The Writers Block Thread

Thank you for this inspiring response. I will definitely take every word you said to heart. There is no better way for me to say "This helped me very much."

Well, I suppose I was expecting the impossible of myself. I'm sorry, I guess? Not sure what else to say when I've bothered the thread with this problem when my thinking was irrational from the start.. But I will keep that in mind and work to improve my drafts.

I see... Reading your response, its interesting to be prompted to think about how one can apply what they learn in one area of life to many others. It just goes to show how complex we are as creatures, doesn't it? And I do understand the purpose behind your response as well, and I do thank you for it. I guess its easy for our minds to muddle our perception of reality. But these responses are certainly helping me see what I'm suppose to do much more clearly now.

 

Little joey walked into the gym all smiles knowing that lifting those weights will make his arms big and strong.
Little joey looked around at the guys who've been coming here for years, and my how big their arms are.
Little joey tried to lift the lightest weights, but after a few minutes, his body started shaking.
The child looked at the big, heavy men. Then at his reflection.
Little joey walked out of the gym and never came back.

Tiny Tony walked into the gym, grabbed a weight, watched his body wobble, and wobble some more.
Tiny Tony didn't give a shit, and wobbled all the way, the same way, as everyone else in the gym.
Tiny Tony only ever winked at his reflection.
Tiny Tony walked out of the gym, over and over again.

 

Advice: Don't be so hard on yourself. We live in an imperfect world. Things live, things die, things go on. If a crocus can be seen through the snow, if a rainbow can be seen after a hurricane, if a Phoenix can rise from the ashes, there is beauty and joy in all that you are. Celebrate those things.

Things I don't do well: paint, as in walls, when you have to carefully cut in corners and try not to get wall paint on ceilings and v-v. Yeah, well, guess what. Wall paint is on ceilings. No big whoop. I hate to paint but I love new, fresh color so I do my best. I overcook pork chops, throw up after ferris wheel rides, and under-water outside plants. I have social anxiety and prefer to be alone, which makes it difficult because people need people. That's why there's so damn many of us, we need to find our tribes. There's more but I try not to dwell. Not sure I'm a good writer either but the only one I have to impress for now is me. Work on yourself as you'd like to be, not how you think everyone wants to see you. You'll get lost that way. Pave your own way. As far as writing, ask yourself if you really want to or if you just want to 'belong' to something. There's lots to do in the world, so do what's you.

 

Gotta break eggs to make omelettes.

Embrace your mistakes. Look fondly on them. Because down the road were it not for your prior errors you'd have no way of gauging your progress.

Also, it sound like one of two things: You are fixated on trying to improve too fast, or you are way too focused on the outcome instead of enjoying the process for its own sake.

Immerse. Let yourself wade into the world of your stories and learn your craft as you go, O.J.T. If you do that you are guaranteed to succeed, and at the right pace for you and not some fantasy version of what a writer 'should' be.



Best,

--T

 

Look at it this way: there was a time when none of us knew how to tie shoes. It was seen to us as the greatest obstacle we've ever faced. Now we can do it with our eyes closed. Writing a first draft is like that. You don't get it right the first time. Don't compare yourself to an old man who had been tying his shoes for 70 years. Compare yourself to how you were a few days ago.

 

I saw something on Pinterest that really motivates me, despite the feeling of not doing a good job: Whatever you publish, it's going to be someone's favorite book. Think about the 7 BILLION people in the world and how diverse it is. SOMEONE will love your book.

For me, I don't mind if a book is a cliche or I think it's bad (in a way) I still read it because I like the good things about it. I could dislike one thing about it like: "Why the heck did this happen? It doesn't make sense to me" but despite that I keep reading because I like the characters enough to want to know if they recieve a happy ending or not.

