"Writers Block" - how do you deal with it?

[Prudence (imported)]

How do you deal with "Writer's Block"?

(for those unfamiliar with the term, "Writer's Block" is when you just can't seem to write/type your stories. You have no creativity. The ideas don't just "flow" the way they normally would).

I've sat down a few times over the past few months to work on finishing old stories, or making new ones, and every time I just have a major case of writer's block... I've got basic ideas for a plot, how I want the story to go, but I just can't seem to get the details in, or come up with scenes. Also it just seems like too much of an effort to write.

Anyone have any advice?

[Dave (imported)]

a couple things.

1) Every story has a beginning, middle and end. If you can't figure out the middle, write the end. If you have an idea for the end, write the beginning. Don't worry about the quality of the words, write anything onto the page that fits the story. Editing can occur later.

2) Write a paragraph or two about the characters - a couple hundred words or so. One of my characters has several thousand. I like the old rotten bastard and had fun with him.

3) be your characters by talking them through the scenes -- I hear my characters in my head and let them talk to me and tell me what they would and would not do. IT helps if you are alone and can read the story out loud. Sounds very strange but it helps me.

For example of those:

One of my current stories began as thoughts on revenge -- a college kid is drugged, dressed in leather and bound and shipped to the Castro Mr Leather Festival in retaliation for playing too many practical jokes on his friends. The trouble is that the truck got lost and so is he. Now they have to rescue him from an unknown fate.

So where does the story begin? With his kidnap? With the opening of the crate by the truck driver?

Does it end with his rescue or his death? Does it end with the friends being captured or celebrating?

What horror (And this is a horror story) is visited on this would be leatherman or his friends?

Another example is my rotten bastard character.

He runs a pub and serves people spam dressed up as food used at the Queen's birthday celebration.

He insults the mayor in public.

He insults some rather ugly american tourists and all three are despicably and tastelessly nasty in a polite way.

There is no special technique -- Do something that puts words on paper. Good or bad, the first draft is only that - a first draft.

I have folders with 25 versions of the same story.

the more parts of a story you have, the faster the parts will start to fit together into a whole narrative.

Don't be afraid to change the characters of the plot lines. I have ripped 3000 words from an 8000 word story and improved it.

I have also added 1000 to 1500 words to what is called "flash" fiction (less than 1000 words because the stories required more than what I had on paper.

Don't be afraid to remove or delete or edit single words to other sentences.

Don't be afraid to move single sentences around or whole paragraphs around.

Sometimes, you can use the "speech" function on your computer to hear the story from that weird electronic voice.

Sometimes it works to change the fonts and the spacing. .

[Wantitgone (imported)]

Just remember that you are one of the best writers around here.

[mandler1 (imported)]

I find my writing comes in "spurts" of inspiration, no pun intended, really.

I have suffered writer's block many times and find it is best to just leave it till you feel inspired again. You can't force a story. I've had one story on the go for over a year now and have written several since.

Also I will write down an idea, a line or two, that I think would work great in the story, and then worry about how to fit it in later.

Don't worry, you will get over writer's block, just be patient

[Prudence (imported)]

Thanks for the great advice/suggestions!

Very much appreciated, and helpful.

[Atreyu69 (imported)]

My story ideas come from real life. No I'm not saying that I know people who are being castrated, it's not that at all. But often times I see things that surprise me and that's the starting point. The story takes off from there.

[CircItaly (imported)]

At the cabin where came from?

[Atreyu69 (imported)]

At the cabin where came from?

Some years ago I happened across a magazine that promoted "wholesome family nudism" and in it I read an interview with a blond preteen from California. Being a nudist magazine it showed the boy in all his glory. The boy explained how happy he was that his parents had decided to leave his penis uncut. He explained that keeping everything clean was quick and easy, that he never had any difficulty retracting the foreskin and that he didn't mind at all that he looked different from his friends who were cir'ed. The article ended with the smiling boy saying that parents should leave their kids uncut and natural and that someday the kids would thank them.

After reading this I thought, well why not flip it around? Why not have a nudist magazine with a boy who argues in favor of genital modifications and mods more extreme than circumcision. That's where the idea for At The Cabin came from.

[CircItaly (imported)]

Wow! Being exposed by parents is one of my trauma/kink. I could had an heart attack reading a such magazine

[humlind1 (imported)]

There are many great advice above here.

If it is ok i tell u a little about my experience. And how i find that writing blocks.

often have a reason.

When i started out, i had a hard time to get stories, to become as "naturly/real" as i wanted.

And in other cases it stopped up. because i already had more or less made my mind up as the author.

How the next part(or the end) should be.

This gave me BIG problems!

because a good story, have a need of a main carracter. That both you and your future readers

can relate to, in some way shape or form.

they become a part of you.

And the more you put into them.(regardless of how much u tell your readers)

This carracters have a way( at least for me) to change the course of the future i had planed.

Just because that is what they will Naturly done in a given situation.

And when i gave up my self control. and just let things unfold.

Not only did my stories improve. but I can now chill.

and focus on making solid foundations, to what ever i write.

If it is something here. or fantasy. children's book or songs.

Regardless what it is.

1. background

2.main carracter(and all about him/here-friends struggles. and looks what they do aso)

3.research(if needed)

4.write a short intro.

5.start story with the ide u have. and see if it fallow tru. or if your carracter/carracters

take you on a journey.

6. If they do write it all.

then afther you as the author, are free to put it in a deck. And not use it. You can change what is to "extreme" orr where you see its to many dead eras.

On the other side you may be surprised what you find.

Ps:brain is a wonderful and sometimes a bit scary thing.

We block our self.

out off fear.

because of sleep. To much stress in real life and 100 other things.

But in the end if you let your carracter decide what happens you are in good hands.

As you made him! And all he do, even if it isn't what you think concient. your mind have a subconscious parameters that can be even better.