That's not true. An idea or character can have lots of promise in your mind, but once you get it down on screen/paper it may not be as good as you originally conceived. Often I find myself unsatisfied by something that I liked before I wrote it. You can be quite satisfied by the promise, or the potential, of a story idea, but get stuck on how to realize it, or like it less with the end result.
I get REALLY terrible writer's block. I haven't written for a few days because every time I try I just keep staring at the page. When I DO write something lately, clumsy ill-formed words come out. :/ I'm hoping it goes away... In the mean time I am reading more. I was always told that if you want to be a good writer you need to be an avid reader!
Sulla, it's not really that people on this forum is anti-passion/inspiration - it's because us writers talk about it so much that passion and inspiration are all we ever talk about or care about, and many of us often overlook discipline. The very talk of discipline seems to, in many writers' minds, somehow degrade the very act of writing, or writing as a form of art - and that's just not true. It's true that if you can write page after page without feeling anything at all for weeks and months - yes something's probably died and you may wanna consider dropping the project. But that is not it at all - why, when one talks about discipline, do people always insist that there's no longer love or passion in it? Surely the fact that you're buckling down to work despite your mood saying no actually shows how much you do love this project - you wouldn't make yourself push through it otherwise cus it's damn hard. Reading this thread, I'm getting the impression that many of us interpret "Writer's block" quite differently. Well, right now, I'd say technically, I do have writer's block because I cannot make myself write, I'm feeling so discouraged right now. I don't consider this a "block" however because I know I can write any time I choose to start. However, taking a few days' break once in a while is healthy - but why call this a block? Rather call it a break. Call it psychology, but the way you think about your down time makes a difference to whether you actually get blocked or not.
I think there's a difference between what people perceive as 'writer's block' and what is really a 'lack of motivation', whether the result of mood-swings, stress, being tired, whatever. Many things affect us, shape our perception of the world, dampen our minds, our thoughts, our reaction to others... A lack of motivation is certainly a real thing, but it can be worked through and dealt with. Sure, you can have all these things, these feelings, going on that prevent you, or rather, discourage you from pressing on. Hard work has never been easy. But just as happiness is a choice, so is 'writer's block.' If it's a real thing, I pose this question: How did Bradbury write almost every day for 40+ years? Or Hemingway? How do any professional authors meet deadlines? How is Brandon Sanderson writing three books at once, all with dead-lines? How does anyone get anything done? I can surmise an answer: They never let things get in the way of their writing, and Bradbury specifically talks a lot about overcoming this thing by giving the subconscious room to work... You get stuck on something, you take a break, you let it simmer, allow it to show you an answer on its own... you work on something else... I understand what people are saying about that 'worth-while idea' vs. 'any crummy idea you can spew out for the sake of writing.' But that's the journey... No one waits around for inspiration in the form of lightning to strike them, and then magically they write a masterpiece... No, they attempt it 100 times previously, in the form of other stories and paragraphs and sentences until things click into place... "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't." Hamlet Act 2, scene 2, 193–206 You're telling me, as a result of this block, you couldn't write a journal entry accounting for your day? Or maybe describe a conversation that you happened to overhear? What about replaying a memory of yours? A funny time in your life? In order to get the juices flowing? I find that hard to believe, actually, impossible. If you're sitting at your computer stuck on something, unable to write, it's only because you've allowed yourself to be, and have done nothing to fix it... coming up with excuses such as, "I don't feel inspired today," or, "I can't think of anything interesting," and other nonsense that in reality are just excuses for not writing SOMETHING... And there are tons of options, solutions, go out and find them... take a walk... explore things... do things differently... maybe take a break and enjoy more time with friends... don't get set on this idea of, "there's nothing I can do about it," or, "I just can't," because it's an absolute lie... "I only write when I'm inspired, and I make sure I'm inspired every day at 9 AM." -Peter DeVries.
