The Worst Thing Ever In The Eternity Of The Writing World!

You know what really makes me angry?! When I've got a really good story plot, and all the characters and everything, but I can't find a possible way on earth to start!

Writer's Block is the most hateful thing that I have ever experienced, but I seem to get it a whole lot more than other people. Does anyone else find this?

RR*

Try just sitting down and force yourself to write. Don't worry about quality of writing - just write. Quality can come in the edit.

Works for me .

RoxanneR, when it come to beginnings, I feel your pain. Actually, you desrcibed one of my own works pretty well in that second sentance. Once I get the ball rolling, it's relatively smooth sailing from there. It's just getting started that's the hard part. I'm still not sure just how and where I want to start my novel, and I've been working on that thing for at least two years.

For now, just get a placeholder. Write something down. You may scrap the scene, it may stay but not as the beginning, but you have something. You may not even know where to start until you're almost done with the first draft. Just, get something down; you'll figure it out later.

Oh, and with writing blocks, do something else or look over scribbles of old and possibly worthless story ideas or notes you've jotted down. You might find something interesting in there. And always remember, it's never right the first time, and it still won't be right in the final edition. Just get it down and hone it has far as you feel you can. It will never be the perfect story, but it can be pretty dang close, and that's what you should shoot for.

Force yourself to write. One thing that helps me is starting several different beginnings on the same Word document, except you vary the styles. Like, you can have a boring style, a feminist style, and so on. Just label them. Then, after ten or so beginnings, pick which one is truest to the character and go with that one for a while! After writing a bit, if the beginning is still horrible, you can do the same thing, no problem.

Don't worry too much about the beginning, as you will probably end up changing it later. Example? I was about 20k into my non-nano novel, decided I hated the beginning, and therefore rewrote the entire thing from the beginning onwards. Yeah. So don't worry too much. Just get that novel/story/whatever started!

I agree with everyone else! Forcing yourself to write is the best thing you can do. And, just to reiterate: usually the best way for most people to get started is NOT to start at the beginning. Start in a scene, any scene, and work from there. Write a prologue you know you're going to throw away later, start on chapter two, begin with a random scene. Just WRITE!
Good luck!

If you don't know where to start, outline your plot and maybe then you can find the BEST place to start from.

If you still can't find a starting place, start from the very beginning! (which you can edit out later if it is needed.)

Maybe you don't know enough about your story? That is also a possibility. You might be subconsciously not knowing where to start from because you don't know enough about where you are going.

I hope this was helpful

Yes, forcing yourself to write is helpful.

Usually when I get writers block, I write up bits and pieces... and then it will all fit together...

I am only sometimes in the mood, and forcing it ends badly. (sorry, had to do it. *shuts up*)

seriously, though, if you can't write then maybe... you should give it some time? ok nevermind that one.

Starting at the point you most want to write sometimes helps. what briana said about bits and pieces is true, too.

Take a break. Go for a walk or eat a snack. Get your mind off it for fifteen minutes or a half hour and then come back to it.

If that doesn't work, give it a day. Sleep on it and then try the next morning.

If that doesn't work, force it. Sometimes, after things don't go well, you start telling yourself that you can't write it and then it's all a mental thing and you just have to psych yourself up and dive in.