Another quote is that the first draft is always garbage, you just have to keep editing, rewriting and so on. Plus as above. practice and how are you gonna achieve anything if you don't even try? Keep writing. Kill the internal critic in your head, rebel against the rules of writing.
I try to create events that will cause me to want to write more like I always daydream about being on stage and singing. I make my characters have some form of talent in this. I feel like a sadist for saying this, but have characters have something bad happen in their life, or do something completely wacky that will make me smile, like an anime character punching another into oblivion.
Write the scenes you want to write- first, write the scenes that are exciting to you then lacing them with scenes that tie them all together.
Write little scenarios for your characters that are outside the story: Person A can't skate and Person B has to teach them. Between the list of your characters, who is "A" and who is "B"?
The story I'm writing currently, I'm still on chapter one(actually nearly done with chapter 1) and I'm pretty sure I had the idea for more than a year now. I thought about focusing on another story, but I always stop on a story and move on to the next one and the cycle continues. I also feel attached to the story and feel like it's my baby and it needs me to develop it into a grown novel.
You can try writing prompts because sometimes if you focus too much on your novel it could be stressful. Writing prompts get your creative juices to refire. I really suggest looking up quotes from Authors as well, and following writing blogs, and boards to get you inspired.

I hope something here helps

 

I think sometimes discouragement can set in due to how well the original idea is developing, or not developing.

I have a lot of stories conceived and planned, but will only start one once the core of it is strong enough and complete enough to be launched. (apology to pantsers!)

Then, as I work on that story and it becomes fleshed out over time, I sometimes get lost in minutiae which obscures my original motivation for writing the story. Maybe I feel the story is not turning out the way I hoped. When that happens I return to the original concept/overview/vibe to remember why I wanted to do this story in the first place, and also (importantly) to 'reset' the targets I should be aiming at. (a certain emotion, conclusion, turn of event, shocking moment, irony, growth in character, surprise plot twist, etc)

In other words, I can get discouraged when I lose track of the bigger picture and forget 'why' I wanted to do the story to begin with.

But re-acquiring those original targets can revive my vigor for the story, and motivate me to press on and get it finished so I can move on to the next one.

Cheers,

--T

 

I have a problem. My mind won't allow me to get into a creative writing flow. I sit here at my computer obsessing over word choice, sentence structure, and the meaning of what I'm trying to say. I hinder my own creative energy by editing the entire time—reading sentences and paragraphs over and over again like some kind of obsessive lunatic. Sometimes I reread my work so much that all of its deep meaning is lost on me; the words are just a jumble on the screen and my head feels like a block of wood. This is when frustration takes over and I scrap the whole project. It then takes me a long while to start a new piece because I fear the same thing will happen.

I just want to write with rhythm and flow, to enjoy the creative energy pouring into my mind. I'm tired of being pulled back up to my last sentence or paragraph. I'm tired of spending two weeks writing something that would take most people two days(or two hours!). Most of all I'm tired of the complete lack of motivation caused by all of this. I have so much to say, so many deep thoughts and feelings and perceptions I want to share with the world, but I fear that self-doubt, perfectionism, and obsessiveness may prevent me from doing so.

Does anyone else have this issue? Has anyone overcome obsessiveness/perfectionism/editing madness? If so, how did you do it? I would love to read other people's experiences.

Thank you for reading.


P.S. It took me an hour to write this, mostly due to obsessively rereading previous sentences.

 

Random thought: What if you tried writing "as" someone with only a basic command of written English? Play the role of a 16-year-old writing a diary or emails to a friend? Not forever, but just for long enough to try to break out of the constant-editing habit.

 

Could you try dictating? I can't write with dictation software because I'm not able to go back and fuss over and re-read prior writing, but it sounds like for you that might be an advantage?

Or type in white font on a white screen, or do something else that would prevent you from seeing what you're writing, at least for a while.

 

Are you this way with other things, or just writing? If xo, and you are actually OCD, no amount of helpful advice will make much of an impact. This is generally a treatable disorder. See a competent professional experienced in this area. If it is specific to writing, I'm guessing that you are a novice writer? If so, a remedy may simply be practicing "free-writing" for a certain amount of time with a word count goal every day without a focus (for now) on a finished product.

 

Gimmicks, dictations or exercises won't help you. Perfectionism is like an itch, you ignore it, it's tantamount to self torture. You can try writing as a 16 year old, but the second you go back to normal the perfectionism will come back with a vengence. There's only one thing that can help and that is skill. You have to get so good your perfectionism will be satisfied. People say there's no way to be truly satisfied? That's not true. But you have to get real good to the point where you know it's good. Only then are you scratching the itch.