Well, last I checked people are different. Some people can paint quickly while others take a long time. Some can write a song a day while others labour over an album for decades. Artists create their art in a myriad of different ways, and just because one artist does not struggle, that doesn't mean all will (or should) work that way. Some people do get stuck. Some people are good enough to control the mechanics and create something that is more technical, while others rely on inspiration, passion, and natural cosmic energy. Whatever. That's why I could probably find more examples of famous writers who struggled, than famous writers who did not. Citing a few big names does not prove that all writers who make a name for themselves managed to write all the time, and therefore no one of merit gets writer's block. Besides, professional authors miss deadlines all the time. Some even get sued for their advances because they produced nothing, or barely anything, a long way past the deadline. You like quotes. You'd like the quote by Douglas Adams about deadlines. Passion and inspiration can be just the start of the writing journey. But then you have to figure out the route you want to go. Sometimes it just doesn't come along. Sometimes people do struggle with ideas. How is that hard to understand? Some people can have written a lot with great confidence and inspiration for years, and then suddenly get stuck. And others DO get hit by a flash of inspiration and knock out a novel. There are no golden rules or single methods. And no, some of us don't want to spew out garbage just for the sake of being busy. Just like some of us don't want to go to Iraq for the sake of going on a holiday. Some of us write to create something worthwhile, not just to create so we feel busy. I feel less motivated to type up anything at all than something I like. What a complete waste of my time, and how unbelievably boring for me just to be recounting something. That's not solving a blockage of creative ideas. That's regurgitating life in order to stay typing. And I understand you suggest it's to get the 'creative juices flowing', but just like getting over the fear of flying isn't as easy as jumping in a plane, it's not that simple. Really? And I mean really? People don't have writer's block because they can't type. Any monkey with fingers and a keyboard can type. Simply typing up what happened is not being creative, nor will it automatically lead to creativity. Thinking leads to creativity, not just the actions of the fingers. I may as well just think about those times. Why type them? That doesn't work for me, even if it works for you. We're all different. Again, that doesn't make you a writer. That makes you a typer. It's not about making excuses, it's about admitting that sometimes writing well is a hard thing to do and sometimes we do struggle. Saying that it doesn't exist because you choose not to type things and that you're making excuses is simply absurd. THIS is why there is so much crap floating around. Because many people would rather just write something, than struggle to write something well. They don't want to do the hard yards, struggle and, I'm sorry to say, even get stuck! They feel that the action of writing is all that matters, and the quality is secondary. Well, phooey to that! 'I don't feel inspired today' is a hell of a lot more honest than, 'I'll just type up crap so I can say I'm a writer.' If I am sitting at my computer but can't write it is not because I am truly uninspired. I never would have sat down in the first place if that were the case. And that is often the case. If I am at my computer then I want (or need) to write, but the formulation of ideas that will satisfy my creative desire is stunted. It is blocked. I am uninspired by my ideas and by my answers, no matter how long I sit there and think. Taking a walk, or several walks, is probably the best way to help alleviate or solve writer's block.
