Writer's Block

[Guest DarkVampWriter]

Right now I have a serious case of writer's block. I have tried to listen to some music, relax, or watch the tele. But I am having a hard time right now, I don't know why. Nothing seems to distract my attention but it's so hard for me to write right now. So far I have written a lousy paragraph, it's just sitting there with the cursor blinking mindlessly behind the last few words. It's killing me sooooo bad I feeling shooting the computer or myself if I don't get this done. I even tried taking a nap that didn't help at all....

SOMEBODY HELP!

[StoryJunkie]

Advice About Writing

A couple of preachy things I wrote before I found this site. Some of the advice is pretty good. Most of it is a synopsis of my creative writing class.

Ask yourself: what inspired me in the first place?

Pray. Pray hard. The reason I endorse prayer is this: you can reach a point of emotion that you didn't think was there. And I don't mean get all holy and shit. I mean, just life. Prayer is about understanding life.

I think that a writer has to know all the parts, not just the part assigned to one actor. Take each character and find out about him/her.

Sometimes its just a hormonal thing, and you'll find you're back in the groove in a couple of weeks.

Give yourself a "writing assignment". Like, explore a new style.

[Guest Jackie_Boi]

I had a bad case of writer's block not too long ago. Since summer has arrived tho, I've gotten "back into the groove" . However...I've given myself the daunting task of updating for 4 different fics. So far I've only been able to update for two of em... It's strange, suddenly I've lost interest in the other fics. One of them is sorta popular, but I just don't like it anymore. Should I like, post something telling people it's on a hiatus? I hate it when I do this to myself >_<. Whenever I get a new idea I run and write it, posting it right after. My newest fic seems to be doing good *got 3 reviews in a sort of small fandom* and the other one I'm regularly updating is a Brokeback Mountain fic (recently got a little over 3100 hits...yay!). So, i guess I'll just update for those two and try to find some new ideas for the other ones...

Anyhoo, like always, StoryJunkie gives great advice

[englishwitch]

with a bad case of wirters block there isn't much you can do. stop writing, step away from the computer, if its a laptop close the lid. brew a coffee and watch a movie. you cannot force good ideas to come. try not writing anything down, just ask yourself 'how am i going to get him/her out of this, what happens next?'

in concern for what should hapen next there usually an obvious, and by obvious i mean boring, answer. but the borng answer makes a good base. Just keep it in mind and stuff will begin to build on it from there whether it takes a few hours or a few days you'll get through the bad patch eventually.

I can't Stop.

I'm possessed by a deadly muse.

It steals me of my sleep.

Robs me of my health.

Turns every moment of life into a possitbility for prose.

It affects the mind that guides your deeds, sacrafices friends and

burns away enemies.

Every person encountered is looked upon as a plague of mediocrity

and each face of beauty haunts your sleep until you die.

Pain is the fuel that drives your art.

Hatred is the spark that ignites your mind.

You spend all your life working on a piece that will be

misunderstood by most and in the end,

ultimatly fogotten

And I do believe it will be the death of me.

Germain and Foamy the squirrel. ::iLL WiLL PreSS::

[Guest SilverFox-chan]

Advice About Writing

A couple of preachy things I wrote before I found this site. Some of the advice is pretty good. Most of it is a synopsis of my creative writing class.

Ask yourself: what inspired me in the first place?

Pray. Pray hard. The reason I endorse prayer is this: you can reach a point of emotion that you didn't think was there. And I don't mean get all holy and shit. I mean, just life. Prayer is about understanding life.

I think that a writer has to know all the parts, not just the part assigned to one actor. Take each character and find out about him/her.

Sometimes its just a hormonal thing, and you'll find you're back in the groove in a couple of weeks.

Give yourself a "writing assignment". Like, explore a new style.

I'm definitely going to read this. I got down to the Focus part and I think that's why I have such a bad case of "the block" as I call it. I've been blocked for nearly two years now. >.< Everytime I think I've broken free, it sits on me again. * sighs * I hope this can help me a little...

[StoryJunkie]

Gee thanks, Dudettes!

When I got stuck on one fic I read it to my daughter, who saw something there that I did not, and when I thought about it, it made so much sense. I then wrote an 18 chapter pre-quel.

I think we get too close to our work sometimes....that's probably why reviews and getting them are so important for inspiration.

[Guest DarkVampWriter]

Hey thank you storyjunkie, and englishwitch! Sorry it took me long to get back to this thread, my computer is retarded. But anyways I had to back off from the computer, take a long walk just to think. I was gone from the house for about 4 hours when I did take a walk. Anyways I thought long and hard I think it's time for me to re-do one of my stories, because in reality I posted the draft not the actually story. I guess I was testing the waters ! But it had so many reviews it was just sitting there and people wanted to know when I am going to update. So I decided to re-write thye draft into a final copy. I still have a long ways to go.......