 

Deadlines, self imposed or otherwise, might help with this. I know it has helped me. I try and write a short story every week. At first, this was difficult, but once I developed a routine a lot of my fears about how good something was and trusting myself as a writer, greatly diminished. I know it takes me one to three days to get out a twenty to thirty page story. I also know it takes me about three days to edit and polish the piece. That gives my one day off. Then I do it again. And again. I made my schedule and deadlines an important part of the process. Without those, I would probably struggle a lot more.

Personally, I don't give myself permission to write crap. When I have, I end up writing crap. But I know that method helps a lot of people get over the fear of writing or issues similar to what you are going through.

I don't know how new you are to writing, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. And the more you do it, the better you get. So, even if you're skills aren't quite where you would like them to be, the only way you are going to get there is by writing more, writing a lot. Improving can feel like a slow process at times. Just tell yourself that if you want this bad enough, you will find a way to make it work. I wish you a lot of luck with this.

 

Not only will you very very rarely hand a close to perfect manuscript to an editor without them finding some faults, but the style, depth and general rulings can change from editor to editor. This is simply talking about the mechanics of writing without taking into account readers' tastes and impressions. You will never, ever create a perfect manuscript for everybody!

But the main thing is that you produce a manuscript that is as close to perfection in YOUR eyes, or in the ery least, one you are happy with. The rest can go to hell. I think to embrace the fact that you can't produce perfection for everyone else might help to adapt your thinking and hopefully take some of the pressure off.

 

I appreciate all this great advice.

 

How many first drafts (short stories, novels, etc) have you completed? I think what you're describing is a common occurrence for many of us, especially at the start.

 

If you can split your writing efforts into two parts, and tackle them separately, that would be helpful.

The first part is 'writing.' Let your ideas come pouring forth. Never mind the form. Just beast into the project, get your ideas OUT THERE, and don't stop to be critical. This is a risk-free enterprise. Have fun, and enjoy the experience of expressing yourself without a safety net.

Then, once you've finally reached 'the end,' give yourself a few days' rest from that particular piece of writing. Or even longer, if that's what it takes to give you a fresh eye. Then go back, and tear into what you've written with your perfectionist's cap on. That's the part called 'editing.'

(Do yourself a favour and save all your older versions, though. The perfectionist sometimes gets it wrong and you may want to restore your original sentence or chapter or whatever.)

The important bit of my advice is to finish your work before you start editing. Don't stop to be critical until you've finished. That way you will have a 'whole' to work on.

It sounds as if you're concentrating more on perfecting words, rather than story flow. (I'm assuming you're writing a story. If you're writing something else, the goal may be slightly different.) A story is more than just words. It's what your words conjure up for your readers that is most important. A lot of reading is about 'what happens next' not what is happening now. Most people want to be drawn in to a story, not be forced to marvel at your clever word choice every few seconds. So get in the habit of paying attention to the story itself during the editing stage as well. Sometimes you need to put it away for months, or give it to a few other people to read, in order to see where your tale needs a boost or a change, or paring down.

Writing isn't easy, so don't get sidetracked by not being perfect at the start. Just relax and try to get comfortable with the medium, then start learning the tricks that writers use to make things happen. The good thing about relaxing and just writing is that your natural voice will start to emerge, and that is what will make your writing unique.

Do not expect your writing to be perfect—certainly not when it first hits the page. It never will be perfect, even after editing over and over. If that knowledge holds you back and leaves you permanently frustrated, then you maybe need to re-think your approach. "Good enough," can be very good indeed, once you've learned the ropes.

 

Are you sure about this? How do you know? It has taken me years to write a problematic scene of 3 or 4 pages. Years! The difference is that I don't throw it away and give up.
Like others have said, when you're reading and reading to the point that you don't undertsand if what you're reading is good or bad anymore, take a break. It takes the time it takes! It will be clearer next time you read it with fresh eyes. Don't push it. It won't work and you'll only get frustrated.

