Worst Dry Spell Ever

Agree. Just wait it out. Spells are cycles, and it always comes back around. Its the same whether Im painting or writing
. I will crank out crap in the meantime, painful, hideous soon to be forgotten crap. Then when I get inspiration again I often wonder if I needed to crank out the crap to get to that point. Now its almost a superstitious thing. Like if I don't force out some crap I'll be stuck in a dry spell forever.

allamagione said:

I much preferred my mom's method: Tape some raw bacon to it and forget about it. It will work itself out.

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squirrelzo said:

Agree. Just wait it out. Spells are cycles, and it always comes back around. Its the same whether Im painting or writing
. I will crank out crap in the meantime, painful, hideous soon to be forgotten crap. Then when I get inspiration again I often wonder if I needed to crank out the crap to get to that point. Now its almost a superstitious thing. Like if I don't force out some crap I'll be stuck in a dry spell forever.

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One may approach writing from various vantages. I'll posit three: Amateur, Artistic, and Professional. The amateur writes because they want to; the artist, because they must, emotionally; and the pro, because they will. (Please forgive my over-simplification.)

Amateurs and artists can afford to have dry spells; pros can't. Some writers (not necessarily of fiction) are obliged to churn out so many words per day if they wish to eat. Your empty belly doesn't want to hear "I have writer's block" as an excuse. So, how does one continue producing words? Just do it. If you must, assign yourself x hours per day where you only write, no other activity allowed. Daydream or write. Sit and be bored, or write. Just write, dammit.

There's a rule, a rule that applies to many human endeavors, whether writing tales or dropping weight. The rule is: Ya gotta really wanna, 'cause if ya don't wanna, ya ain't gonna. If you don't really want to write, then you won't. That's pretty simple. (Hint: More time on the forums --> less time writing stories.)

Another category at Literotica: Busmen's holiday. Writers who do it for money but on Literotica just do it for pleasure and release (time out from the other writing). They would be doing it without the pressure to produce.

I haven't managed any serious contributions to anything since I finished Real Vampires Don't Surf last year.

I had very high hopes that it would be a breakthrough for me... sales were disappointing to say the least, despite the fact that it was my best reviewed work yet and that it received some marketing help by being named a staff choice at ARe and was featured on a few blogs...

I'm sure that my mojo will return eventually. Right now, it is a question of motivation.

Just yesterday I wrote about a 1,000 words on a story I hadn't looked at in ages. Felt good. Then my back went out and I lost the incentive. Oh hum.

I seem to hit small dry spells after I finish a big story or stories. For example, since finishing two stories in late May/early June, one for the latest FAWC and the other my Nude Day contest story, I've barely written anything at all. Maybe a few words on the planned next chapter of one of my other series, but that's it.

It's like there's a big buildup that eventually I have to release, and when I do I get on a real roll and the words come thick and fast. After I finish, though, the effort leaves me dry, and it can take some time before I get the inspiration and motivation to go again. So far the time between cycles has never been too long, though, so I don't worry so much about never being able to write again.

I was posting a story about every month or every other month 2012/2013, but I only have one new one over the past 10 months. Too busy. However, I am about 70% through a new one. Goody.

My muse has abandoned me for several weeks at a stretch, once for 3 months. I tend to write in bursts. I'll kick a plot line around in my head for a week or two, then spring to the keyboard and crank out 5 to 8,000 words at a clip.

Montanos said:

Only if Tam doesn't enjoy the effort.

Seriously, you equate what Tam wrote and her methodology with 'splinter removal'?

Montanos

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I assumed that not writing was the equivalent of picking the splinter out bit by bit. Not writing strikes me as the far more tortuous option.