When I read the start of this thread I wanted to answer and say the character drives your writing and up popped Vayda's post which I agree with. My characters live and breathe, my issue is getting them to step in line with a plot. They are all rebellious and refuse to, at the moment.
That is true. I have never finished a novel... But then, I always lose interest in it midway through. Or I realize that the plot stunk, or both. Sometimes the whole story just annoys me. I like swans too. They fit right in with classical music.
Everything that is done requires a certain amount of work. Does that make any work less fun? Or less than it is? You can't have fun without first determining that you are going to have fun. You can be determined to have fun while doing the dishes (I will never do this because I hate the dishes), or scrubbing the floor... whatever. Just depends on your outlook of the project. If you enjoy your characters and your plot, then you will enjoy the work, but it is still work. Just because you like doing it doesn't change what it is.
See, I only write when I want to (which is most of the time). If a story reaches a stalemate, I start another one, or stop writing it, and wait until the spirits tell me to write the other one again! Writing for me has to be enjoyable-for me, it's a hobby after all. The enjoyment is what keeps me motivated to write. Sometimes it's challenging, and sometimes it's nigh unto impossible, but I'm never sad, angry or bored when I'm writing.
Ok, I have to write a 13 page story for creative writing class. and I am having the worst 'writers block' EVER!!! I need ideas and help...even if you all just give me a bunch of ideas at once I could try to meld them all into one.. thanks all rasta
The best advice I can give is to start with the kind of stories you like to read. Is there anything you've read that has made you ask yourself, "But what if they had done this instead?" or thought to yourself, "I don't believe it would have turned out that way." These are the germs of most of my inspiration. Another approach might be to look at the themes of some of the recent Short Story competitions, and pick one that intrigues you - You can find them under Contests and Competitions -> Weekly Short Story Competitions -> Weekly Short Story Competition Archives. I recommend looking only at the theme challenges, not the submitted stories themselves. Soimeone else's story ideas are not what you want. What you want is to prime the well of your own creativeity.
I find that if i become momentarily disconnected from the story and then read it over, i can continue writing with a clearer head. Sometimes, I think i write myself into a wall, and it takes a few moments of reorganization to get back on track.
Whenever I have writer's block, I put the story away for a few hours, do my normal activities and then go back to it again and start over. If you haven't started writing the story yet, its great to switch your mind in to inventive mode. Look at everything (cereal boxes, park benches, medicine bottles, cups) as an idea starter. It can take a few minutes to get started but it works. Look around you. What's there? A flower? Now go into the Character World. Who it standing at that flower now?(or a flower that's hidden deep in the character world, in a jungle that is surrounded by large trees and bushes. You can hear the animals screeching and yelping loudly around you. Suddenly, you hear footsteps coming up behind you. They are heavy, crunching the leaves that cover the muddy ground. You are afraid to turn around and feel frozen while you stare at the flower in front of you.) That's an example. Now look around you again. What else do you see? A roll of tape. Go back into the Character World. What is happening around it there? A young girl is using it to make a school project made with bright colored construction paper. Her safety scissors seem old and they barely work. There are screaming children running around her, you hear crying babies. As you look around, you see a woman sitting in a rocking chair trying to lull a baby to sleep. The house is full of children, all of them awake and rambunctious. The little girl that was making her school project hears the dog bark and as it runs through the house she gets up and follows it. As she runs past the kitchen counter, you see a piece of paper that says "Millen Family Foster Home" on the top. Use this technique to get an idea that strikes you and makes you passionate. When you just can't stop writing, you have your story. A great way to develop the characters is when you aren't working on the story. When you put the story down for a break, take the time to work on the characters just a bit. From what you have written, go back into the Character World and see your characters. What color is their hair? What texture is it? What color are their eyes? Do they shine with excitement or are they dull with boredom? The Character World and characters are a great help with writing. My characters live with me and I never have a problem with writer's block. I hope this technique helps you with your writer's block. Good luck. ~Natalie
My thoughts: I don't get writer's block because, generally, I would have thought about the piece I want to write. When I can't write, I just start omitting what's in my mind on to a paper. Just brainstorm and put everything on to a paper (or a notepad/MS word if you wish). Even if it's not organized, even if it has no structure, just omit. Once I am done with that, I organize and come up with themes. Then I start writing. And if I find holes, I fill them up.
