The Writers Block Thread

Edit your own work.Writing by itself doesn't really help you improve all that much. You need to edit. But be careful to always finish what you're writing! Some people like to write it all and then edit. Some people write and edit as they go. I do the latter, but I give myself a condition: only ever edit the very last scene I've worked on. In other words, if I'm on Chapter 3, I don't go and start reading from Chapter 1 looking for improvements. I go back to the final scene in Chapter 2 only. After 3-5 passes, depending, I move on and write let's say, first scene of Chapter 3.

What do I do next? Well, I edit the first scene of Chapter 3. I don't look at that final scene in Chapter 2 again. Only ever edit the last scene you've written. If you need to reread anything to refresh your memory, again, only ever the last scene you've written. Or if you need refreshing on a different scene, read only that particular scene - not what came before and not what comes after. Just that scene you actually need. Then move on with new material.

Also, be careful with whom you share your work. Critique is hard to come by and so it's tempting to just dish out your work to everyone willy-nilly in the hopes of getting feedback. I think that's a mistake. Find people whom you respect, whose writing you enjoy and perhaps admire, whose opinion you hold in high regard, who seem down to earth and able to reason well. Choose a few good ones like that. Share only with those people whom you trust. It's not about stealing work - few would ever do it and honestly it's unlikely your work, esp in the beginning, would be worth stealing to begin with. It's about confidence. The wrong person can utterly destroy your confidence if you're not careful - sorta depends on what kinda person you are, how much you can stand - but why put yourself out there for no reason? The wrong advice can take you down the wrong path and muddle up or even ruin your voice that will then take years to rebuild. Not everyone can withstand the pressure to change things to suit the critic's liking.

In my experience, the critic is usually right that there's an issue. But they are usually wrong about how to fix it. Stay true to the story you want to tell, but don't be so fixated on an idea that you refuse to listen to feedback. If in doubt, get a third or fourth opinion on the matter. If more than one person's saying the same thing, you should probably listen. Funnily enough, in my experience, multiple readers were saying different things actually, but about the same section of the novel. See what I mean that the critic is usually right about there being an issue but wrong about the fix? Either way, it was enough to alert me to the fact that it needed fixing, but it was up to me to figure out what/how.

Getting a fan, if you can, is invaluable. Yes we all need critique and sometimes brutal honesty. But it never hurts to get just one person who basically fangirls over your work. If you manage to find out, keep them! It will help you to no end to maintain your confidence and keep you writing even when you're feeling horrible. I've enjoyed using alpha readers, simply knowing someone is waiting for the next chapter helps motivate you to write the next one. The alpha can also spot issues and bad plot turns immediately so you don't have to delete 20,000 words later, because you can fix it there and then. It's a sorta critic + fangirl combined (no you don't want your alpha to be a literal fan. You want critique. But the idea is someone's waiting on your work)

The danger with having an alpha is obligation to satisfy the alpha's potential expectations and desires regarding the story, or feeling like something in the story is fixed because someone's read it (I have that a little). Nothing is ever fixed until it's actually published. If you don't give in to the sense of obligation that can sometimes arise, an alpha can be great.

And of course, get beta readers

As a personal preference, I prefer to have people whose writing I enjoy and respect to critique my stuff. I'm not saying an amateur has nothing to offer me. They do. But personally, I don't want to have the trouble of trying to differentiate when their advice is good and when their advice is well, nonsense. I will trust the judgement of a critic whose writing I respect more than I would someone whose writing is actually worse than my own - just common sense really.

Also, there's no need to expose yourself to harsh feedback. If someone can't respect your work, say goodbye and move on. There might be good stuff in the harsh feedback, sure, but the damage it will do to your confidence isn't worth it. If someone isn't there to actually help, there's no need to expose yourself to the hurt. There's constructive feedback, and then there's tearing down. Writers are fond of saying "Well I didn't need to give you feedback at all. You should be thankful!" Bullshit. No, asking for feedback is not an invitation to be insulted and bullied and then being told we ought to be thankful. Screw that, honestly. Don't waste time on such critics.

But beware you don't say "Screw that!" every time your feelings are hurt and you feel your writing insulted. Constructive feedback can feel insulting anyway because well, our writing is personal and we'd worked hard on it, and it's always hard to get negative feedback. It's a fine line, but it's usually fairly clear when someone's actually trying to help. Always take feedback with one purpose in mind: How can I make this piece better? How can I improve?