Hmm... it sounds like you've never attempted getting in touch with your subconscious, let alone things that really define you as a person, considering all of those things I listed are all exercises that help one tap into their personality... which adds to your voice, your style, the way you pace, the way you characterize, the perception of your reality that you take to the page and offer to someone else... Would you say Brain-Storming is a waste of time, too? Or since you've dismissed things that could potentially help you, what things do you do to get your brain processing things? It seems to me you've already set yourself up for disaster... Who knows, what if that conversation showed you an insight into life, or a perspective you never considered? And then you took it to your story and shaped it inside of a character? Or what if that memory you relived triggers euphoric re-call, and all of a sudden, a whole knew realm of emotions you haven't felt before, or at least, in a long time, come flooding back into your mind? Life is all about putting yourself in a position to receive experience, and if you spend your day sitting around waiting for that moment to strike, you're going to find yourself doing a lot of waiting, and no writing. Life is also about having the humility to allow every single option that is available to present itself, instead of dismissing things because you feel like they are a waste of time. This isn't an arguement based on what works for you, this is an arguement fueled by your ego and your unwillingness to try every option. Writing a journal entry accounting for your day shouldn't be beneath you, considering it would take five minutes of your time, nor the plethora of other possible things you could do in order to get your mind thinking, in order to get your subconscious bubbling, for that is where creativity lies, and it's the heart of originality. Why do you think long walks, or many walks, alleviate and solve writer's block? Or long drives for that matter? Your mind shuts off, and your subconscious turns on. Everyone always wants to talk about that painting the artist toiled and toiled over for months on end, struggling, struggling, struggling, trying to make it into something of quality... But they are quick to forget about the 100 pieces he painted and failed at previously, which all lead up to that masterstroke.. Were those 100 pieces a waste of time? Absolutely not. Without them, he would have never created his masterpiece. "Should you ever be drowned or hung, be sure and make a note of your sensations — they will be worth to you ten guineas a sheet." -E.A.P.
We all have different methods. I'm not dismissing methods that work for other people, just not agreeing at the black and white nature that some posters believe writer's block is a figment of someone's imagination, a bad thing, and lastly, something that can easily be cured. Some people go through it because THEIR PROCESS IS DIFFERENT. Regurgitation isn't brainstorming. Brainstorming is thinking, exactly what I advocate works for me. Not typing. Thinking. They are not the same thing. How will typing it up, as opposed to thinking about it, be so much different? It may be for you, but for me it does exactly one thing: nothing. I'd rather muse for months than type it out. I'm opposed to the notion that you have to keep typing in order to be a writer. I'm opposed to things being a single uniformed rule, and not methods for writers that fit and suit their style and ambition. You think I dismiss things out of idealism, or ego, rather than having tried it and knowing for a fact that it does not work... for me. Motivations are as different as the writers who need them. So is inspiration. So are the problems and the solutions. Because they allow you time to think, AND because the physical nature of exercise (for walks) provides the brain with more blood and oxygen than just sitting idle. My mind doesn't shut off. It turns ON. Typing may work for some people, but not for me. My only gripe really isn't your suggestions, but merely the absolute nature of your statements. This is the way it is! Well, no, it isn't. Life is about whatever I damn well make it. I'm sure you're an excellent writer, just as I'm sure that I'm not, and I'm sure that your methods and suggestions are brilliant for some people. But I'm also sure that I know what works for me. And I'm also sure some people do get writer's block and they're not lazy and it's not self imposed Suggestions are one thing, lecturing is another.
I think you've missed my first statement... I'll post it again: The getting 'stuck' is part of the writing process, and is not what I define as 'writer's block'. I'm just curious as to how one should go about getting un-stuck... Are you saying they need to simply think themselves into a solution? with no action? Or walk around for days on end hoping the answer to their masterpiece will present itself? hoping they will come up with that brilliant idea by simply musing and pondering and contemplating and thinking and musing and going over things in their head? While they could be working on other ideas/stories/creative endeavours that may also add to that process? Maybe we are talking about different processes... so have you tried all of these things I've listed and more? repeatedly? you know for certain they don't work? or help? or did you try them a few times, give up, and announce to yourself they are a waste of time? Seems to me that many writers do things such as what I've stated and have done so throughout the ages... Is it because there is some reasoning behind the process? (they are not my own suggestions) Or is it because they have worked for many, many others, and we simply have a case of someone who believes they are 'unique' ? And I'm not trying to lecture.. I'm trying to get you to think critically about what you so easily dismiss... This isn't some 'black and white' thing... There are no colors involved whatsoever.. Socrates has stated the only thing he knows is that he knows absolutely nothing... Every single mentor I have ever come across, whether spiritual, or in writing, has always had one consistent thing in their belief system, though their processes and personalities and minds and perceptions of reality differed insanely across the board... They all believed that every aspect of life could and should be absorbed, that we should do whatever necessary, use whatever tool, anything that strengthens our awareness and willingness and open-mindedness to drink life in... These are people who have decades and decades and decades worth of wisdom between them. Instead of turning myself away from things, because I perceive something to be an 'absolute', I open myself up to every possibility out there, through whatever means... I don't have all the answers, yet the answers surround me, and exist in many forms, shapes, colors, smells, sensations, whatever. So, just because I sniff a few times and don't smell anything... doesn't mean I stop sniffing... It just means that, at that moment, there might not have been a scent in the air. But, maybe, just maybe, it'll be there next time... And that next time, could be the very thing I was looking for.
