Young Writers Society

Jasmine Hart wrote:I'm not sure if I'm blocked or just unfocused, but I'm writing next to nothing, which is really scary. The first draft of my novel is sitting in a box. I have a bunch of first drafts of poems, and some second/third drafts, which I need to fix and put together, and one or two stories, unrevised, and a couple half/quarter stories.
This is the longest I've gone in ages without writing consistently. I've lacked routine since I finished the first draft of my book in August. Not good. Could be because I have a couple of things going at the one time. I kinda think the book has blocked me...is that crazy? I think I'm at teh stage where there's just too much,and I'm not sure what should get my attention. Any tips? *hopeful face*

I get writer's block a lot. I usually write by hand to try and distroy it (doesn't have the attention span to type on the puter)

And about it blocking you, it might be because you're scared of what others think? Try to get others to read it and edit it and then see if you can get it published. Then you'll feel proud and can move on. -.^ And don't be afraid of not being able to write. Writing is you and it can never go away. If it'll help, go lay in the middle of a medow or go explore the woods, you might find inspiration in the wild, untamed world.

I find I have a similar problem, where I go through a phase where I don't get the chance to write anything for a long time, and then when that phase is over, I can't get back to it. It's difficult, as I've never been a very disciplined writer. I can never just force myself to write, and it's really annoying.

Usually, though, I get back to it eventually. It may take awhile, but I usually manage.

My advice is this, Jasmine: If you find you just can't write, then don't try to force it. You may go for weeks, even months without writing a thing. But, if you're like me, one day you'll be wondering what the heck to do with yourself, and you'll suddenly think "Wow, I have to write something." I find that that's the only way I get through it.

But, as Fantasyartist said, don't just forget about it completely. Work with it in your mind, and that may help you get it down on paper once it feels ready.

Hope that helps,

-Sorceress

P.S. If anyone has any tips better than mine, I'm sure I would appreciate them just as much as Jasmine would.

What I try to do if I'm stuck (although admittedly I've never tried a novel or anything) is write a sentence or two a day, just so you don't get out of the habit. Then when the block breaks you can go back and if it's really awful change it. But if you go for too long without writing at all you may never pick it up again...

Stella Thomas wrote:What I try to do if I'm stuck (although admittedly I've never tried a novel or anything) is write a sentence or two a day, just so you don't get out of the habit. Then when the block breaks you can go back and if it's really awful change it. But if you go for too long without writing at all you may never pick it up again...

=D I'm use to not writing everyday.
I love to write...
But I don't

=D When I have writer's block, I don't write except for the assignments at school. I talk about ideas with friends when I'm really stuck. And it's amazing to tell a close friend about a story and let them know what your pen name is going to be if it ever gets to the shelf. ^^

For example, my friend, Lizzy, and I always talk during PE since we only walk around(we hate PE) and I talk about where I am in my story and then we work together to get ideas. =D It's thanks to her that I came up with most of the plot of my story.

Since I don't use story chart(Reason in a little bit), I need to make it up as I go.

Why don't I use story chart? During my first year of the dreaded 'Writing Test', I was never tought to use any kind of outline. But I always had the advantage to be able to piece things together in my head and then store them until I need them. Almost like a temporary file on a computer. I edit it when I need to and I leave it alone when I don't need it.

But I suggest learning how to do Story Charts. They can save you bunches of headaches, but don't push yourself to make one either.

Ever heard of 'Forced writing is the worset writing'? D;= I learned this first hand and didn't know the quote until afterwards. =D if I knew it earlier, I wouldn't have forced myself...

D;= Sorry, I'm blabbing.

You wanna know where I got the inspiration for my latest story (keep in mind this was after having not finished a story in over three months, which was about to drive me to the insane asylum)? I was talking to my friend on AIM, and in the next room I heard a line from the show The Twilight Zone, and the idea just fell into my lap from there. The line might seem completely unrelated to most people when they read my story, but somehow I was able to connect the two things in my head.

I guess the point to all this rambling is that you just never know when inspiration is going to strike. Trust me, I was just as stuck as all you guys, and that day I just kinda knew what to do. Don't try to look for it or force it. Let the idea come to you.

Writer's block should definately be food for grizzly bears. Most of the time. Because, as much as the feeling kills me and makes me realize why it is so many writers drink, some of my best ideas will come after a few dry spells.