[Guest SilverFox-chan]

Gee thanks, Dudettes!

When I got stuck on one fic I read it to my daughter, who saw something there that I did not, and when I thought about it, it made so much sense. I then wrote an 18 chapter pre-quel.

I think we get too close to our work sometimes....that's probably why reviews and getting them are so important for inspiration.

>.< Tell me about it. The reviews were so important for two reasons for me, one inspiration, and just to see if I can actually write something people would be interested in. I think I need to really change perspective now in it. Maybe that would help me instead of going back and re-doing the first 7 chapters. I've done that 3 times already and I just can't do that again, it was so hard in the first place just getting those.

[Guest Serenanna]

I second this opinion on the values of reviews, both critical and fluffy.

They're like inspiration, and finer points too. I've been lucky so far to have gushing reviews from devote readers that literally point out which which parts touched them or made them laugh. It's probably all their fault that I went back and wrote a PWP because of the demand for a certain pair (Ed/Winry) that has yet to show up in the main storyline of "Of Ballet and Bullets".

I will say that about the readers of aff.net, they give a hell of alot better feed back than ff.net. Must be the level of maturity.

Ok, I'm digressing, writer's block.

Believe it or not, prior to this last late winter, I had the worst writer's block for years, four years. It wasn't because I didn't have time to write, or ambition, it was because I pretty much focused on something I had to do, fashion design school, and someone I shouldn't have been focused on.

I don't know what the hell happened, but as soon as I broke up with my ex for the second time even as friends, telling him to finally go to hell, I started writing again. It's like a switch got turned back on. Maybe it's the people in our lives that drive the blockage too. This guy, whom I thought I loved, was a writer too, in school to be a writer, but . . . I always felt like he was pumping me for ideas and opinions. Within a year of being with him, I realized that I would not only graduate out before him, but that I stood a better chance of getting published than he did because I actually finished things I wrote. He was also dramatic, unstable, unfocused, and a leech in general.

I guess the politest thing I can credit to him is the realization that there are such things as creativity and emotion sucking vampires. The moral of this story I think is that drama in real life doesn't make for good stories. While it may feed experiences, and life lessons, it drain just as much.

Sere, damn, now I need a drink to forget the bastard . . . or maybe another boyfriend

[Guest SilverFox-chan]

Believe it or not, prior to this last late winter, I had the worst writer's block for years, four years. It wasn't because I didn't have time to write, or ambition, it was because I pretty much focused on something I had to do, fashion design school, and someone I shouldn't have been focused on.

Now that I think about it. I was in cosmetology school when my writers block got to be really bad. Hell, I even stopped reading fanfiction from both AFF and FF.net. ( There is are some awesome writers over at FF.net, they need to come here I think )

I just hope it can start writing again now that I have faced some of the previously unkown factors to my writers block. Or maybe they were known and I just couldn't see them...Hmmm...Anyhoo....I need some serious alone time with my computer. Both laptop and desktop comps.

[NightScribe]

I second this opinion on the values of reviews, both critical and fluffy.

What's a review? (Just kidding) Seriously, here is the extent of my HP story reviews: after first chapter or two posted, one review along the lines of "sounds interesting". After story is complete, one or two reviews that say something like "thanks for sharing." Well, you're welcome....I guess. Thanks for explaining why this story has a great rating, or none at all. (I love that inconsistency).

I'm obviously writing for myself at this point, as no one gives a rat's ass enough about my fics to comment. Who cares? (Yes, I'm bitchy today because my dumb ass co-workers keep screwing with the a/c so it's really muggy and stifling in here, like some friggin' Louisianna swamp ) Anyhoo....

As for the writer's block; my current WIP is still 3 chaps from being complete. I think part of my slow down is that I want/need the last 3 to have some impact as it's wrapping up the story. I don't want to skate through it and have it suck, so I'm really paying attention to the little details to make sure I don't screw something up. Either that, or I'm subconsciously holding the story hostage until my demands are met.

[EveKnight75]

EDIT: This was originally a separate thread addressing the same issue, so I have decided to merge them.

I've noticed that there have been a lot of threads over at Aimless Babble regarding various forms of writer's block.

These include:

- muse blocks: you don't have any ideas.

- detail blocks: you have the outline/general idea, but you can't write it out.

- mutiny blocks: what you write doesn't match what you had planned, so the whole thing is thrown off.

- corner blocks: you've written yourself into a corner, and you don't know how to write your way out and salvage the story to end it decently.

- boredom blocks: you're no longer interested in the story, but you can't leave it there incomplete because it goes against your personal policy.

