To get started with my introduction, I've been looking around the web for years for an answer to an endless question; how to end writers block? It would turn out despite the endless feedback, blogs, what-have-you. I've mainly came across one thing; keep writing. - While I would factually recommend this for someone who has that type of problem, mine was not so easy to nail-down. As sitting down to write a paragraph was met with disliking my writing's guts then rewriting. Pressing on eventually met with me getting angry, disappointed and feel as though I can't write at all. The most common advice I was given for not writing for such a long time was to 'give up' because writers like me 'are not really writers.' I see their points, I do, but for individuals like myself I'd rather be writing than other things, I refuse to give up like this. Finally years and an ah-ha moment, to sum it up; People have described me as having a childishly speaking/writing voice, I worried what that'd sound like in murder scenes and psychologically disordered characters. I've thought of the ideal writer to be these super smart, and witty, and elegant aurora about them, types... I wanted to sound like that. Thus, for years, I couldn't write without being enraged, these writings I called 'mine'. Why? Because I didn't sound like myself. Because this was me, acting like someone, something unnatural. With it's efforts and inspiration. Inspired by a strange book I liked, published coincidentally the same year I self-published. Eventually, I decided to write about some kids running around... and my voice came to me. It felt like I could breathe, my writings put that old ear-to-ear smile on my face for the first time in years. So... I decided to join the forum because out of the hundreds or so of websites, this one had people I liked the most; the maturity level, respect, helpfulness without sulking, useful advice and just the people themselves being kinda cool. I came here hoping to use most of this sites aspects; learn critique, advice giving/taking, being around other writers for once. I might start a progress journal. Show my good-times and snags to work out the kinks or what-not, might be helpful to others as well as I get back into this writing thing. I'm learning, and I think the lesson is; A snag is your subconscious brain warning you against a problem that'll grow if you don't catch it first. So.... Hello to all the writers on here. Maybe we'll run into each other again soon. Thank you if you read this far. I'm sorry for the long intro, but my brain wasn't happy unless I did it.
You can't have better voice than your own. I love Michale Hauge's "Identity vs. Essence" view to character growth. And I believe it fits real life and social interaction as well. If the balance between identity and essence, exterior surface and inner core, exposure and execution of life, roles and self gets out of order so that life and our self image turns to identity heavy side, everything goes down the drain. We become puppets. Dump the expectations. Find the real value of your voice. If it's childish, find it's value, it's usefulnes. Childish voice? Like... - Astrid Lindgren - Tove Janson - H.C. Andersen - Arto Paasilinna - Terry Pratchett - Richard Feynman* - Carl Hiaasen* - Jaroslav Hasek - P.G. Vodehouse* - Mihail Bulgakov - Jan Guillou* - Stephen King* - Anthony de Mello* - Richard Pawson* - George Orwell - Tom Sharpe - David Lodge* - Alexander McCall Smith - and several other neverheards. What a treasure! * Don't let genres or styles fool you. They do have that kind of voice.
That comes down to practice - we all find our voices through writing. Even the most witty urbane PG Wodehouse type didn't sound like that when he first put pen to paper (or fingers to keys)
@Alan Aspie Thank you for the inspiring feedback, it has inspired me to take a closer look at usefulness of individual voices and understanding every voice has a place and time without conforming or surrendering to other expectations. I look forward to taking a closer look, studying, the works of writers with similar voices from a different perspective to better understand this, also Identity vs Essence sounds like an interesting book I'd look forward to getting my hands on. @big soft moose You make a good point, it wouldn't make since to immediately (or long term in many people's case) write in that form without practice and crafting your writing ability in the first place. Thanks for the response!
You are welcome. Nonononono! They all have very different voices. But all those voices have one similar treat. There is some kind of childish dimension in it. With Vodehouse it is some kind of simplicity. With A. McCall Smith it is lovely naiveness - without naiveness. With Astrid Lindgren it is understanding the inner world of a rebellious good will. With... Hauge is so called story consultant. His views about character arch are worth listening or reading.
So, to admire that everyone has their own individualism within a single realm, their own traits within their voice that makes them unique/stand-out and accept yours is different as well and for whatever it comes off as. Not to conform to some type of guidelines or placeholder for voice type, but to allow free will to take your own journey, to speak from your being? Do I got it correct?
I did not think like that here. I just picked some authors who have any kind of childish voice. And it surprised me that it was so easy. And that you could find them in many genres. And... Many wanna-be's want to sound their idols. I find that stupid. If you like Al Pacino movies, do you try to sound like him? No. That would be stupid. You have your own voice. You may train your voice. You might correct what is wrong. But you still speak with that voice. You might get some depth and character to it. But you keep it. It's your voice. If you read Alexander McCall Smith or Jaroslav Hasek you see that both have a childish voice - but totally different kind. Think about actors. How wide assortments of voices they have? Tens of thousands of different voices! And best ones are very individual. You could call Idris Elbans voice dark. And you could call Schwarzenegger, Vin Diesel, Minnie Driver, Morgan Freeman... dark voiced. But they all have they own and personal voices and that voice is they trademark. You have your voice. Don't change it. Develop it.
