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Writers Block?



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Sun Oct 14, 2007 4:36 pm
Jassie says...



So you've got this amazing story you're writing or want to write. You get the first word in there and then.... you draw a huge blank. Here are a few things you can do to rescue yourself from writers block, anytime anywhere.
Many professionals say, "When you walk down the street, listen to someones conversations, but dont make it obvious"
This isn't as easy as it sounds. First of all, it's 2007 and many of us don't really "walk down the street?" anymore.
So lets try this in the hallway at school. You see a kid who is acting crazy. For example, he's shouting/shoving his friend/laughing. This kid could become a great character in your story. Whether he's the main character or a side character.
Think about these details:
~The way he dresses
~his hairstyle
~his shoes
~his personality (from what you can see)
~his friends
~Have you seen this kid more than once? If so, write what you saw him doing last time. (This may sound stalkerish, but it works)

Another thing. Look at that girl you probably see everyday. She's really quiet, and possibly shy. Think about her details too. (clothes, hairstyle, shoes, personality, friends, and what you saw her doing the last time you saw her)

Look at people A LOT. When I am in the car and I see people outside of stores or restaurants, I look at what they are doing.
For example, I saw a girl with her dad outside of the airport. She hugged him but by the looks of it, she was the one leaving, not him. That would probably make a good story!

My favorite writing activity. Free write!
Take 15 minutes out of your date (you can time yourself if you want) and write on a piece of paper, nonstop.
If you get lost, write like it's a journal. Or write whatever the first thing is that comes to mind.
Free writing is one of the best way to express yourself. It's usually unplanned writing where you have no idea what you're going to say and it just comes out and onto the paper. I always love my results from free writing and you probably will to.

Another activity. Read a childhood fairy tale or find a new one. (A short one)
Or, read any short story you can find (that you'd never read before)
Think of the theme. Whats the moral to the story? Write at least 5 things on a piece of paper about this story.
Choose at least 3 of these:
~questions about the story
~lines that you found enjoyable and why
~literary analysis (ie: metaphors, symbols, foreshadowing)
~statements of significance
~predictions about the story
~ a vocabulary word that you didn't know

The more vocabulary you know, the better you will be as a writer. Using your new vocab words will really help you sound more mature when you're writing. (Especially when it's a word you didn't even know existed)


Writing journals is a really good way to help you write. I don't mean writing them everday. But write them when you feel you have something to talk about. Write about what inspires you, what books you've read, what books you want to write. Just put your thoughts on the paper.

***PLEASE NOTE***
I STRONGLY suggest that you keep all of your writing activities in a binder or notebook!!!!
By doing this, you can keep track of everything you've done and look back at your writing to help inspire you some more!

These are all of the activities I have for you right now. Check back and I'll add more as I learn what other activities help me too!

Thanks =)

Any questions or comments, feel free to PM me!
  





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Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:48 pm
jonny911 says...



Cool! I got to try these sometimes!
"Son, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
"A felon!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yah! This kid at school says they get all the girls!"
"I should try that..."
  





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Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:57 pm
Leja says...



This kid could become a great character in your story. Whether he's the main character or a side character.
Think about these details:
~The way he dresses
~his hairstyle
~his shoes
~his personality (from what you can see)
~his friends
~Have you seen this kid more than once? If so, write what you saw him doing last time. (This may sound stalkerish, but it works)


Another thing, listen specifically to the way he talks. What kind of slang does he use? Is he nice to his friends? How does he act towards the people around him?

By doing this, you can keep track of everything you've done and look back at your writing to help inspire you some more!


>.< looking back on what I wrote, say, a year ago, is definitely inspirational for me ^_^ It shows where you've been and where you are now; maybe, even, where you could continue to.

Nice tips, Jassie.
  





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Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:04 pm
chocoholic says...



Nice. Cool activities, I'll definietely have to try them sometime!
*Don't expect to see me around much in the next couple of weeks. School has started again, and it'll be a couple of weeks before I've settled in. If you've asked me for a critique, you will get it, but not for a little while. Sorry*
  





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Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:32 pm
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Jassie says...



This is kind of a fun idea, but it may take some time to establish.
Get a pack of note cards. The type of them doesn't matter. (You can make cute little shapes out of them for all I care)

It may be helpful, if you like writing different kinds of stories, to organize these note cards by color! (That's if you have color notecards)

1. Everyday (or every time an idea comes to your head) write an idea on one of the note cards.

2. DON'T share note cards! What I mean is, don't put more than one idea on one no cards. If you choose one side, leave the other side blank.
If you need more note cards, save money and cut them in half!

3. Once you've got a good stack of note cards, shuffle them and pick one each time you have writers block or want to free write or anything else!

4. Don't stop getting ideas! Even when you've got that nice big stack, keep writing on note cards for even more ideas!

So anytime you're ready to write and ready to be inspired, pick up one of your note cards!
~Take that idea and evaluate on it
~Remember to keep all this in your notebook or binder!