My solutions:

If you have a boredom block, take down what you've posted. Once you regain interest, post it back up with a new chapter. If you don't want to do that, put in a brief ending to tie up loose ends. Sloppy and disappointing, but responsible. I did that for one of my fics once. Took it down and reposted with a new chapter. Then again, there weren't that many reviews, so it didn't bother me.

If you have a corner block, go through your story to find out the point where you started to back yourself into a corner. Rewrite from there. Keep the original stuff though - there may be good material in there that you can use later on in the same story without creating a disaster. I once wrote two excellent near-sex scenes, and decided it was too early. They're waiting on my hard drive for their turns to be posted.

I've never really had a muse block, so I'm not the best one to dispense advice. Common advice is to concentrate on something else for a while or find some way to get a boost. Taking a walk, reading a book, enjoying canon material, getting drunk, and binging on your favorite junk food are popular suggestions.

Mutiny blocks have never bothered me. There are plenty of times where what I write doesn't quite match what I originally had in mind. Still, the stuff that comes out is usually good and goes with the flow and character/situation development much better than I would expect. Sometimes, my characters know better than me.

Detail blocks, on the other hand, are a huge bother for me. Not for original fiction - my hands hurt from writing those non-stop. It's fanfiction. I always have a general idea of what I want to do next, and have ideas for mundane details. It's the larger details that kill me. It takes a long time to get something satisfactory, and time's not something I have much of nowadays.

Once, I used a mutiny block to defeat a detail block. I hadn't planned on it, but I ended up writing a detailed laundry folding scene that turned out to be mildly sexual. Despite the fact that my clothes are usually strewn all over my room, I'm excellent at ironing and folding clothes when I get down to it. After that, a lot of the storyline fell into place for me and I managed to get more details for about a quarter of the scenes in the next 2-3 chapters. That's how it worked for me , but I severely doubt that it's a common solution.

Are there any other types of writer's block that I forgot to list? Which type(s) tend(s) to plague you? Any solutions for specific types of writer's block?

[Guest cu-kid]

I usually get detail and mutiny blocks, which end up seeming like boredom blocks because I just kind of give up for awhile. I went a whole year without posting anything on a story because I just couldn't get it into gear. I rarely have trouble coming up with the ideas, it's just getting them into some kind of logical order and fleshing them out that sometimes is a problem.

When a mutiny block rears its ugly head, I usually do what you suggested to do for corner blocks. I go back through and find out where everything started to get hinky and try to re-write from there (always saving what I originally wrote, because it is true that there is sometimes some good stuff in there).

For detail blocks, I just start writing, really. If a scene pops into my head, I write it down, whether its two paragraphs or two pages. If, later on, it doesn't piece together well, I try to re-work it. Sometimes, what I've already written doesn't fit at all. Then, I usually just scrap it all together and try again.

For muse blocks, I usually do what you suggested (well, I don't drink or binge on junk food ) as well as find music or pieces of artwork to inspire me. Just recently, I was aimlessly wandering through wikipedia when I found an old legend that inspired an idea for a story -and I've been writing furiously ever since.

I'm glad I stumbled onto this thread because I found it tremendously useful. Thanks for the advice!

[NightScribe]

The blocks I've dealt with are mutiny and detail, but to a minor degree. Mutiny is never a problem, it usually ends up making the story better. I'm convinced that's the subconscious at work; knowing what should be written, even if I'm not initially aware of it. Details are a bit more of a hassle, but I either take a break from the fic, work on something else completely, or dabble with a different chapter.

The only other block I can think of is the lazy block; cousin to boredom. I won't be bored with the story, or grappling with details, etc., I just don't feel like sitting down and doing any work. That's what I hate the most. The only thing I'm already dreading is after I finish my WIP; I'll have total muse block.

[Iggy_lovechild]

What's really strange for me is that I have no problem writing fanfiction, it seems I have an overabundance of plot bunnies, but I can never get anywhere with OCs. I don't know what this says about me as a writer. Plots and situations aren't really a problem, it's just the characters. I can never think of anyone truly fleshed out. They're like ghosts or phantoms and I hate that because of my obsession for exploring characters and their development. So what the fuck is wrong with me? Maybe I'm just trying too hard or being too impaitent with my muses?

[Guest cu-kid]

The only thing I'm already dreading is after I finish my WIP; I'll have total muse block.

I've had that fear before, but it usually comes when I'm closer to the end of a story -which is also around the same time that I get writer's block. I think, really, what the blockage stems from is that I'm afraid I won't be able to think of another story to write. Also, for me, there is a kind of sweet bitterness to finishing a story. I always feel relieved that it is over and a little sad that I will be moving on from characters that I have spent long hours writing about.

My fears about not being able to write anything new are always unfounded, though. There is always something out there to inspire, always a new story to tell (or even an old one with a fresh idea behind it).

