What kinds of things do you do for writer's block?

Question

What are some of your successful strategies for writer's block, aside from the obvious, which is sitting down and writing.

Do you have any tried and true methods that you're willing to share?

Answer 1

This is the method I teach to students

1) Put the book aside and read - at least two books - Classics.

2) Brainstorm on paper - anything no matter how silly it sounds. Fill a notebook with ideas if you want - just come up with lots.

3) Write the ideas on file cards one per card. Sit down at a table and start shuffling them around trying to create a story from them. Keep moving them - dont be afraid for it to sound silly.

4) Make an outline from those cards when you find something interesting.

5) Try to write a very very short story from that outline. Then write several more very very short stories from the cards. See which one lends itself to a longer work

6) Start doing character studies and analysis - back to the file cards. Write down anything you know about your characters - adjectives, habits, appearance, likes and dislikes, occupation, age, anything. Look in magazines and catalogs and cut out pics that resemble the character as you see them in your mind.

7) Back to the table. Start pushing the character cards around - see who rubs who and how -- Who likes who? Who hates who? Main character to main character - then main character to secondary character - then secondary character to secondary character. This will help you come up with subplots

8) Back to your outline. Plug in the subplots.

9) Come up with a kick tail first sentece that will draw your readers into the story.

10) Start writing.

It works for my students. Just make sure you dont skip the two classics - that is the inspiration that unblocks and inspires you. If you are still blocked, move onto something else. I have about 4 books on disks - started but it just wasnt the right time to write them for me. One goes back to when my 20 yr old son was a baby. Maybe I will finish it one day, maybe not. So far the mood hasnt struck me. And it is a great idea - never been done. Im just not ready for it yet. No shame in leaving something aside.

Good luck. Pax - C.

Answer 2

Sometimes, I do some brainstorming again. I try to look at the topic from different viewpoints (cubing, see the link below)

Another thing that really helps is to switch from "writer" to "critical reader." I print the essay (I can't proofread well from the computer screen), get out my red pen, and try to identify the weak places that need strengthening. I think this works because it gives your writing mind a break. It also helps the overall essay because you spend some time strengthening it.

If you have the time, set it aside and don't think about it for at least 24 hours. Again, gives your mind a break. Just make a date to start writing again so it doesn't become procrastination...

Answer 3

I do a number of things. I'll re-read what I've written, listen to music, cut the grass, sit in the yard and have a couple of beers. When I'm stumped ( I prefer this to "blocked" ) the material I'm working on becomes uppermost in my mind till I finally leap the hurdle. I prefer NOT to read anything because I don't want any outside influence. Reading my own work usually resets my motives and regenerates the creative process.

Answer 4

I take a 2-week vacation from my work--3 times a year.

Other times, I just pace myself and listen to music when I write. This helps me focus on my writing and helps me with my complex and lengthy storylines.

I don't always write straight on throughout the day. I write for twenty minutes to an hour, get up and do something else, come back and write a little more, and just keep alternating myself.

It's not important that I have a set number of pages in my books--just that I get a chapter in and that's it.

Answer 5

I used to play a game and it would help with my creative thinking. Pick a five letters out of the alphabet make names for those letters. Pick a setting and start developing a plot from it. It's just a simple exercise to help boost your creativity.
You can not just start writing sometimes if you are not inspired so get up take a break clear your mind and come back to it.
If all else fails sleep on it. Sometimes dreams can help you figure out where to go next.

Answer 6

I take away all the pressure of filling a page by assigning myself a closed form poem and finding an opening line from somewhere. With such structure, it ceases to be an "oh my god what am I going to write" thing and more a problem solving, puzzle solving thing.

The vacation thing works too, but careful you're not taking too long a vacation...

Answer 7

Yup. Take yourself as far away from the project as you can for as long as you can spare. (seriously. A few hours, a few days, a few weeks.) Then go back and try to look at it as if for the first time. Sometimes I get too caught up in my own head and all I really need is a fresh perspective. Hope you find something that works. Good luck!

Answer 8

I put whatever it is I'm writing away and go do something completely different for at least 24 hours. I get a good night's sleep, go play a game, do laundry, whatever. My brain gets rested, and when I come back, I generally find that the problems I couldn't solve have solved themselves...which sometimes means a partial rewrite, but oh, well, at least I'm not blocked anymore! :)

Answer 9

I think the best answer to this is do something else. Sometimes it also helps to doodle on the margins. For some reason a totally blank page is a welcome sign for writers block. You might also try outlining your ideas.
Topic
point
subpoint
Topic
point
subpoint

just something so you are not looking at a blank page.

Tessy

Answer 10

I probable have much greater started-yet-no longer-even-fathoms-close-to-fi... manuscripts saved in my various laptops. I completely understand: on occasion we get caught up in existence, in distractions, and our tale does not look so important anymore. i've got written 3, finished novels so some distance (2 of that are terrible). and that i wrote all of them with final dates. One replaced into for a contest, and a pair of for national Novel Writing Month (which you basically neglected this 3 hundred and sixty 5 days! :o) So, you will possibly desire to set your self a final date, and an incentive. purely think of having an entire novel on your arms. isn't that great? possibly you go with to get it printed; properly, you could no longer get it printed with out having comprehensive it! So there: final dates and incentives. :)