I have been told that if you're stuck at some point, or you're having trouble with your story, just start writing sheer nonsense in hopes that it will spark something great. I've tried this, but A) it just does't seem right, and B) it has never yielded results! Are there any other tips to get ideas flowing, besides spewing meaningless ideas all over the place?
You can try to figure out why you're stuck. Is it a plot issue? If so, jot down an outline of your plot, figure out where you need it to go, and then work on ways to get there. Is it a characterization issue? Try to sort out what seems wrong, and fix it. Butt-in-chair is a good solution to a lot of writing problems, but if it doesn't work for you, try something else.
Depends on how you're stuck I suppose. If you're just having a hard time writing, I'd suggest thinking about your plot, turning it over in your head, maybe working on any plot details that may need work. If it a plot problem you're having, just making yourself work it out by thinking "where d my characters need to get, what's preventing that from happening, what's an interesting way to circumvent it" - just forcing it through, really. That works for me anyway. That way I always feel productive: I'm always either writing or plotting. Or you might just need a break - watch a tv show, take a walk, play a game, read something. I have multiple projects so I might break from one that's not cooperating and work on another. These things work themselves out, I find. It's nothing to stress over.
Do I keep tackling it (or at least, try to tackle it) if it doesn't seem to be working out? I definitely have taken breaks from my story, though it does't seem to be coming along any smoother (I have literally gotten down two sentences in the past four days ). This one in particular I'm sort of stressed out about (it's for a contest with an unbelievable prize--the story gets published...and made into a short film!). It's due really soon actually, and I only have one page down. I think I may not be coming up with ideas because I'm under pressure, but that does't alleviate the stress. ?? Thank you so much for your help.
That's a pretty cool contest! I'd keep pushing it personally. You can always work out the kinks in editing - I feel like it's best to have some kinda product than nothing. Get it written and you'll have a basis for editing or rewriting. But, I mean, that's just works for me (and I don't work well under pressure either, so). It'd probably be best to think about how you've gotten through blocks like this before.
I almost always take this as an indicator that my story has gone off track. My approach is to start by rereading my synopsis (which I usually ignore while I'm in the heat of writing). If nothing jumps out at me there, I back up a bit (anywhere from a few pages to a few chapters) and start reading. Usually I stumble onto something that feels off and I start reworking from there. Hope this helps.
It sounds like - because of the contest - you may be overthinking things too much. Pressure, stress, a deadline - all of these things can definitely cause your writing to suffer, if only for a while. Try to figure out if there is something about working on your current project that displeasure's you (did the story take a different turn than you wanted? one of your characters not coming across on paper like you'd like?). Ultimately, you have to try different methods until you find what works for you In the meantime, since you're trying to participate in a contest, relax! Have a drink, go for a walk/run, blast some music. Allow yourself time and space to think about nothing and everything. You might trigger your creativity.
Not to brag, but I'm always in the frame of mind that writes nonsense and meaningless ideas. Eat your hearts out.