I have a disease of idea block. Idea block is when I have to many ideas swarming in my head so that I never want to stay tied down to one story. i get ideas twenty four seven and I wake up in the middle of the night just to start writing an idea that I had. This idea traffic jam is making me go insane. What to do? How do I settle my brain down?
When it happens to me, I settle down and start brain storming. What ideas can be put together to make a single story? What Ideas cannot be reconciled together and must remain seperate? Usually it helps me cut back on ideas that need to actually be written from maybe six or seven to one or two. Often one idea will bury itself leaving me with just one to work on.
Jot ideas down, keep files of them, so they're not lost. But instead of jumping around from project to project--never finishing one of them, focus. Put the others aside--they're safe in their files. Nothing will be lost or forgotten. If nothing is ever finished, all those ideas will never be shared with readers (at least not in a complete/coherent fashion). Either, in the end, you'll do what it takes to do it--write and complete your works. Or, whatever else you may want to blame, you won't have mustered the self-discipline necessary to do it. Terry
I try, but I want to write them. I get so itchy about ideas. I feel like every idea has to be written. I have this impusle that keeps me wanting to do something. I'm so stubborn and never want to stop.
You can't fall into a rut thinking that the latest idea is more worth pursuing than the one you're currently writing. If the latest idea is the best, wasn't the one you're currently writing the "latest and best" idea at one time too? If these ideas are so good that they have to be written, then write them -- ONE AT A TIME -- you can generate an idea and flesh out some concepts around with a handful of notes, ideas, thoughts--then put it down and continue to focus on the current idea you're writing on. You can even use a voice recorder. You don't HAVE to write about ideas popping into your head, just blast your thoughts into the voice recorder and get back to the one you're working on. These thoughts & ideas can be recorded at any time without having to pull yourself away from what you're doing. It's your choice, record your thoughts & ideas while keeping focus, or meander and get pulled every which way while never getting anything done--it's up to you.
Recording is to hard. Its so frustrating. I lose ideas of my other story because of other stories. I'm trying my best, but my brain feels like its going to explode sooner or later. I've been recording the ideas a few times, but this is just to damn hard. I want to bang my head on the desk all the time. I try to say focus, but I can't. I really really really really really really want to finish one novel without other ideas coming to me. I really really really really really do.
Leaka, As was indicated by ATKatrina: Either you muster the self-discipline necessary to complete a project or you don't. Passing it off that "you're trying your best but it's too hard", in the end won't cut it. If you "...really really really really really really want to finish one novel without other ideas coming to me. I really really really really really do , " but then copping out that it's too hard to set those ideas aside, well, where will you be a year from now? If your goal is to complete works (and submit them or not), you know what you have to do. Sure it's hard. If it wasn't, everybody would succeed at it. If you don't succeed, you will have no one else to blame but yourself. Harsh as it may seem, now that you've been around long enough and experienced the situation and know what you must do to get it done, the time for pitty parties is over. Terry
Its not a pity party....I dislike that when people think I'm crying self pity. I'm I asking for some advice how to control my idea flow. Recording and putting them in a file will not work for an ideaholic. I've tried. I have one novel with 30 chapters. I need the other 2 done. I will submit them. I just need to straighten my ideas instead of starting new stories. Or working on other stories. Its just that I find a story tasteless after a while. I feel my stories start of good and become lack luster. I'm fixing grammar in my 30 chapter story (that bores me to death), I'm still fixing the chapters to make theme even better (its okay, but still to much work), and then I'm suppose to finish the other 2 chapters. The problem is that words give me ideas. As I write the word beautiful ten million thoughts come flying t me like an out control spaceship. I'm not asking for pity. I'm asking for help and advice. Get your thoughts straight.
