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The Uber Writer's Block Thread



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Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:30 am
Trikky says...



I would like writing if it weren't for all the paperwork... xD
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Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:07 pm
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DLDzioba says...



I'm in a funk.

I've spent the past two months I've been finishing up the planning on a new novel project, I haven't actively written in the past three months. The most has been filling out character profiles in first person. Now I find I'm having a lot of trouble getting back to writing now that I'm ready to begin my novel. I've also realized I don't have a real hook to get readers into the story.
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Sun Feb 15, 2009 2:14 pm
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Merricat says...



DLD: Last night I was having the same problem (only with a short story, instead of a novel). Finally, I ended up starting the story in the middle of the most significant early action (the main character cutting off the hand of a hanged man.) It's not quite the inciting incident of the story -- after all, there's a reason why she's doing it -- but it's vivid, dynamic and unusual, so it's a good hook in and of itself. You can always go back and make the actual sentences more hooky later, but it's easier if the scene itself is interesting.

I had writer's block last night, and it was amazingly frustrating. I'd forgotten what it was like to be staring at a computer screen for twenty minutes, write a sentence, delete it (or space down and try writing another sentence, then realize they're both wrong and delete both of them.) Eventually I hopped into bed with my fountain pen and a notebook and got a page and a half without very much effort at all. And I'm looking forward to writing again today, which is kind of nice. I have to stop starting projects and start finishing them if I want to make my February goals.
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Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:06 pm
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Musicaloo7311 says...



Hmm, writers block. I've come across it oh so many times. *laughs*

Anyway, what I do to keep my book going is to just write what I feel like writing in the book. I don't go in order of chapters, I just keep a thoroughly organized outline of what I've written. I've very nearly completed my first book (but I have a LOT of editing and lengthening to do. AGH!) and I have used that method to complete it.

It's kept me from losing the actual "feel" (I don't know how do describe it) of the story. Let's say I'm VERY angry one day. I can skip to a chapter when my character(s) is/are angry, and channel said anger into the chapter. TA-DA! Real emotion, put into the story. Haha.

Also, I find that taking a walk or listening to a good song helps me. Those are very generic, broad, boring answers, but, hey, everyone's different. I (along with most of my family and friends) already consider myself insane, so maybe I don't have to do anything odd to get my writing on. Woah, that was cheesy.

(You'll have to excuse me, I'm running on a leftover caffeine/sugar rush. Haha)
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Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:10 pm
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Musicaloo7311 says...



Ahh, I've forgotten to post the one problem I've run into with my "Write Whatever You Want, As Long As You Outline It" philosophy. You see, one of the first chapters of my book I wrote was halfway through the book, and I killed off one of the main characters. At the time, he meant nothing to me. Then, going back to the beginning, I had trouble defining his personality, actually knowing the guy. And then, once I got to know him, I completely fell in love with him. So that's a bit of a problem, just to let y'all know. Haha.
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Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:37 pm
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Sanareth says...



It always helps me, if there's a difficult sentence that stops me continuing with the story, to skim over it and write something ridiculous. Then I can come back to it once I've made some decent progress. I do that a lot, it's saved quite a few of my stories from dying deaths. :)
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Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:31 pm
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Monki says...



Wrote a prologue to something that may actually be worthy of... *gasp* finishing! :] *pokes user title thing* It's called "Plain Jane". Critique for someone who suffers of Writers' Block almost constantly, day in, day out? <3 I'll love you forever!
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Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:35 pm
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threm. says...



I pretty much have this weird novel up.

Dear, Diary. Might as well I say Angeline,


I was in pure euphoria. I was high with something better than known drugs to mankind. I was in a lip lock with Joseph, the guy I see wherever I look and the guy that make my heart flutter endless. It was just what I need now. I was in the middle of a mental debate and I feel so bad, seems so worthless. Feel so not cool, but this guy in front of me changes everything. Making my life both Heaven, and a living hell. Because he was an article of down under, he was a part of what's not seen and understood. And I, I should have known better… than falling for him, falling in love with a demon. Stupid Summer, stupid me, I really should have known better. Than breaking my heart trying to force what’s not. Goodnight.