Your post made me remember pretty much telling myself I'd never become like another writer. Made me realize I threw a lot of my values & clear thinking out the window and under the bus, since I've been searching for how to write again. Over-analyzing instead of thinking with the heart, I suppose. I think I should slow down, try to remember my values as a writer, hopefully it won't be as hard to remember as this was, which was common sense for me. Thanks for sticking it out @Alan Aspie I most likely would have just been stuck in a loop, if you didn't jog my memory. So far I think talking to other writers is fun, I can't say they might be thinking the same of me though.
Hi Lantern, and welcome to the forum! I think you'll find that your issue—writer's block and how to deal with it—has many threads relating to it already. Maybe use the search function to find some of them? (Key words like 'block' and 'stuck' should bring some of them to view.) I'm glad you've found a way to work your way out of it yourself. Look forward to seeing you on lots of threads here. Looks as if you have a great deal to contribute. If you haven't read the New Member guide, it's a good idea to do that. Open up the Information tab at the top of the Community page, and scroll down to New Member Guide. And you can explore other bits of information as well. Getting familiar with our forum rules, under the Rules section (also under Information) is a very good idea. That way you'll become familiar with our goals as a forum, and how we operate. Dive in and make friends! Looks as if you've already started. Welcome aboard.
On the second page of general writing you'll find a thread called "the writers block thread" which is an omnibus of ten years worth of threads on this subject https://www.writingforums.org/threads/the-writers-block-thread.28079/
Sometimes the simplest switch can let it all loose. I had a story idea that I was stuck on for years, just a little flash piece. It was about a child with emotional problems, and I'm a guy, so I was trying to write it from the dad's POV. Then it occurred to me to think of it from the mom's, and I while I don't know that more than a couple words were changed, seeing the story from what I imagine is a woman's perspective cleared it all up for me. And welcome to the forum, we look forward to seeing you around.
@jannert Thank you for the information, I look forward to keeping writing block at bay with (hopefully) some help of this forum, at least it'll be a good study guide on what I could do to keep the ball rolling. Thanks for looking out by giving the New Member guide and Rules too. @big soft moose Wow, that's a lot of bundled information, I will defiantly be keeping my eyes out for that. Thanks for pointing it out. @Iain Aschendale I found that to be so true, and Thank you for the welcome!
Yeah, the topic of writer's block is one that is very commonly raised here on the forum. Lots of discussion on those threads that big soft moose mentioned.
@The Dapper Hooligan I love Vin Diesel ... I don't have a problem because I watched eight of the fast a furious movies .....
Hello, friend. Welcome. Yes, no doubt that writing is indeed a good piece of advice, probably the most you will see. And it's clear why. Let me give my recent experience. In my project (Bond), while I was writing the first chapter of one of the MC's, I couldn't find a way to continue the story. And while I was writing, I found the solution on my character's motivations, and that was the answer I was looking for. Not because I didn't know his motives because I knew, but the problem was how to continue his story arc. Read what you like. And while reading try to ask some questions like how the authour started the story? How could the writer find a solution to a problem? Try to find some habits that the author you are reading have, for you to get inspired and add some. Listen to music. Are you writing medieval fantasy? Why not searching for medieval music and fantasy to help you describe a city or a ritual from a cult? Or perhaps you desire the reader to get involved in the story, so you want to describe how the princess feels about the betrayal of her father? Are you stuck in a situation of a story? Or you don't know what you want to write? Why not grab your own experience to write about it? Maybe you are in a difficult situation, and that can be your MC's struggle of the story. My point is like you mentioned never to give up. Find always excuses for you to write. Because if you stop, it's guaranteed that you will never write anything. Even if it means you will have to spend hours in front of a computer with a blank page, at least you are exercising your brain, creating habits so in the future tour block will become less of a problem. I hope this helps. Keep fight! Never give up! Share with us your story. And begin your adventure in writing.
Thanks for the advice! I find your advice about questions of how authors started stories, how they found solutions to problems and their habits to be an interesting idea. Will give that a go. I agree with enduring to find the solution, and in many situations just writing can solve those problems. Currently I'm simply writing in a somewhat haphazard manner (I think it's pantster mixing with plotter), writing without planning, to solve the problems with the story itself. Like recognizing your writing characters that won't progress the story, and can't be changed to do so. Switched a lot of things out for things that feel better. (Including main characters/POV) I guess people call it a draft, I feel like a draft you might know what you're doing, so I call it concept so I don't have to know anything. I think it's fun, because I'm molding it into something I like, even if it's just the beginning. - But yes, never give up!
I'm delighted that you found my advice useful for your situation. Just remember that a draft is for you to write all your ideas, so later you will correct everything that doesn't fit or makes sense. Just enjoy your work.