This happens to me occasionally. My first sentence being better than the editing. Most times, the problem was somewhere else in the vicinity. Good thing I save every version!

 

When I wrote my novel, I didn't really edit as I went. Okay, I looked over yesterday's writing before starting today's, and made a few tweaks, but that was mostly to get me back on track to resume writing. I wrote every day except when actively prevented by circumstances, and it still took me 5 years to finish my first draft.

After I finished, I beasted straight into the editing process, because I wanted to be able to give it to a few beta readers to read (who knew I was writing, and asking to read it.) I got TONS of helpful feedback at that stage. I made some major story changes (including writing a prologue, which they all seemed to want). Then I went back to editing line for line, and found myself tinkering. By tinkering, I mean I spent all day re-writing bits, changing how I said stuff, etc. Then the next day I'd go back and think ''crap!" And start rewriting again. And again. Sometimes restoring what I'd done before. Sometimes gutting important stuff because it didn't read right—and needing to put it all back later.

That was when I realised I needed to take a bigger break. I took one. It was longer than I expected, due to personal developments that kept me from writing for a while. The break was nearly 4 years. Almost as long as it had taken me to write the novel in the first place. BUT...when I did go back, it was SO easy to see what was right and what was wrong. I went through the MS like a dose of salts. I managed to painlessly remove more than a third of it, which was badly needed as the whole thing was over-written. I pared down the description, the dialogue, everything. I also added a chapter, and combined a couple of other chapters. And reversed the order of two chapters as well.

I'm still doing fine-tuning, but it's mostly now down to tweaking the story so the right things resonate with the readers.

I actually found it a great deal of fun, to get to the stage where I could fearlessly edit, chop and change, because I had forgotten what it was like to have written the story in the first place. If you're a perfectionist, this is where the fun lies. Not in revamping every sentence as you write it, but in seeing the whole picture you've created and removing and adding elements as needed.

 

I can only speak to the original post by saying that perfectionists have no business in the arts. I doubt your troubles have much to do with perfectionism, and more to do with command-of-craft.
As a painter I can tell you that overworking a piece just to get some little thing right can often ruin it. I am learning that with words, as with pencil and paint, you give the viewer just enough through inference, inference of stroke and color, and allow them to finish the work.

 

That's my method too.

But not this. When I wrote my first novel I was very amazed to realise it only took me three months!!!... On the other hand, it has taken me 7 years to edit and I still find stuff to improve. If no one stops me, or I don't stop myself, I always will.
This to say that when I write I want to get it out there as quickly as possible. I'm a planner and make up the entire story in my mind. I need to write it down quickly to establish the overall "tone" of the piece, start to finish. Everything else comes after.
My first draft is nowhere ready to be read by anyone but me! It was never my purpose to do everything right the first time.
I'm baffled by so many threads here in the forum from people who think that's even possible!

 

I don't agree with this. Some writers and artists are indeed perfectionists, obsessive perfectionists. If they can't stop themselves, someone has to take the work out of their hands. I know a case by Fernando Pessoa, a genius Portuguese poet, who published a satiric short story on a magazine. This was the beginning of the 20th century. (I read it and I find absolutely no fault with it! It's perfect!) Somehow, he was convinced that only a few people had read it and it was was his fault, and he kept trying to improve it until his death! Good thing someone published it on that magazine or we would never get to read it! He left a lot more unfinished work because of this, thinking it was not good enough -- never good enough.

I don't know about painting, but isn't Da Vinci supposed to have spent a decade on Mona Lisa?

I'm not in any way stating that a good writer or an artist has to be an obsessive perfectionist. On the contrary, it's a hindrance! But they do exist.

 

Yes, I'd heard that about Da Vinci, that he was one of those perfectionists who couldn't see the forest for the trees. His paints were notorious for peeling off, and many of his masterpieces are pretty much gone because of bad materials or bad preparation. And yet he did spend ages on each one, and there was never much of an output.

Horses for courses, I suppose. And I suppose that enigmatic smile the Mona Lisa has is probably the result of him spending ten years trying to decide whether to give her a smile or not!