Any suggestions for writers block?

Answer 1

This is the method I teach to students

1) Put the book aside and read - at least two books - Classics. Preferably in your genre.

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

You sit, you write.
You check your watch; you write more.
Assign a certain amount of time or number of pages to write and don't quit until you've reached your goal.
If you can't begin where you left off earlier (or if you can't even begin at the beginning), start anywhere--in the middle or at the end. Take a minor character or a setting and spin it out. Work on subplot.
The idea is that if you simply write, the writers block will eventually take care of itself. The frustration and fear that you can't write will dissolve as you practice your writing.
You may throw out all of what you've written or a portion of it or none of it. It doesn't matter. The point is, you'll have overcome the dreaded writer's block simply by writing.
You don't worry that the editor in you is convinced that what you're writing is nonsense, you just keep writing. The editor in you can come out to play later. Initially, just write.

Answer 3

Okay, I'ma writer and over all the years I've been doing it I've learned that there is no specific way to deal with it.
I plan out my stories before I write them so I have a bit of an idea of what I want to happen in each chapter.
The best way I think is to just keep writing. Even if you don't feel like it or don't have any ideas keep writing. I've done this so many times adn somthing always comes to me. It might no be much, but at least I've chipped away a little more.
Everntually I find that you just get caught up in it again.
Hope this helped!

Answer 4

It looks like you've already got some good advice.
I'll just add this:
If you've started a story and just sort of come to a dead end, the advice about research is good, but another thing you might try is to rewrite the last part you did from a different POV.
Sometimes it opens up a whole new path that you never considered before.
Another thing that helps--especially when starting a new novel--is to make a timeline for the entire story (including the backstory), and be sure to include what all of the supporting characters are doing, and maybe even some of the minor characters.
This will help your imagination bring the whole fictional world to life.

Best Wishes,
James


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Answer 5

Writing is a habit as well as a means. sit and write even if its gibberish popping out of your pen only write. The extra you do the extra the memories will come to you. Stephen King reported something alongside the strains of: "Its all ok waiting for the muse yet you would possibly want to a minimum of help the muse out by utilizing being at your table between 9 and three so this is known with of the position to come across you" Writing is exertions and getting over writers block is only extra exertions. we are writers its what we do.

Answer 6

That depends on what you are writing about. I will play music that will go with my writings. I will gaze at photos, if I am writing about a place that I know. I will research some history in the newspapers, if I am writing a time piece. What ever you are writing about, find something that you can relate to. Usually, it will get you back on track, you mind has to know where you want it to go.....

Answer 7

If your not too far in, you could start over. Write down everything you want to talk about in a list, then look at the list and try to elaborate.

Answer 8

Understand your motivation for the writing and the block dissolves.

Answer 9

ray bradbury makes a list of concrete nouns: the ravine, the old woman, the carnival. whatever comes to mind. after he's done, and can't come up w/ anymore. then he picks something out of the list, and writes about it.

Answer 10

Reincarnation!