK let alone a whole SERIES.

I am on book one and i am completely stuck on chapter 15, page 215 to be exact. ( im using microsoft word and normal margins and Times New Roman 12 font.)

I was wondering if anyone knew a cure to writers block. I have tried everything i read on the internet and even emailed a few authors asking what they did.

i have been stuck for the past week, i have just been staring at my dorm wall just thinking "What can i add"

becuase sometimes i feel as if im repeating myself, or repeating a theme, which is VERY BAD...... and i reread the story over and over trying to get a feeling on what im supposed to be writing about.

ugh!!!!! so frustrated

Here's what you do: I assume you're on a writing schedule right? Like you write from x hour until x hour every day?

Just sit there and stare at the screen during the hours that you set aside for writing. No internet. Just sit there until something comes. If it doesn't, do it the next day. And the next. And the next.

I use a computer that's not connected to the internet specifically for that purpose.

[Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese]

That is one thing I would NEVER ever do. For me the second you take something enjoyable and make it your job, that's the way to kill any productivity or quality. The other thing about that is as soon as you accept money for your writing you are writing for other people, not for yourself.

If you weren't writing for other people, you would write it up and then never show anyone. 99.9% of writers are want people to read their work and like it.

And taking what you love and making it your job is the freshest.

[angelicmadrigal]

If you weren't writing for other people, you would write it up and then never show anyone. 99.9% of writers are want people to read their work and like it.
I'm not that way myself for the most part, if I write something and people don't like it I'm like "You don't have to like it". I have a VERY strict policy about NEVER changing anything in my writing. For me I write things because _I_ want to, and I write it the way that I want. If otehr peopel don't like it too hell with them. Which is not a way to make a living at all, but it always ensures your writing is EXACTLY the way YOU want it. It's total control.


And taking what you love and making it your job is the freshest.
I'm exactly the opposite I've had two jobs that involved things I am (or was at the time) very passionate about, and it just totally killed it for me.

[BlackDirge]

There's this assumption out there that you haven't really reached a respectable level as a writer unless you get paid for it. I don't believe that at all.

I never said that. But unpublished writers don't typically get the kind of constructive criticism (sometimes brutal) from editors that working writers do. In addition, the drive to constantly improve your craft is quite strong when you write for a living, want others to read and buy your work and generally say nice things about it. Finally, most full-time writers write every single day (not just when they feel like it), 3,000+ words a day, and in my opinion, that is simply one of the best ways to improve your writing.

I know a handful of people that write amazingly but have no desire to become the slave to a publishing company. Plus, when you write for a living who are you writing for? Whoever is buying it. You stop writing for yourself. Which is fine if you want to make that compromise, I personally can't.

I do not consider myself a slave to a publisher, and I largely get to write what I want. However, I don't have a problem writing material that people want to read, and I certainly don't consider that a compromise. I get to do what I love for a living, and that's the most "me-centered" writing I could possibly do.

Hey, who is the freelancer at AEG you like?

BD

[angelicmadrigal]

Hey, who is the freelancer at AEG you like?

BD

I'll pM it to you.

[thr3]

Go get hammered, have a kebab then a fight.

All it solved after the day of recrimination and feeling awful from the hangover.

[angelicmadrigal]

Publishing's not personal, Sonny, it's business.

Because evidently the only "real" writers are people who care about whether or not they get published. ::eyeroll::

[janer]

Because evidently the only "real" writers are people who care about whether or not they get published. ::eyeroll::

Not necessarily. You can work at something for personal satisfaction rather than directing it toward publication (or performance, exhibition, etc), but if you're taking it seriously, you work past obstacles. The OP said he was writing a book - you can't complete a book if you succumb to "writer's block". You get past it or the book doesn't get finished.
I don't think the only "real" writers are limited to those who get published, but I do think that to be "real" at anything is to have a strategy to see it through to completion. I have material that never got published, but it did get finished.

[angelicmadrigal]

I think I understand angelicmadrigal's frustration with the publishing industry, and I think you illustrate the realities of publishing perfectly in your post. Your publisher doesn't typically give a damn about your creative process.

Hence my comment about being a slave to the publisher.


I can understand if a writer doesn't want to deal with that aspect of the profession, but these are the realities that every working writer must accept and deal with.

At least anyone that is a writer in the professional sense.

[janer]

I think a lot of writer's block stems from fear of taking the next step in the writing process. Be that fear of writing about an unfamiliar subject or a difficult plot point or even fear of rejection when the manuscript is ready for submission.

Yes - and it's more common than writers realize. There's even a name for it - attainment anxiety. When you're writing Chapter 19 over and over again instead of going on to Chapter 20. We've all been there. Best thing about writing with a partner - my daughter - was that she's a closer. When I would hover too long, she would come at me with, "Mom, you're overthinking this."