Because as long as you're improving, you're doing great. You're not writing to be perfect. You're writing to improve. And that means, if what you've written is crap? Well who cares, whatever! Yes it's crap, but you're improving. That means the next piece is gonna be better. And the next piece better still. It might be crap now but it won't stay crap forever as long as you keep improving. And you do that by writing. Keep writing.

Btw, my earlier advice on figuring out how to fix your own writing goes hand in hand with voice and what you're really trying to say with the story. Find a critic who understands what you're trying to say, someone who gets your voice and enjoys it, someone who is there trying to help you say what you want to say.

This is of paramount importance. Critics you get on a forum or your friendship groups or writers' groups are not editors. They are not trained or skilled in the art of critique. They give invaluable experience and feedback, but they are not trained to help you say what you want to say. Am I making sense? A good editor will help you say what you want to say rather than impose their own ideas on your writing and how something should be said. A regular critic giving feedback doesn't have that skill. If you find a critic with that skill, goodness me keep them! This is part of why I prefer experienced writers to give me feedback - amateurs will often find it hard to do this, whereas someone more experienced can see more ways to do the same thing.

Lastly, my secret. Believe with all your heart you're a darn fine writer. That's what I believe of myself. I'm a good writer and I find writing easy. I'm not scared of writing. Does that mean I am perfect? Hell no. Does that mean I'm the best at it? Hell no. Plenty other writers better than me. Does that mean I don't need to improve and don't need to listen to feedback? Of course not. I absolutely need that.

But I'm a frigging good writer and I know it. (doesn't mean I don't doubt myself though lol)

Believe me, that keeps you writing more than anything and when you believe in your own writing, it makes a difference. The number of times different beta readers have told me a particular scene was weak and that scene also happens to be a scene I disliked myself, that I didn't know what to do with or how to write! Somehow, these things come through. So, believe in yourself and your writing. Keep improving. Keep writing. Let people read it, listen, and edit.

 

I don't have anything much to add to what's already been said.

My only advice is to write. Just write. Get used to the mechanical aspects of sitting down in front of a keyboard or a piece of paper and snaring thoughts. Build writing muscles that you will later train for efficiency and style -- both important, but I think the muscles have to come first.

And don't be afraid to fail. I've put the following quote by William Cumpiano on the board before, but it bears repeating. The writer was more famous as a luthier and lutherie teacher, but the advice applies to any art:

"A master is someone who has made more mistakes than you, has made mistakes you haven't made yet, and has learned how to embrace them--thus learning to see them coming before they happen. So you go towards mastery one mistake at a time. How many mistakes can you stand? As many as it takes to be a master. The master has persevered past the errors until he's made all of them."

 

Post at the library or coffee shop for fellow writers to form a critique group with. This is actually not terribly negotiable, given today's high standards. Find a peer group! If you can't find one, form one. Also, have everyone submit in advance, so you can bring reviewed material to your meeting (I suggest at a coffee or pizza shop). Here is mine, which I have run out of Central Ohio for over a decade, as an example of how to set this up for free:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/NCFSWriters

People have suggested books on writing fiction, and I will second that, for sure. You will become familiar with the concepts that only writers of fiction wrestle with. You will likely not know many of the concepts, having gone through school. I am suggesting books that are fun and easy to read, not like textbooks at all:

The First Five Pages
A Dash of Style
Self-editing for Fiction Writers
How to Write Great Fiction-Dialogue
On Writing
How to Write Great Fiction
and of course there are others.

DO NOT fail to write, simply because you feel that you are not ready or are convinced by others that you are not. No method of learning beats making the same mistake a thousand times. I suggest writing at the same time every day (I do every lunch). Commit to 5 minutes. Be 100% satisfied if it is only 5 minutes. The job is to do this every day, not tax yourself with word goals. This is NEW writing.

Edit, edit, edit, and do this continually. I use a B&W Kindle to make a copy into, from which I take notes to make corrections in my laptop later. I edit after the very first page, after the first chapter, after the book, all the time. Writing is 90% editing, and editing is free, requiring little brain function.

If you get swamped by a review, remember that the goal is to learn ONE THING. Find the one thing that you can take home with you, and be happy about that. If you learn one thing per month, in two years you will be an outstanding writer.

