How to get over writer's block?
Your solution: Skip the next few pages. Get to the next event. You can fill in the missing piece later or you may even feel that you don't need it in the next draft. Congrats on getting a hundred pages in. I haven't really put much stock in this concept called "Writer's block." Bankers don't get banking block and doctors don't get medical block. Musicians have no similar phenomenon. Sometimes we just have to work through it. Progress needs to be made.
How to get rid of writer's block?
For many years, I was heavily involved with writing. Particularly, I've written a lot of screenplays. But since the beginning of 2017, my writing skills and creativity has hit a downfall. I just can't seem to write anything anymore. And to make matters worse, I have this great idea for a screenplay, but I just can't seem to get it out on paper. It's really irritating. Any advice on how to cure writer's block?
Writer's block??????
I am different. I don't believe in any of this take a walk, listen to music, meditate, drink, smoke pot stuff. To me, writing is a job, and it just gets done. I don't coddle myself and I don't teach others to coddle themselves. Just get to work. 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.
How have you grown as a reader, writer, and thinker?
What a thought-provoking question! I have thought about this question as I wandered through the library stacks and noted how my tastes in books have changed over the years but never explored it in writing. Even as a youngster, I liked non-fiction history and biography, but I also devoured mass market literature too. During my early motherhood years, I read all kinds of books from the inane to the classic to my children, but now I find myself spending most of my time reading history, science, biography, American West fiction and non-fiction, and political books. I treat myself to mass market mysteries whenever I can, especially if they are set in the American West. In my earlier years, I read to escape. Now I read to make connections. I like to explore why the world and people are the way they are. Existence seems to be a sort of dot to dot type of thing, and I enjoy finding the lines that connect the dots. In the past, I was content to briefly describe or develop a topic in my own writing. Now I find it easy to expand on ideas or go in new directions. I teach, and my students remind me of my young self when they exclaim, "How can I possibly add more detail or thought?" to a very short answer. I started keeping a book diary about seven years ago and wish I had started this as a youngster. It is interesting to see what I read, how that reading follows certain patterns, what fascinates me at different times, what I read over and over, and what I think is good or bad at the time. Thanks for the great question.
What is a good website to use to get over writer's block?
Writer’s Block is internal, so a website probably wouldn’t solve it for you. (Though of course I’d love to introduce you to mine.)The best cure for writer’s block is to write.Write anything. Write stream of consciousness. Set your timer for 15 minutes and write whatever comes to your mind. If you are blocked, write about that. How does it feel to be blocked? Describe it as accurately as you can. If you’re frustrated, write that. Let your mind make connections, associations. Put the editor aside. Let it be a rough draft. Revel in the roughness.Taking a walk helps too.
How do you get over writer’s block for music production?
There is an easy resolution to this problem. I advise artists that feel they have this problem to consider doing the following. HIRE A PRODUCER. The reason for this is that the producer will either assist you in writing songs or they will set you up with collaborators who will help to jump start your writing. This is a great way to get past this problem. All the pros do this.I will give you an example of where a producer is greatly needed. I know of an artist who is also a friend of mine who has not put out a new release in more than seven years. He says he cannot find the time to write, etc. What he needs and I suggested is a producer to work with as the person I recommended is constantly writing all types of music. Once he started working with this writer/producer they had finished enough good songs for his entire release in one month. Finally! No excuse for not putting out that release any more. All new music with an entirely fresh perspective.There is also the great musical diversity that comes from collaborating with others. Great producers make writing and recording great music a fun and an easy process. They can add musical bits and pieces to your work that embellish it in ways that you never thought possible.Just an end note: Producers can be paid by an upfront fee and/or a set percentage of release sales and will also be paid for songwriting through credits and royalties.Hope this gives you something to think about!
How do I instantaneously get over writers block?
Thanks for the A2AHow do I instantaneously get over writers block?Read a bad review of your novel that was posted by someone who obviously did not read your book. You will suddenly find you want to write lots things back to them.I’m kidding, but I’m not.What is writers block to you?“I can’t think of anything to write.” —it solves that problem. Don’t ever reply to a review, but maybe go ahead and write down what you wish you could reply.“I don’t know what to write.”—it solves that problem too.“I don’t want to write in this story I am supposed to be working on right now.”—well, you’re kind of on your own there. That’s not block, that’s not wanting to write.“But wait, I didn’t mean I don’t WANT to, I meant I don’t know WHAT to write in the story I am supposed to be working on right now.”—Oh. Fine. Then write other things until it comes to you. That’s not blocked, that’s just temporarily stuck on an idea. It’ll pass. You’ll think of something while you are writing other things, eventually.Just keep writing things.Don’t have any reviews to go look at? Go look at some of the stuff people post on social media instead. But again, don’t actually reply. Just write down what you would like to have said. The whole point is to get yourself into “Writing Mode”. It doesn’t matter what you start out writing as long as you write. Once you get into the groove, switch over to what you wanted to be working on.
How do I overcome laziness in writing?
That's a million dollar question. If I had a guaranteed solution to that, I'd be a rich writer!Over the years, I've seen different things work for different people, including me. So here are some of the tips I can recommend, depending on what kind of a person you are.For the busy writer with tight schedules: Put in time slots in your calendar to write. Set alarms and reminders. For that duration, sit in front of your book or laptop or writing device of choice and write. Don't move till the time is done. Don't get distracted. Just write.For the erratic writer: Commit a deadline to someone else. Make it non-negotiable. Let the guilt of potentially defaulting eat you up till you sit and write. Ask the person you've committed the deadline to, to make you feel like crap it you don't deliver.For the easily bored writer: Work on multiple projects in parallel. When bored with one, move to another. Keep cycling. If long term projects are scary, write short stories and essays in between.For the writer in denial: Stop making excuses and take responsibility for how much you're writing or rather how much you're NOT writing. Figure out which of the above categories you fall under. Apply appropriate solution.Finally, go easy on yourself. Writers are fickle creatures. It's in our nature to be easily distracted. Be patient with yourself and just slowly keep moving towards getting back into that space where you're writing feverishly, struggling to keep pace with the words pouring out of you. That is the only sustainable solution to whatever prevents you from writing.