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Post by Rock on Sept 15, 2007 18:19:24 GMT -5
Hey all,
So, a few weeks ago I was finally able to overcome a year and a half of writers block. Hurray! It took a ton of brainstorming before I jumped off my high horse and actually started the writing, but alas, I did.
Brainstorming has never been a problem for me, it was a natural thing. I was always comming up with new ideas, it was a never ending fountain of ideas. This time I had to really work at the brainstorming, and just let things come.
What activities do you all do to help generate ideas? And once you have those ideas, what do you do to keep your story moving along in the rough patches?
Just thought it would be fun to talk about.
Tschuess for now!
Rock
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Post by BlindedxxFalcon on Sept 15, 2007 18:34:33 GMT -5
Writers Block is the worst! I think I have it now because I can't seem to write more then a paragraph or two at a time, unless I'm really on a roll.
Hmm...nothing I do really generates ideas. They just come to me.
I really don't know what to do to make story move during rough patches. This aught to help me, to.
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Post by Nittanylizard on Sept 15, 2007 18:41:07 GMT -5
Sometimes I need to work through it by writing. Writing anything. When that doesn't work, I just move on to anything non-writing-related - housework, shower, going outside, life in general if it's going on for days or weeks, and somewhere along the line, the story comes back to me. It starts moving through my head like a movie again, I get that unfocused look in my eye and put the milk away in the pantry, and then I need to get back to the computer (or a notebook) and write. As far as moving along in the rough patches, I need to just keep writing through, and put aside any concerns about spelling, grammar, this-sounds-dumb, etc. Once I get that flow going, I have to let it carry me through, otherwise I get stuck on the details. Some writers suggest turning off your monitor and just typing, to keep you from going back every three sentences to "fix" things. (I'm too neurotic to do that; with my luck I'd end up inadvertently closing the program and not realize it until I've been sitting there typing for two hours  ). Liz |
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Post by Keira on Sept 15, 2007 18:48:29 GMT -5
I don't have any personal exercises I use for writers block (as none of them have worked... or rather I haven't tried very many of them), but I read about this one technique that seemed intriguing. And boring.
Get out a dictionary or phone book. Open up to a random page, and start hand copying everything word for word, or number for number -- the repetitiveness of it all should easy you into day dreaming of sorts, and you'll be able to just think.
Sometimes all it takes is a low-key activity that is enough to keep you occupied, but easy enough to give you time to think.
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Post by hahukumkonn on Sept 15, 2007 20:05:38 GMT -5
I find sometimes just forcing myself to write can unblock things. Other times, I find myself writing to distract myself from real life events.  |
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Post by Nittanylizard on Sept 15, 2007 20:09:49 GMT -5
Other times, I find myself writing to distract myself from real life events. Gasp! I NEVER do that! *shifts eyes toward dishes in sink and laundry on floor* What? Okay, maybe every so often. ;D |
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Post by hahukumkonn on Sept 15, 2007 21:54:15 GMT -5
It seems to happen with some interesting regularity. One time I wrote an entire chapter for a fic the night before one of my quantum mechanics midterms.  |
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Des
Teeny Bopper
Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.
Posts: 107
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Post by Des on Sept 16, 2007 7:38:53 GMT -5
My best ideas come while I'm working on a client file.....good thing I keep Word minimized the whole time I'm on my computer. |
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Post by BlindedxxFalcon on Sept 16, 2007 11:01:13 GMT -5
I should start doing that....Word is a pain to open on my computer right now.
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Des
Teeny Bopper
Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.
Posts: 107
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Post by Des on Sept 16, 2007 12:02:40 GMT -5
It's habit with me. I've got it up now with Ch 17 of ROE half written.  |
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Post by fairlane on Sept 16, 2007 22:01:25 GMT -5
If I have writers block on a story, I just take a break and write a short story about something else, then try and get back to it. I don't force myself to write something if I'm not enjoying it.
I actually find newspapers useful for prompting ideas if I'm stuck for something to write about. Take a generic event in an article eg; "A teenager who went missing from her home has been found safe."
Then think - why did she go missing? did she run away? who was looking for her? what if she hadn't been found? what if something had happened? who else is involved? and so on.
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Post by BlindedxxFalcon on Sept 28, 2007 19:16:59 GMT -5
Good idea!
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Post by BlindedxxFalcon on Oct 1, 2007 11:35:07 GMT -5
If only I knew where my dad puts the paper...
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Post by anotherillusion on Oct 1, 2007 14:41:53 GMT -5
Newspapers are great ideas, as previously mentioned. I find lyrics, music and people watching (no, I am not a stalker!) really help me beat writer's block.
Another Illusion
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Post by Maddiecake on Oct 2, 2007 18:56:45 GMT -5
I have an ongoing fic dedicated to Writers Block. I don't get block for writing, I get block for the fics that I have up, so I write little oneshots that go into that.
Sadly, I think they're all better than my stories.
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