But, beyond that, you asked a more specific question, so I'll address it directly: Put a flawed and interesting character into an unusual situation that turns their life by page one. If you do that, the piece of fiction will succeed.

 

When I was in the same state, there came a tip from some book about writing (it was random book that I picked from bookstore and reading it for the first time I felt like I'm learning some secret wisdom; with time I've got to know that this book isn't as good as I previously had thought and finally I've lost it during some trip). Maybe it's quite obvious, but it came to me and helped me when I needed it so bad.

The author has adviced setting time for one hour/two hours per day and write. Everything that comes to your mind. It could be your diary, a sketch of a short story or even of a novel, random ideas or dialogues, anything. Just let it flow. After some time it's good to read what you wrote and analyze themes that appear in your writing, your writing style, creativity, your own voice. When you'd get to this point, try to shape some story more consciously and continue writing every day for two hours or more, if you can.

What is equally important, don't let your mistakes discourage you. I still get simply discouraged by my own stupid mistakes, but I learn new things. I think that progress is what really matters, at least at the very beginning of the way.

 

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Yep, write badly until you write well. The first million words are practice, as someone else said.

Other than writing (a lot) the only thing I can think of that might serve you well is how to take criticism. One way or another about all you can say is "thank you." Try not to argue a point with the reviewer but don't take everything as gospel either. They may be wrong, you may be wrong

 

"Write badly with pride!"

 

How did you decide to start writing stories? Is it a last-minute hobby or a life desire? The success of your purpose is in the answer. In the meantime, follow the story inside you. Probably there is one. Inspiration will come from everything around you, just take it. Don't focus on the meaning of your work, write to write. Then, if someone finds a meaning, a morality, in your work one day, it will be one more thing. Start with the "show, don't tell" and go.

 

No exaggeration. I wrote more than that, and have looked back in the archives to prove it to myself. I think the number was more like two million words of novel-length material, written by yours truly before I wrote anything decent. And, I was dumb enough to actually think it was good--which I think is necessary; you have to
believe in yourself, even if you're a fool.

At some point, two things changed, and both relate to what I call coming out of the cave. You see, I wrote every one of those words without anyone critiquing or seeing any of them. I literally wrote in a cave. I have lived the example that all you need to do is read and write. Here's what it bought me:

Lots of bad writing.
But, an immediate reaction to any information coming in that suggested the right way to do something.

I wanna riff on that last part. If you have made a mistake 100,000 times, and you are open to learning, when you learn the truth, you get it. I mean, the wow factor is huge. "Jesus! I made that stupid mistake 100,000 times!"

Conversely, some folks defend their mistakes. The instinct to learn isn't always automatic; far from it. So, attitude is very important. You have to be open to admitting to the same mistake 100,000 times. You have to say to yourself, "Gary! You're an idiot!" Then, in spite of that, you keep writing, in spite of the balloon being all busted.

But wait. there's more, because not only did you make that same mistake 100,000 times, but if you are actively seeking skills, you then have to admit to another, completely unrelated, 100,000 mistakes next week. Over and over again, every week, should you be so fortunate and insightful as to seek out information on a weekly pattern.

And that's what writing a lot buys you.

Conversely, here's what saves you in the end: Books specifically on fiction writing skills. Good writing groups comprised of informed writers who review written work on a level beyond that of common readers. Those two are absolutely critical. At the point wherein you get your ass out of the cave, you are about to discover those places where you made those 100,000 mistakes.

 

It was David Eddings, who said: "My advice to the young writer is likely to be unpalatable in an age of instant successes and meteoric falls. I tell the neophyte: Write a million words–the absolute best you can write, then throw it all away and bravely turn your back on what you have written. At that point, you’re ready to begin."

 

I love this. I speak from experience that learning to let go of writing is as important as the writing itself at times. What you can write is always going to be better than what you have written. I spent a good year writing bad fiction. During that time I also took two or three writing classes. I wrote a short story a week for a year. I believe it was a challenge originally created by Ray Bradbury who said it was impossible to write 52 bad stories in a row. I may have proven this theory wrong because it took me years to start selling fiction after that. But if I never wrote all those bad stories, I wouldn't be the writer I am now. And I thought those stories were good as I was writing them and even finished them I thought I had a real shot at publishing them. Maybe there were good parts, but I still had a lot to learn. I've gone back and rewritten a few of the stories from that year, but I didn't go back to my old drafts. I started fresh. I also believe you will remember the right things. Two of the complete rewrites of those stories have since sold to literary journals, but it was five or six years after I wrote the first versions.

