Writers block help?

Question

I have an idea forming, but I can't seem to get it anywhere...

I've been drifting off for hours now (music, writting other things, stuff like that), and I'm still not getting anywhere.

How can I sit down and think about it, so I can start forming ideas?

Answer 1

Wow, I know how it feels, really it sucks most heinously. It's good that you've been listening to music and writting other things. That helps the juices flow, but the key is listening to things you've never listened to before or listening to things you haven't heard in years. So in other words, start listening to crappy '90's alterna-rock.

If that doesn't work, there are other excerises you can do. Eat some fruit and describe it in Haiku. Close your eyes and see a person, what do they look like? How old? What are they wearing? Read some really, really old children's books. Go out for a walk and describe outloud, everything you see, hear, smell, taste, etc. If none of that gives you some kind of spark, keep writing anyway. Then after you finish your first draft, wait about a week before you edit. That'll give you distance as well as juice to work with.

Answer 2

Write down your v v v base Idea, even if its like 1 word. Go have a relaxing bath and think about the word while your relaxing, think of nothing else, an idea will formulate. Trust me! Don't make your self sit down and write, when you feel like it, drop everything and write, I find writting at night is best, just put a note on your pillow telling you to have half an hour or more of writting, go up before 9 then come down a bit later, then go up again and do some more, then sleep. You might have ideas formulate in your sleep, write a few quick notes on some spare paper and come back to it the next night and so on. Good luck, mail me if you have any more problems, and when you finnish it! Tell me the title and I'll go buy it!

Answer 3

I like to use index cards. I write every little scene that should happen on them. Then I arrange them in the order I think they should go. Then I rearrange them. Sometimes I talk my way through the story as if I'm talking to a person in the room. No, I'm not crazy. The person does not answer me. But sometimes when I hear it out loud, I get other ideas.

Or you can try a pyramid. Write down how you think the story should start. Then come up with a few more ideas of how it could start. Each scene should spawn three or four different ideas. Play it like a mystery. What if she does this? What if he did that? What would happen? It helps me unblock. Good luck.

Answer 4

Most of the time writers block is caused by trying too hard. Usually if you go do something that is fun, put that idea on the shelf, then come back to it, writing takes on a newer perspective.
Or...you can take the other approach, which is to write out possible ways the story or song could go and cross out what you ddon't like after it is down in black and white.

Answer 5

Just got through a block myself. Actually I wasn't blocked, I just thought I was. I find that if you just write, right up to that moment where you can't come up with one more word, there actually often isn't a block there at all. Writing leads to more writing. If that doesn't work, just babble on paper (or on screen). If you see the babble is wrong, then something else must be right---process of elimination. Turn off the music. Take shower. Juggle. Get your mind off of it. And never stop at a stopping point. Stop in mid-sentence if you have to, but NEVER at the end of scene or chapter, it's too hard to get started again.

Answer 6

Jot down anything. Just write out ideas, or fragments of ideas or words that come to mind, anything. Once you can look at it all on paper, even just as fragments, it will start to come together. Then you can work on presenting your ideas in a coherent way. Make simple sentences with very basic words, then work on elaborating your diction after you are satisifed with the message.

Answer 7

For some reason, lying down helps. Don't be afraid to let yourself enter that space between sleep and wakefulness -- that's where your subconscious frees up ideas. Just keep a note pad handy to write down anything valuable.

Answer 8

Take a mini casset recorder or a tapeless recorder....Find a quiet place.. at home, on a mountain top, in a closet, where ever you can find peace and quite, smoke a bowl and relax.. when the ideas pop into your head record them.. nyou can orginize later.. just get them down.

Answer 9

Just a thought for you to ponder:

It's called the ambition.


A boys ambition
is to stick his boneration
into a girls separation
for more information
contact the board of education
for a free demonstration.

Try writing things that rhyme. It works for me.

Answer 10

I use a mindmap program called freemind. It's great for laying out brainstorms into something tangible. I've included the link below...