Wanna get started?
Here are just a few ideas to put on your first couple notecards!

1. Write about a guy who got stood up on a date
2. Write about a task or chore you hate
3. Write for 15 minutes using the topic: "I used to believe that...."
4. Write about something that bothered you earlier in the week
5. In 100 words, write about your favorite childhood toy
6. List 30 uses for a brick
7. Write about this: Mr. Grog and Mrs. Peters are old high school friends, but one of them has a secret worth telling
8. In 400 words, fictionalize an event that happened to your best friend
9. Use the first line of your favorite nursery rhyme to start one of your stories.
10. Write for 15 minutes using the cliche: "Back to square one"

Please note that not all of these ideas are mine!
Remember, writing is only as fun as you make it, so don't ever stress yourself out over your stories!

Have fun and Good Luck! =)



P.S.- this activity is actually the same kind you'd find in a Writers Kit, which might cost $20 bucks at your local bookstore and you can get the same help for free! (minus the cost of notecards)
Last edited by Jassie on Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  





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Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:34 pm
jonny911 says...



Yay again! I like this idea a lot.

Anybody have some notecards I can borrow?
"Son, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
"A felon!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yah! This kid at school says they get all the girls!"
"I should try that..."
  





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Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:57 am
Jassie says...



Ready for another tip?
This tip kinda goes along with my post in the Writing Tips sub-forum about sounding smarter.

What you need:
Some paper
A pencil (of course)
A dictionary

We all want to sound smart, right? Especially when it comes to our writing.
A great way to start helping yourself in this area is by taking a dictionary, at least once a week (if you really care lol), flip to a random page, close your eyes and drag your finger up and down the page.
When you stop, if you don't know the word, write it down on your piece of paper along with its definition. You can also write down its synonyms and some other stuff to remember what it means if you want,

**REMEMBER: keep all of this in that binder or notebook I recommended you to use**

By using your new vocab, you may really change the way publishers, editors, and agents (and even teachers) think of you and your work!


Edit: Was I the only one who noticed I spelled course wrong? How embarrassing lol
Last edited by Jassie on Sun Oct 28, 2007 4:24 pm, edited 3 times in total.
"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
-Cyril Connolly
For more of my tutorials: http://myspace.keonnected.com/jsimms/en/index.html
  





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Sun Oct 21, 2007 4:42 am
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winters says...



I've been going about it all wrong! I've been bashing my head into a wall to relieve writer's block!
Just a thought.
  





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Sun Oct 21, 2007 4:24 pm
lyrical_sunshine says...



^ that works too. :D
“We’re still here,” he says, his voice cold, his hands shaking. “We know how to be invisible, how to play dead. But at the end of the day, we are still here.” ~Dax

Teacher: "What do we do with adjectives in Spanish?"
S: "We eat them!"
  





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Sun Oct 28, 2007 4:07 pm
Jassie says...



Here's an easy activity!

When reading your favorite book, find a sentence in there that's your favorite. It could have a special significance, a powerful word, or maybe just something you love to read over and over.
That sentence could be the next idea for your book!
Don't worry, it's not at all stealing. Many authors get inspiration from other authors book(s).

(I strongly advise you don't use actual quotes from the characters in the book)


Keep checking back for new Writers Block tips!
P.S.- I hope you're keeping this information in your binder or notebook.

Also...
Have a writers portfolio? WHY NOT?
Get it together and get one! Every writer needs a writing portfolio to keep their completed work in! This way when a publisher comes to you and asks to get a copy of your work or when youi're ready to submit, you can simply pick the one you want by going through your portfolio.

I advise that you use a different binder for your portfolio!
"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
-Cyril Connolly
For more of my tutorials: http://myspace.keonnected.com/jsimms/en/index.html
  





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Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:44 pm
onceuponatim3xo says...



thanks so much! those are great tips! :D
  





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Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:35 am
YoungWriterGeek says...



Wow! thank you so much i am going to try these first chance i get!
Horace the Dragon RULEZ!
Epic Movie Rox My Sox
AH! you shot me in the f****** eye! Ah! why would you do that, that was completly unessary!
That really Hurts!
  





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Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:05 am
Shadeslayer says...



thank you very much!
I Should Have Complete Faith In My Own Existence, Because In Order To Be Decieved About Anything, I Must First Exist

Got YWS?
Go The Dragons!
  





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Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:48 pm
MadHatter says...



I'm going to try some of these. Thank you
Voldemort: You kids! If I ever find out who's calling I will tell the wizard law and you will go to wizard jail and then I'll kill you!

Harry Potter Puppet Pals - Wizard Swears
  





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Mon Dec 03, 2007 5:04 am
Jassie says...



No problem guys, I'll be adding some more real soon!
"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
-Cyril Connolly
For more of my tutorials: http://myspace.keonnected.com/jsimms/en/index.html
  








When a good man is hurt, all who would be called good must suffer with him.
— Euripides