Just write something. Writer's Block is just something that happens whenever you're--and this is what I believe to be true--trying too hard to write when you don't have anything to say. So when you don't have anything to say, then write about something else for a little while, and maybe that will help you loosen up the gears in the head.
Sometimes I force myself to write a little every day until my inspiration comes back, so that I don't feel so unaccomplished that I give up on the story. Other times I've found that if I force it out, my inspiration gets offended at me and flees. it all depends on your mood. I like to read other people's works, and read websites and books on novel writing. I also like to write character profiles for my characters, story outlines, ect, so that even if I can't immerse myself in my own novel's world at that particular moment, at least I know my characters are still forming and waiting for me.
I've stumbled and sufferred my way through writer's block several times, but only recently did I seem to fully grasp the answer to this elusive question. To put it simply, just Write. Period. Maybe you won't write about your current topic. Maybe you won't get back to that for a while. But if you keep writing, about anything and everything, you'll soon find your way back to your story and I promise you you'll see results. The key is to never get out of practice. Each night now I write at least a paragraph about something. It can be anything, but never let a night pass now without getting something down in print. Other things I've done to get past the "Block" is to refocus my efforts on my plot. I redo a skeleton plot of the story, and then go scene by scene through it to make sure it all makes sense. Quite often I'll find myself day dreaming as I do this, on my story and suddenly, there it is! A way through the blockage and I'm once again off to the races.
Just write. Writer's block isn't a block...it's your brain saying to write something else and to stop trying so hard to focus on that one thing. I was really frustrated and unable to figure out where I wanted to go with my novel that I finally got started last night...but I wrote other things instead. Don't force your writing, just change to a subject you actually want to write about. And I'd have to agree--writer's block is an excuse. Just like "I don't have time" is an excuse for people who don't exercise. You *always* have time to exercise and you can *always* write--you just have to do it. ~Lynn
I believe discussion is the cure. Internal thoughts can get boggy and you need a bit of verbal diahorrea to unclog things.
Force yourself to write. It doesn't even have to flow with the story, or whatever piece you're working on. Just open a new document or grab a blank piece and start writing. It doesn't have to go in the direction you want, it doesn't have to make sense, but just write. Most likely you'll think of something while you write and it will inspire you to continue with your project.
I have never had 'writer's block.' I have written a fifty-thousand word story, and the only thing that has ever kept me from writing is boredom, or not knowing what to write next, and more recently -- not knowing if what I will write next will suck or not. I hate doing something that I'm not good at, or that I think I may fail at. (Which is why I don't like playing video games on Hard mode) I think that 'Writer's block' exists, but like the word 'love,' it is a word used flippantly and by mostly inexperienced people. You do not have writer's block EVERY time your creativity is low, or every time you can't figure out where to go next. A 'true' case of writer's block would be having no creativity; every time you write you would write poorly and without emotion or impact. Ideas no longer come to you and the ones that do come feel uninspired or you are unable to write them in the way that you are thinking of them. That would be writer's block. It reminds me of Kiki's delivery service, when she could no longer fly. Ahh, good times.
i'm attempting to write a novel. some days, i love it. everything sounds perfect to me, and i get giddy about it. some days.. more often than not, i absolutely cannot stand it. i read what i have and it just sounds so terrible to me, and i end up closing Word and walking away from my computer. i then go for days without looking at it again. i've had this problem since the beginning. love/hate. so i planned on posting it here for a critique, because an outside viewpoint would be incredibly helpful for me. it would either validate or nullify my negative thoughts about what i'm doing. the only problem is that i want to post the entire opening because the ending of this opening scene is where, i think, it gets good. i believe you guys would call it "the hook" blah blah blah. long story short- i want to post the *finished* opening for critiquing because i believe not doing so would be selling my writing short, problem is.. i can't finish the opening because i mostly think it's garbage, which is why i want to post it in the first place. it's a vicious cycle. lol halp? my apologies if this was incoherent. it's 4am and i'm too exhausted to properly convey thought through text.
I never hate my work, but there are times when I believe some of it could be better and I may be frustrated while I figure out how. When you are *allowed* to post some of your work, throw it in as it is if you are going round in circles and perhaps someone will come up with what you need. Alternatively, walk away from it for a few weeks and start something else, when you get back to it things may be clearer.
Yeah sometimes I think my work's crap, and it is. So i go make it better. I find i can tell what stories of mine are good and what are bad. And if Im nt sure i get other people to give their opinions.
I think everybody goes through a phaze where they love and hate their writing. But I think hate is too negative, frustration would be a better way to describe it. Writing a novel takes time and alot of work plus there are good and bad days as well. If you find you "hate" it just do something else and maybe when you go back to it, you might feel happy about it. CJ
Some days I get bored with my writing, and sometimes I'll look back at something I wrote a long time ago and laugh until it hurts, but I've never actually hated anything I've written. You might try to remember why you wanted to write the hated story in the first place. Maybe it'll get you back into it. Or maybe you hate it because you've been writing the wrong story and should try something else. All I know is that if you try to force something that doesn't want to come out, it'll end up horribly disfigured. In my experience, at least.
It's called revision. You work is never going to e good enough the first time around. The first draft is always garbage The important thing is, you got the idea down on paper. Now work on the writing part.