Another writer said you always write what you're supposed to when you're supposed to. She had a finished book (not her first), had an agent, connections, everything. But her book was getting turned down everywhere. She had worked so hard on it, but along the way realized that she should take a different approach to the story she had written. She started from scratch and wrote the book again. It sold quickly and that book has gone on to win awards. She said she never would have reached the finished product if she hadn't done it wrong first.

The OP is young. That makes me think time spent reading might be equally if not more important than writing. At 20, you are really just starting to soak in the world. It's important to live and live through shit to really understand and be able to play around with the human condition. I know that's cliche, but it's also true that we all draw on the human condition to write our stories. And that's true even when our characters are not human. Live, read, and write a bad novel in your spare time. Or write 52 bad stories like I did. But it's very important for a writer to embrace life and its challenges. And just like there are people and places you'll move on from, keep in mind that there is also things we've written where moving on and away from them creates new pathways to do it again and get it right.

 

Along this line, let me tell you about Grammy-award-winning songwriter Tom Paxton. When he started out in the early 1960s (or so), he set about to write one song every day. He knew that 99% of them would be crap, but when that one in a hundred came along, it would be a good one. After he wrote a over thousand songs, three years later, he had enough for an album. Of course, he gradually got good enough to improve his percentages, but he says that if he hadn't written those thousand songs, he wouldn't have made it in the music business at all.

 

You're already reading; that's a start. The next part is to just start writing. Write in a daily journal, jot down notes about things you see around you, write about what you're thinking, jot down story ideas... whatever, really. Just start writing. Get comfortable with filling that blank page! Hell, you could even take a creative writing class if you want. Though, honestly, good writing comes from a lot of practice, not from a class. However, it will give you something constructive to do that will help you focus on writing even more, and I'm sure you'll learn a lot about different styles and types of writing, grammar, punctuation, etc. It will surely be more useful than harmful.

Above all else, keep writing!

 

I never outline as such. I know where I begin, and where I want to go (The ending.), but as far as the middle goes I try and let the story tell itself. The problems is I never seem to finish. I always, 'get stuck' and shelve it away for awhile. I hope to revive it at a later date, but when I try all the characters seem lifeless to me and I see no clear next step. Anyone else have a similar problem, or advice on how to combat it?

 

That's why you should start out with a plot outline, otherwise you end up trying to fill the space between start and end with fluff.

You don't have to follow your initial plot draft. It's a guideline, and may well change as new subplots occur to you.

 

I love writing, and i'd love nothimg more than to be able to sit down for hours and write, but i just can't. I'll write half a page then get really self conscious about it, and then ill sit there for about half an hour wondering wether i've tricked myself into thinking i can actually write. Does anyone know how i can become more confident with my writing?

 

I think you should write, and share a bit when you're ready.
It is hard to take the leap, but it does help you to improve
your writing.

Maybe you could find a writers group where you are, and
talk with them, and see that you are not alone in your feelings.

I know I was in the beginning, and it was difficult to not be a
defensive ass. But I came to realize that I did need the help and
criticism to push me to finish my first novel, write most of a
sequel, many short stories, and start a new novel altogether.
It takes time, and a good support base that will push you to
write what you want to, and gain your confidence to do so.
The key is to remember that most are trying to be helpful, and
get your abilities to improve the more you write and share.

Short stories are a good way to get comfortable, since they are
not as daunting as taking on the challenge of a full novel.

I wish you the best of luck, and hope you will find it in yourself to
write, even if you don't feel up to sharing anything in the near future.
Spend some time getting comfortable with mechanics and fun of
writing first.

 

I'll definitely start looking to see if there are any writing groups in my area, thank you so much, this helps alot.

 

Part of our problem is we have convinced each other that there is some kind of mysterious think called talent. I'm the kind of guy who has been in a dozen bands, taught people how to watercolor, and written forty novels. People say I'm talented. but the fact is, this often feels like an insult. Talent is bullshit. It's not talent. It's labor. Lots and lots of labor.
I recall going to one of those group study sessions someone set up at the library, the day before a big test in an astronomy class at Otterbein college. Instead of studying, I sat back and read a paperback. This lady looked up at me and said, "Jesus, Gary! It all come so easy for you." What she didn't know is that I'd studied for that test every single night since the class started. I could have damned near quoted the book. I'd also turned in 15 extra credit papers, meaning all I needed to get was a C on the final to pull out an A in the class.