Yes. For some people that works. For others it does nothing. For me it is by far more effective than typing up whatever. Lack of motivation or lack of ideas that one is satisfied with, all block you from writing. For me, writer's block is the inability to create, even though there is a deep interest and desire; be it due to motivation, stress, or simply stunted creativity. Whatever. Writer's block is a writer who is blocked. Maybe even constipated.... Mentally. They can't move forward, either on the page, or in their mind. There is not one single answer, and it isn't about stumbling about waiting for a masterpiece. You and I both know that's absurd, and it isn't about that. In fact, it's not about a single solution for all, but for different writers to find and discover what works for them, and what might be the problem in the first place. Penicillin doesn't cure everything; but that doesn't mean it isn't useful. Your suggestions are quite sound for some people, but please don't discredit those for whom your suggestions do not, or may not, work. I'm glad your solutions work for you, and also appreciate your willingness to share. Me, I couldn't be bothered sniffing all the time if there is no scent, because eventually the effort of sniffing isn't worth the reward. I'd rather look around for a flower. Anyway, like any good plumber, they key isn't to keep pouring water down the drain hoping to unblock the passage, but to find the source of the blockage first, and to fix it accordingly. That's not always easy, but far more effective.
Of course... If I sounded overbearing, I apologize, for I wasn't trying to come off as: "this is the only way things can be done." I was merely attempting to get you to look at different options, and to also force you to question/analyze your own idea/perception of what problems could exist, in hopes that you may find any answer you're currently searching for. I am also a person who understands that people do things in their own special way sometimes, which all bring them to a final product that is the same for many... no matter the journey... If there is anything you can gleam from this discussion, maybe, in your explorations of yourself and your creative process, instead of molding a concrete 'what works' list... allow it to be more pliable, subject to change. There are always things we'll never know unless we leave ourselves available, that's all. Well said.
-To add my own cents into the mix- When I'm suffering from a strong case of writer's block I tend to read. You'll be surprised just how much inspiration you can gain by reading work by other people. So if you want to write mystery, go find a mystery novel and give it a look. Often times all we need is a little motivation to get us going again.
I'll agree that writing uninspired prose is not the same as writing inspired prose. But if you're not writing inspired prose, what are you doing? Walking, riding a bike, cooking, doing the laundry, reading? There are all sorts of things you can be doing while you're waiting for inspiration. One of those things can be writing. Writing uninspired prose. Because while there's an inspiration element of writing, there's also a "practice" element of writing. There are all sorts of skills associated with writing that can be polished with uninspired writing, thousands and tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands and even millions of words of uninspired writing. I defy anyone to write a million words, and look at those words critically as they go along with the knowledge gained from lots of reading and lots of thinking about writing, and _not_ become a much, much better writer, better equipped to make the best use of inspiration when it comes along. And it seems logical to me that if I'm waiting for inspiration, that inspiration is more likely to sneak in while I'm actually writing. The inspired chunk of writing may be sandwiched between uninspired chunks, but if I weren't sitting there typing, that inspired chunk might never have happened at all. In fact, I might argue that I _need_ to do some uninspired writing to get the inspiration gears going, to scrub off the garbage that's accumulated on the inspiration machine and spew it out with words. I feel that I'm seeing a fear of writing garbage. But who cares if the time that you're not writing inspired prose is spent writing garbage, or doing the dishes or laundry? I'd argue that for most writers, there' s no harm in bad writing. If you fear that bad writing will harm your current story, OK, I can see that - an idea that's been chewed over too many times can lose its flavor. If so, then I'd say sit down and start typing on something else. If that truly can't work for you? OK. But in your posts in this thread, I'm seeing you expressing some contempt for those for whom it can work. A process that's different from yours is not necessarily a flawed process, it's just not for you.
