Sometimes, writers will get stressed. They don't know what to do, or sometimes they even get so good that they literally cannot write. It's not a good feeling. The best thing you do is forget about writing, or at least forget about writing your novel. Live a little.
2) Research something that seems fun.
This is something that has always propelled me into writing. The easiest thing to do? Look at your school subjects and say, "Okay, how would I make that into a story?" For instance, I want to write a love story between a female chemist and a male writer. Why? Because I learned about Hydrogen bonding.
Also, sometimes researching about psychology really helps and begins to develop your characters.
3) Critique someone else's work.
This is the easiest way to get rid of writer's block. Look through this website and try to pick out what you like and what you don't like. Give nice, long, lengthy critiques that are useful to the writer.
One time during a drive home when I was thirteen years old, I heard a radio talk show host (Drudge?) talk about the implications of genetically altering people. This fascinated me completely and inspired the whole story of "Freak." Coincidentally, I had been going through a period of writer's block.
5) Rewrite work.
Sometimes, just for the thrill of it, I rewrite a story I see on YWS, just because. Mind you, I never show these rewritings, but they are fun to do. And you don't have to worry about plot or characters.
6) Join a storybook.
On YWS, there is a storybook section in the forum. Joining a storybook can be remarkably helpful to get rid of writer's block and improve your writing ability -- all at the same time. And, if the storybook has good writers in it, these writers will be more willing to help you with your creative endeavors.
7) Read.
This will help your writing ability automatically, just by reading really good books. And it's fun.
Hope that helps...
Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.
"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." ~ Richard Bach
I agree with Snoink's tips, plus music can really help. Do a freewrite to a CD you really like, listen to frequently, and gets you thinking. I have dubbed these types of CD's "background noise to my thoughts".
"You do ill if you praise, but worse if you censure, what you do not understand." Leonardo Da Vinci
In the past, sketching/drawing or painting helped me too. I would flip through magazines and anything that looked interesting, became my focus while I was drawing.
Working with clay, whether it be sculpting or the 'wheel' seemed to jog things to help me get going.
Other thing you could try that is easier, IMHO, is write non-fiction. At least, you'll be able to plan out something that actually happaned, instead of "making something up".
Other than that, as Snoink mentioned, inspiration will come to you eventually. I find, and I'm sure others would be in the same boat with me, is that if you try to think too hard, it's more difficult to get going, IMHO. Hey, I had a two year writer's block, lol, I feel your pain.
If you have Short Term W.B, sometimes just letting your creative side, but not your whole brain, rest can help; like playing some kind of game (Minesweeper or Solitaire kind of things, not Sims). Or if you're finding your feeling tired and too lazy to concentrate, force yourself to have a burst of energy; sing really loud, dance around the room, run up and down the stairs.
If you have Long Term W.B, the best thing to do is leave it for a while. Leave it for long enough that when you read through it again, you have to pay a little more attention and it's not so familiar. Go through what you've written, editing it as you go, then keep the flow going by just writing on. If that doesn't work, force yourself to continue, if it sounds rubbish, it doesn't matter because you can re write it later.
If you just don't know how to write a particular thing, try some different techniques, test things out, come up with excerices. If you're still stuck, ask someone's advice.
If you don't know what to make happen next, as in a story-line block, try just relaxing and mulling over possibilities in your head. And even when you do get an idea, it may not be a good idea to write it down straight away: think about it for a while.
Another general tip is to take time to read. Not only might you learn new styles and ideas, but you get a rest from your own story's world, and can relax in another. It's almost similar to writing, just with someone else doing all the hard work...
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