I bring these seemingly off topic comments to the table, just to say the following:

Writing is work. You will absolutely need to write a million words of utter crap before you get to the place where something good happens. That's what talent is. Let me add that a million words is minimum--likely not enough. The million words would of course be more meaningful if coupled with active study of the craft. You can short circuit some of the next million words by reading books on how to write fiction and mainstreaming with other authors in writer's groups. In such cases, maybe you write something worthwhile after only a million words.

 

I run a writer's group in central Ohio, and I see people come and go in the group. This I have no problem with, but I think that being a writer is kind of a full-time endeavor. I have contributed new material to my writer's group (5000 words), twice a month, every single session, for 15 years. That's about a third of my output. People who contribute improve.

I see lots of excuses for no output, most of them perfectly understandable. But the one thing that isn't a good excuse is fear of being reviewed. Here's what you need to come to grips with. If you get 20 areas in your work that are criticized, all you need to do is pick one. Fix that. Next time they'll find 19 different craft issues for you to work on. That's progress. In the long run, progress is all that matters because we all start with the same 20 mistakes. At some point in time, that was where we were. At some point in time, we hope to be somewhere else. Time is fleeting.

 

That makes alot of sense, usually ill think of a story idea and start writing it immediatly, but ill think it has to be perfect on the first try. Usually ill try my best to avoid making mistakes at all, but by the sounds of it i need to make mistakes to know what i need to improve.

 

Don't read over what you've read. Nanowrite is good for issues like this because you haven't got time to be self conscious or think you can do better you have to just get through that first draft.
When I did Nanowrite -- to cure myself of reading over what I read --I opened a new word doc every day and labeled it with the date so I could eventually read the story in order. When I was done writing for the day I'd copy and past the last paragraph into the next day's doc so I knew where I left off.

Look, beginnings are the worst anyway. They're the hardest bit to write, they'll probably be reworked the most so don't waste time on going over your beginning in the early stages. I'm on the second draft of my novel and the beginning I thought was incredible has been scrapped - I used a few sentences of it in other places but most of it is gone cause it no longer works with the rest of the story.
What's really important in a first draft is getting all your good ideas down, the scenes, the flavor of the story, a general idea of the characters and the mechanics of the plot. Wording can always be fixed in the second draft.

 

Sometimes I learn about something new, and I sit and wonder if someone has written a story about it. For example, I learned about creatures called Nephilims, and wondered if anyone had ever written a story surrounding the idea of an orphan Nephilim who doesn't know where his angelic powers came from. This lead to me creating a story where a Nephilim boy is trying to find where his parents are buried so he can ressurect them. It also allowed me to learn more about the religious history of angel rankings, which was interesting.

The way I see it is that you can't write stories without knowledge. The more you learn, the more your ideas will flow. I have stories about a wealthy girl who's parents are presumably being held for ransom after a murder took place, when in reality, they killed the house maid and got on the Britannia Airways Flight 105 in 1966. I didnt know that existed until I was just mindless exploring wikipedia, and it became a major plot point in the story. Stories about a horrible man who is enemies with his brother's best friend, and this best friend ends up with amnesia, which the man takes advantage of in order to become friends with his enemy, all because I read about different forms of amnesia. Without learning new things, The Celestial Case of Jonathan Armstrong, Penny in the Jar, and Your Best Friend, Spencer would never have been a part of my writing history, and I am thankful for every piece of random information I have ever learned.

 

peachalulu is right about both both points:

This worked for me. When I started a journal one time, I resolved not to re-read a word of it until I had a hundred posts. It had the intended effect of capturing exactly what was happening in the moment I was experiencing it, without the entry being colored in any way by what came before. I can't describe how liberating it was.

How true. Beginning something is like diving into cold water. The trick is to get it done with, knowing that the water will be tolerable after a second or two and you'll be able to commence with the swimming. I consider the beginning of anything as a rough draft, something to put down as a place-holder and allow you to develop the piece. After the piece is finished, I'll go back and modify the beginning to fit what came afterward.