[Leonhart29]

I had such a block not too long ago and the only thing that got me through it was a wonderful little pen pall I have. If it weren't for Brad I would probably still be staring at the keyboard and wondering "why me"?

Sometimes talking it over with someone is the only way to get those juices flowing. Not much, but it helps.

[Guest Adara]

I had such a block not too long ago and the only thing that got me through it was a wonderful little pen pall I have. If it weren't for Brad I would probably still be staring at the keyboard and wondering "why me"?

Sometimes talking it over with someone is the only way to get those juices flowing. Not much, but it helps.

For me it's my husband. He inspires me to no end. He manages to say something in conversation with me that just triggers my bed-ridden muse into action!

It's amazing how someone's conversation can just get you going, in more ways than one!

[Leonhart29]

I value Brad's input more than he will ever know - and I'll probably keep it that way (just because I'm not that great at saying thank you over and over again). I also find that going back to the beginning is sometimes the only thing that helps. Before I start a new chapie I always go back at least 2 chapters to make sure I'm not back tracking or worse yet completely flipping the situation needlessly.

[Squallfan]

I value Brad's input more than he will ever know - and I'll probably keep it that way (just because I'm not that great at saying thank you over and over again).  I also find that going back to the beginning is sometimes the only thing that helps.  Before I start a new chapie I always go back at least 2 chapters to make sure I'm not back tracking or worse yet completely flipping the situation needlessly.

You're lucky you have someone to discuss your writing with. My husband doesn't even know I write fan fiction. Geez, I'd hate to see his reaction to my yaoi/slash writing. My hubby is one of those guys who thinks it's perfectly fine for two beautiful women to get it on, but two guys together is just wrong. I tell him there isn't a difference, but he strongly disagrees with me.

[Guest Adara]

You're lucky you have someone to discuss your writing with. My husband doesn't even know I write fan fiction. Geez, I'd hate to see his reaction to my yaoi/slash writing. My hubby is one of those guys who thinks it's perfectly fine for two beautiful women to get it on, but two guys together is just wrong. I tell him there isn't a difference, but he strongly disagrees with me.

My husband's one of those guys too. He doesn't have a problem with making some of my male character's bysexual though. LOL

I mean, most of my male characters in my vamp fics have been alive for decades so, yeah, they'd have gotten bored with sex one way and more than likely would have tried EVERYTHING. I told him that and he then started becoming comfortable with the idea.

He of course, we die before "seeing" any guys go at it. LOL, my husband's funny that way.

[Leonhart29]

You know - my ex-husband wouldn't have had a problem with two guys together, hell he did it with quite a few while we were married (as well as every titty dancer in town). I personally think that it's sexy as hell when two guys get together - just not my husband when he was supposed to be loyal to me.

If I ever get involved with someone again they would just have to make room in our bed for my muses and share me with all of y'all. If you know someone like that - please send him my way ...

[Strawberry]

I live with my best friend who's gay and write yaoi...no doubt he's a priceless source of advice, inspiration, critial info and what-not, but to him the idea of erotic fanfiction, especialy based on anything animated is totaly perverted so noway am i ever telling him i'm writing it...how annoying!

I'm suffering from writers block right now...I get it al lot, especialy if i'm somewhere in the middle of a story. So annoying, a bunch of time in which not much happens but the characters relationship needs to deepen needs to be filled in...i don't know what i'm going to do with it. Perhaps i'll resort to a new plot complication to draw them together, but this fic is already full of rambling, unessessary complictations! I'm such a terrible writer- i never plan my story out properly, and make up rubbish as i go along...i'm great with intoroductions, but the middle of a story is s hard for me! And as fr endings, i've actualy finished about four stories out of hundreds i've started...and those four didn't even really make sense. terrible!

[Solaris]

I had writers' block on one story that I have tried to finish for over four years.

And guess what? After four years of having a writers' block on that one story, the dam broke open and I was finally able to finish it.

The name of the story: Harry Potter and The Bungling Teacher.

And no, there was no sex scenes that was causing me problems. It was just the story itself.

Now, there is another story, a Harry Potter story that the second chapter had to be taken down and revamped since 2003 and yes, this story has hit the writers' block soon after I took it down to revamp it back in 2003. I still need to finish that second chapter and post it.

But what I end up doing to break the writers' block is to read other stories of mine and soon the juices are flowing for the other one and sometimes it doesn't happen, but I know one day it will break and I can finish the story.

Beth

[taker]

Anyone got a link that works? I'm having a lot of difficulty, I have like 5 stories I'd like to finish but cannot. I look at my appleworks (the program I use) and I freeze up or I just cannot muster the strength to finish it, like ADHD I look at it and I gotta screw with something else.