Leaka, As I read this thread, I believe my thoughts are straight. I and another member made suggestions on how to solve the issue. Your response was to say how hard it is, just too damn hard no matter how hard you try, but that you really (repeat multiple times) want to finish one novel, you really (repeat multiple times) do. I came away with a plea for empathy, sympathy, maybe whining or woe is me how hard it is. What would you have me say? I am sorry; I understand your plight. But in the end, as a professional, you will either muster the self-discipline to reach your goal(s) or you will fail. There isn't an in between. A novel isn't finished until it's finished. (I guess one could argue over the definition of a 'finished novel', but I think the context establishes that well enough.) Many things in life are difficult. Being a successful writer is probably one of the more daunting. The development of the necessary skills, time commitment involved, and the dedication/perseverance knowing the long, long odds due to the massive volume of competition (if nothing else) compared to the limited number of publication slots--realizing that at the end of the day you may have nothing tangible to show for it, makes it difficult. Allowing something like 'too many ideas assaulting your writing process' to create an insurmountable barrier and blocking you from reaching your writing goals? There are so many more hurdles yet to cross. Either the self-discipline is in you or it isn't. Do what it takes to get past this one. Terry
HARD?? You really lost me there. I have an Olympus DS-30 digital voice recorder. Not much bigger than an iPod Nano. I push any button, it turns on, I select the folder I want to throw the idea in, I hit record, I hit stop. For me, thats WAAY faster than stopping to write. I went out and bought it because I had a problem--too many different kinds of ideas/insights coming in too quickly and in too many different times & places to keep track of them or to stop and write down. Folder A = grammar rules/insights Folder B = word & phrase bucket for anything remotely interesting Folder C = Writing insights/tips/misc rules Folder D = Rewriting/reviewing insights/tips/misc rules Folder E = idea bucket for miscellaneous thoughts I'm currently finishing a project to input all of those recordings into spreadsheets so I can have instant visual access to everything instead of hitting buttons on the recorder to access them. However, they're still on there so I can listen to them anytime I'm not at the computer. Great for hearing thoughts again, or listening to things I need to remember about writing. I just finished studying Grisham, Michener, Dan Brown, and "The elements of style" in preparation for a rewrite. You want to talk about being assaulted all at once with words, ideas, rules, insights, aspirations, inspirations, doubts, technique, form, style, approach etc..... Everything is coming in simultaneously and all of it is VALUABLE. It has to go somewhere right now and be organized without getting lost and without getting in the way of the overall focus - which for me right now is re-wiring my brain to do a critical rewrite of the 317 pages of non-fiction I just wrote. Anyway, maybe that'll help. Focusing on and pursuing a solution sure beats splashing around in the ocean of your brain, disoriented, drowning and lost in a hurricane of thoughts and ideas. Like I said its up to you: go check out the digital recorders and make the investment, or get an "analog" version in the form of a spiral notebook with tabs for the categories of your various ideas & thoughts. You need to keep pursuing capture and organization solutions until you find something effective. Anything else is just treading water, splashing around and complaining--and that doesn't get writing done. Speaking of, my break is over, back to it.
Okay, here is my problem. Does anyone have any advice on anything to do for writer's block? I get started on something, get about 1/4 of the way thru and begin to have self doubt telling me that it is the most awful waste of space ever written. Then I get blocked and can't go any farther. The other side of the coin is when I sit down, look at a blank piece of paper and can't think of a thing to write. Then I am totally screwed. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, y'all. Blessed Be, Missie
To me, there's no such thing as writer's block. If you can write a single sentence in a day, then you don't have it. Heck, whatever you write doesn't even have to make sense, it can be a personal vent on anything you want, it doesn't have to deal with a story. If I don't have the motivation to write anything in my current novel, then I usually start reading a book or moving on to writing something else. You can't force something out if it doesn't want to come. Jot down random ideas for other writings that might be fun to write about. Post in your blog. Read another person's story and comment. In time, the blockade will crumble and you'll find you'll be able to focus a bit more on the writing you want to continue. That's, of course, my own opinion.
Write as often as you can. If you find yourself unable to write the material you want to be writing, a novel you're working on, for example, then write something else. Do a random scene. Free write. Do a journal entry. Describe the room you're in. Anything. The key is just to write something. You'll be surprised how often you could be writing about something as mundane as a hole you suddenly notice in your wall and how it will bridge to something to unblock what you need to be writing on. There are a lot of thoughts flowing in us that we don't realize until we put the pen down to write.
Whenever I have writer's block, I end the story. I just tack on an ending no matter how ill fitting it appears. Simply finishing a story is, in and of itself, a powerful thing. I the leave the story alone and persue someother work. I let my subconscious mull it over. Then, after a bit of time - and when I feel ready - I return to it and deal with all the plot holes caused by the sudden ending.
