Hey guys, I've had writer's block for about... eighteen years now, and I haven't been able to finish a single story. So, to counter this I'm wondering if anyone knows where to get a fantasy plot generator, that way I can just write a story with little to no thought to it as a sort of an ice breaker for my brain.

I found this one so far, but I wish it was a teensy bit more detailed. Serendipity (http://nine.frenchboys.net/fantasyplot.php)

My friend, as hard as it might sound, you were never born to be a writer.

Eighteen years? You're kidding me right?

My friend, as hard as it might sound, you were never born to be a writer.
sometimes I think that myself. I've got a relatively good story bouncing around in my head; rewrote it twice with the most recent rough draft at one hundred seventeen pages, but it goes too fast and trails off awkwardly with a forty year old soldier traveling with the 17 or-so year old protagonist and his female friend for no reason (liek, not creepy, totally). And then a war that isn't necessary. So that means a giant third rewrite.
And a rewrite is not what I want to do, because I'm still stuck somewhere in between running away from people who want to kill your girlfriend and giant climactic battle against an organization who wants to change history so that their lives don't suck.
Eighteen years? You're kidding me right?
Yeah, for the most part. But I've still never finished anything. It's that middle part and pacing that gets me.

Start on a smaller project first. This may help you practice some aspects of story-writing without as much commitment to the piece. Also, rewriting isn't as much of a hassle. Just something to think about.

Start on a smaller project first. This may help you practice some aspects of story-writing without as much commitment to the piece. Also, rewriting isn't as much of a hassle. Just something to think about.

That's why I'm thinking about writing a stereotypical story with a dark villian and a magic ring and all those tropes and trappings, but very little heart. I feel if I can just finish something I'll be able to break out of the rut I've been in forever. Hence the need for a plot generator or a prompt.

Why don't you just rewrite a fairy tale, or some other story you know well? Since you won't have to learn a new story, you'll be acquainted with more of the aspects established.

No, brother--write a memoir or a nonfiction piece, something that happened to you in real life. Put down all you thoughts and feelings, and all your emotions you felt at exactly that moment.

In other words: do some journal writing.

Or write a diary.

I know what it is like to deal with writers block. I began writing a novel quite some years ago now. It began excellently and then when I got to around the middle I had lost it altogether and haven't written a word on it in a good few years.

I found that a good way to get back into it is to try your hand at a rather short story. There are short story contests running at the moment and I find they are a good way of hrlping out with writers block.

You could give it a go, you never know it may help a little.

Torana

Perhaps take one of your characters out of your story and put him into your own life for a day. Write what your day with him or her might be like for both of you. That way, you get back into a writing habit, and you also get to know your character a bit better.

That may freshen your perspective on a story that has gotten stale for you.

Oh that is a good one Cogito! Although I wouldn't ever want to do that myself. My characters are always way too agressive.
I'd be hospitalised or locked up lol
Hey that could work!

Perhaps take one of your characters out of your story and put him into your own life for a day. Write what your day with him or her might be like for both of you. That way, you get back into a writing habit, and you also get to know your character a bit better.

That may freshen your perspective on a story that has gotten stale for you.
That is the most interesting thing I've ever heard... I think I'll actually try that.

Might try Adamant's suggestion of a fairy tale rewrite as well.

I would just sit down and write absolute nonsense, whatever pops into your head. a page or two. That will get the creativity flowing.

Cogito makes a good suggestions to. Take a character and place him in a situation completely outside the realm of possibility and force him to deal with it.

That will, most of the time, get you to think outside the box and really focus on the true intent of your writing.

I will also go back to another piece that I have written and reread it. It gets me thinking about that story and I start revising it. That gets my juices going again and I start generating ideas for the story I was working on.

At least it works for me. I'm was an A D D kid so I do better with multiple ideas floating around upstairs.

Try to write some short stories first. That might help. Just keep making the next short story longer, and longer.