-Summer



Supposedly that's the summary.

But about a week ago, I just suddenly stopped the thoughts about it.

And it's very frustrating.

I hate writer's block. I need help. I'm still at 17,000+ words.

help me!!! :)

-threm.
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Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:06 am
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How2EataRhesus says...



I've found that writing about block actually helps cure it...temporarily, that is.
I wrote a sonnet about it earlier today, actually. ;D
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Sun Mar 08, 2009 3:46 pm
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MySunshine says...



I have it all the time ... and it last for ages, and I can't really do anything about it, because nothing really helps.

Sometimes, though, when I'm stuck on a particular scene, I try to write another one, just so I have written something. That does help a little, although mostly, I don't have any ideas whatsoever ...
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Sun Jun 28, 2009 6:59 pm
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railway says...



I find that to overcome writer's block in the form of lack of ideas, it's best to just write. Start anywhere and write anything, it's not like your audience can see what you're writing.

So just write! Don't even think about editing until later on, otherwise you may be tempted to read back and think 'this is awful' and then delete the lot.

Also, if you're suffering with lack of ideas, I find it good to do something called 'freewriting' where you get a sheet of paper or a blank word document and write. Don't worry about punctuation and grammar or anything like that, just don't stop writing at all for five to ten minutes. Even if you can't think of anything to write, just write anything, even if it's moaning about you not knowing what to write.
It can actually lead to something!

Starting a story off is the hardest thing for me. Once I've started it and gotten into the swing, I don't suffer with writer's block at all.
  





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Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:11 am
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ImaginativeInsanity says...



I've found many different ways to overcome writer's block, and yet somehow, it always seems to find me again.

I've been working on a novel for about 2 years now (how I've managed to stay focused that long is beyond me), and it's only about 2/3 finished. From the beginning, I've written it completely out of order, writing what happens to appeal to me at the time. This kept major writer's block at bay for a long time, since I had infinite choices as to what to write. However, you have to have a pretty darn good view of where your story's going if you do this. Not an outline, per se (I don't outline. Ever.) but a really detailed mental plan. Otherwise, you see horrible inconsistencies start to pop up...

Anyway, I'm just getting over a really bad bout of writer's block I've had since December. Every time I tried to sit down and write, nothing sounded good, sending me into a frustrated lapse of avoidance. Finally, I was in the car about a month ago on a family vacation, and I heard a song that really, REALLY closely matched one of my characters. When I got back home, I opened my story, listened to that song (and almost cried at the euphoria it gave me. Literally) and wrote about 1200 words in 3 hours (which, believe me, is not normal for me). The spark of inspiration has tuned down quite a bit since then, but it was amazing while it lasted.

Another thing I can't do is force myself to write. I learned that the hard way about a year ago, when forcing a story caused me to give it up... quite abruptly. I may go back to it, but who knows?
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Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:35 pm
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Dynamo says...



For me, a writer's block is an obstacle I have to plough through head on. If I stop to do something else for a few minutes to clear my head, like play a video game or watch a funny video on youtube, those few minutes turn into half an hour, then that turns into three hours, and before I know it it's time for my to go to bed and I still haven't made any headway on my story. I have my A.D.H.D. to thank for that.

My condition is like a double edged sword. Over the years I've learned how to use my A.D.H.D. to my advantage, and now I can use it to come up with some interesting ideas that some people may never have thought of before. Also, if I'm working on something I thoroughly enjoy, I do what my mom calls hyper-focusing, where nothing in the world except what I'm working on at that moment exists. On the other hand, my A.D.H.D. can make me very distractible. The moment my attention wanders off the page and onto my web browser, I'm pretty much done for the rest of the day.
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Sat Aug 01, 2009 4:14 pm
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Haimerej says...



I've been suffering writer's block for a few months now, but I have a strange feeling that it's gonna go away soon... maybe today or tomorrow.
  





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Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:17 am
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empressoftheuniverse says...



I just banished what could have been described as lifelong writers block. I think writer's block is part fear of faliure, part minute brain hemorrhage and part tired hands.
I just lost all of my inhibitions and though "you know what? If I want to write a story about a scarecrow with a pocketful of glass, i will."
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