I've tried both methods ( walking for inspiration and writing while uninspired) and they both work -_-
Exactly. Pretty much everything I just explained, but better. And I have to echoe Cog's sentiments in the beginning of this thread:
Are there any good tricks to keep the words pumping out? Quite often I find myself stuck while writing my novel, and I'll pump out 1000 words and then suddenly my mind goes blank for a short time. I know exactly how I want the story to go, but progress is constantly being halted because I find myself suddenly unsure of how to phrase something, or just plain unsure of how I can get enough words out of my idea so that it can be paced in such a way that I'll end up with 80,000 words. Any suggestions would certainly be appreciated. I'm fairly new to writing, I've only been doing it on and off for a few years, but I've never tried tackling a novel.
Writer's Laxative. But don't take it on a regular basis, or you'll be shooting out streams of brown spew like Stephen King. Or, you could consult the Writer's Block thread.
Change of environment. A drastic "breath of fresh air" as in different stimulai... different people, different pills, different coffee shops, different genre of earmarked novels, different random experiments.... Take a break for a while and come back after doodling around on a full hiatus. You'll be more productive for it. Atmosphere and how you relate to it has major impact on who you are when you write and how much flow you can spit.
It's strange, but I've never experienced writer's block. Every time my mind goes blank, suddenly a fresh and startlingly new idea will pop into my head. The only reason why I haven't written 10 novels already is due to pure laziness. But keeping on topic, try pacing the room. It circulates the blood and should get your idea generator pumping, the lazy thing. Or just type dfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdf and hope that you get something interesting in your head.
See, now there's some good advice. Be careful with the pacing, though. I've heard it can cause live births.
I've felt this way in the past and it stopped me from writing for literally years. I realized recently what everyone on here seems to be saying - that we are our own worst enemy. I'm grateful for drafts - there is no reason it has to be perfect the first time around. There is no shame in writing "crap" because it's all a learning process. Writing each draft is like scratching off a layer of dead skin - keep scratching and you'll eventually uncover the shiny, new part.
It does exist. It has happened to me many times. Sometimes it's not writers block as it is defined by many but really just a foggy mind. Try taking some supplements that are specifically formulated to help with this.
I often start writing before I'm inspired, and often that leads to inspiration. And sometimes not. But I still write every day. A little or a lot. It takes discipline and passion. Discipline brings the work to life. Passion gives the project energy - and makes it worth reading. I can't validate this, but it seems the greatest writers (well, greatest by my standards) write consistently - they make disciplined writing a staple of what they do. Sure, you might write 20 pages, read them the next day and trash them, but that is what seperates the amateur from the professional (1: the ability to sit down and write, no matter what, and 2: the ability to honestly critique our own work). Of course, everyone has their own style (multiple people have mentioned this fact already in this post)... BUT, since this post started as a cry for help in getting over writers block, I think it's important to get to the heart of it: START. Start now. Begin writing. It's hard. It's VERY hard to be creative and productive (every good writer knows this). But it's BECAUSE it's hard, that it has so much value (and why you need to keep writing!). I could go into the neuroscience of why disciplined writing builds stronger neural pathways, helping you develop the habit of writing, which ultimately makes writing easier, but I don't think that's the point of this post. So to the original instigator of the post - start writing! - Tom p.s. for reference, a blog post on the neuroscience of habit formation - some writers have found it enlightening: http://tommorkes.com/going-to-war/
I read the debate from golden and selbbin and holy monkey Sh%*... thats just what i needed to hear... thanks yall