I had one version of my story that I had continued for over one hundred handwritten pages (all in red ink mind you, which is a horrible mistake when you start reading over it) and then suddenly abandoned it. I couldn't figure out what else to do, the story just seemed to be in a rut. After a few months, the right ideas dawned upon me. If it hadn't have been for that little rut, Lord knows what would have happened if I just kept going with that idea.

So, yeah, look for silver lining.

But the things to help get away from it (everyone does still hate the block after all), are a few prompts and whatnot. I'll take a random word or phrase or something (examples: Twilight, Chocolate, Misery, Over the Rainbow) and then write something with my characters that goes with that. I was able to find out that one of my characters really, really hates modern stuff that way.

Anyway, good luck to everyone with writer's block!

I hate Writer Block, it is the devils word, I had a massive writer's Block, that lasted forever. I had to write an essay, no problem right? I had a while to do it, it had to be a non-fiction essay, I did mine on the real 300 (the battle at Thermopylae, yes, I am a history nut, but that is off subject.) Well I did all the possible research, 4 whole pages. Now I promote procrastination, it work I'm tellin' ya. So I have 3 days to do it, maximum 250 words! I had all that information to put in 250 words, man I could make the intro in 250 words. So anyways I write it out, 3 words under what I needed, that was ok, but then I read it, hate it, toss it. I start over and go over, start over and finally, I get one finished, and I got in finished only 20 minuets till writing, so ya. I look it over, and it absolutely sucks, never in my life had such putrid words spilled from my pen. I was not able to send it in, and I was was devastated. I developed a massive writers block that even prohibited the writing of an assignment, slowly, but not completely, I start to write more and more, I am still recovering basically, it sucked, and I hate hate hate it. I have written too much, I will stop now. hehehehehehehe-Muhahahahahahahaha (this is the spirit of Writers block.)

I've got a major case of writer's block at the moment. A few years ago I was so bored in Science class that I wrote a 19-page story. It was too weird...odd...queer *searches for appropriate word* to show to anyone. I sent two stories into two different contests. (Neither won or got honorable mention-not surprised, although I did think my story was better than the one that won the second contest.) They were about 3 typed pages long each. At the moment I'm in the middle of about four different stories. One of them is realistic modern-day fiction. Two are religious. The fourth one just got weird and I can't decide if I want to keep going with it. (It has a lot to do with telegenesis-a word I think I made up meaning "creating things with one's mind." And also slipping into someone else's body for short periods of time.) That was a rant and I think I went way too long. Sorry!

P.S. In case anyone wonders, I honestly don't know why exactly I picked my name. OK I will shut up now.

Uggghhh. I hate writers block. I don't think there's anything else in the universe that will bug me more than writers block. If I could make writers block into a form of something, then I would probably push it into the middle of a fast moving highway. What's worse is the fact that I have to work on family tree (the soon-to-be-book my friend and I are writing) and I've got nothing. Then the pieces I might be able to work on is still in the hands of my elt teacher.

Ok, my rant is over.
I will try the imagine thing. Can't just forget about it. I'll also listen to The Pink Panther Theme Song. that always helps.

I'm working on a huge project at the moment, astimated time of completion, 5 years...

3 books of around 160k of words.

I went through a horrifying phase at 10k, when I wanted to scrap it because I just wouldn't write and was feeling really low. Then, I wrote another story called Milkman. It got me out of writers's block for the time being!

? What a good insult...!

Hey, ignore them. They're obviously losers

Ye, they clearly don't know how to speak, oh well. Pity them.

u come up with a better one, you I love you, I love you, two I love you,

Right! Well, that implys that I am gay, of course there's nothing wrong with that. I am bisexual, that close enough?

Haha, your friend has been reported too.

Ahh, I guess I shouldn't leave my name lying around. But I can tell you it's definitely NOT an animal's name. And as before, /ignore.

Joodles!

I am in the middle of possibly the biggest writers block ever. I've done a ton of research on my story, I have characters that I'm drawn out, I have the entire plot in my head...I just can't get it on paper. I've tried typing it, handwriting it, anything, but what I have in my head just won't go down on paper.

So far all I've achieved is to find out I'm really bad at solitaire.

Ah well. Advice welcome. Please, I beg of you.