I would advise to finish the opening regardless of whether or not you hate what you have written, odds are its not nearly as bad as you think it is, besides, we can't help you if you wont show us what you have done. Even if bits of it are bad the good people here are always constructive, and maybe we can help you come up with new ideas or somesuch to get your writing back on track. (Apologies for any probable spelling errors, my keyboard hates me.)
I don't like my work all the time. I've very secretive about it and I'm not very confident about it either so I end up gauging my own feelings towards it based on the opinions of others. Not friends as much though as I always feel they are being nice. Even if others say they like it I still have my doubts but I trust them over myself haha
SOmetimes i hate my work because it's so plainly crap, and so i usually either try to make it better or go and have a good sulk for a while and then come back to it a few days/weeks/months later. Other times i quite like something i've done, until someone reads it and then i tend to take their criticisms to heart and then hate it again. I doubt i'll ever like my work much, but if i ever did get to a stage where i really liked something i'd written i would be worried anyway.
both of these. haha. idk. i guess i set pretty high standards for myself, and since i am secretive over any creative endeavors, i never really get an outside opinion... which just leaves me always thinking "this is so sub-par" but this is definitely the story i want to write. and i will finish it. eventually thanks for all your responses, guys.
I've never hated a single thing I've ever written. I've gotten frustrated and angry because I couldn't get started on a story, but when I'm actually writing, the whole world fades away. Nothing matters but the pen in my hand and the words on the page...I wrote for an hour the other night and it felt like five minutes. The act of writing is perfect, so why would I ever hate something I've written? I'll go back and see how I can make something better, because we're always evolving, improving as both writers and human beings...there's no shame in seeing the written works that were/are stepping stones to a better writer/a better person. Writing is like breathing to me...why would I ever hate something I need to live? ~Lynn
Okay, so I know this is going to come off completely stupid and probably moronic because the title, I know for a fact, is not true, but I felt the need to kind of address this. Lately I've fallen into a horrible slump with all of my stories. Short stories, potential novels, everything has just become impossible for me to try and write. I sit in front of the computer, ideas ready and in hand, and nothing comes from it. Depression with frustration sits in, and I become bitter towards myself for not being able to write like I had a month ago. I stall, entertain myself with something mindless, and the ideas sit and gather dust. Ideas that sparkle, shine, and need no polishing and can be thrown right into my book, all of a sudden no longer just... are able to be translated onto paper or documents on the computer. I figured maybe it was just because I was getting stuffed with things more than usual- prom, graduation project, pressure on the guy who likes me but I don't like him like that, homework (waaay more than usual), forms for college, etc. etc. The list is huge, and typically when I see more than two problems I throw my hands up and shut everything out. But several things on that list have been resolved, so I no longer feel as bad. Prom prep is going smoothly, I have the graduation project sketched in my head and plan to have it done by Wednesday, and I decided to keep the relationship dynamic between the guy and me as friends for both our sakes. Why am I still so down about writing, then? After that I hedged that it might have been my setting. I've been stuck in front of computers for the past three months completely with no air from the outside world. At first I figured I could fix this with a notebook and some pens, but even as the ideas came to me and I wrote them down, I became angry because I have this thing with my handwriting; I hate it. Can't stand the sight of my print. I'd rather stare at a computer screen and read that print than my own handwriting. So I started using my cell as a short recorder of ideas. Well, voice playback doesn't settle well with me, either. Don't get me wrong, my voice is nice and all, but I don't like hearing it back to me later on. I cringe at the sound of my voice on a TV or recording. To round my little rant and vent and major questionaire full circle, I'll ask you the question sitting on my tongue. Does anyone else go through this kind of period, where you just don't want to write? And if you do, nothing comes from it in the end? How did you cope with this? Did you get back onto the writing wagon later on?
It usually only lasts a couple of days for me. I force myself to at least write a paragraph on those days. What if you try dragon speaking?
Dear Lilix, It is true, you are not alone. I would say these dry episodes are experienced by all writers; it certainly has happened to me more than once. Tackling a book at this time in your life is quite a challenge. I'm amazed by you. Your book will come along if it's meant to be....be patient with yourself. Do try to write something every day though, whether it is a letter to someone, a short story or just a short-short piece. Exercise in writing has to have periods of stretching. I read once that many of the greats got into these dry times. One sat down and just wrote whatever came to mind, just to make something go on paper (or computer in our time). Regurgitating on the paper is what it's called. Yes, it is a mess but something may come from it. In the book I'm working on, I write down my scene ideas as they come to me, or just a sentense or two - all in a seperate file. Later I glean them into the book. It is still writing even when it is only short notes or scenes. If you're use to writing on the computer, you may find it hard to use any other medium. I use to only write on paper, then started writing on the computer. Now I rarely can get my juices going on paper, except for making notes about ideas. Sit down and write/type all your ideas in a file. It may help and you won't lose them that way. But if you chose to just relax till school is out and not work on your book till then, it's not a crime. Give yourself some slack time once in a while to just enjoy life in general. If you are a writer at heart, it can't help but burst forth from you. We're like volcano's our core gets hot with ideas, the pressure builds till we spew them out of us.
I've never actually experienced a time in my life where I couldn't write something, whether it was a novel I wanted to work on, a journal, a poem, or...randomly, fan fiction. If I'm not getting anywhere with a novel, I'll just turn to writing something else until that muse comes back. I honestly can't ever imaging not wanting/being able to write. ~Lynn
