The best writing advice ever.

[NOIRTRASH]

No one has brought up writers block lately so this is a public service for how to beat it.

I'm sitting on a story that needs an end. I have no clue what it may be. No problem, it will come.

Most of the time it comes quickly, on one occasion it came along 5 years later, but it was perfect.

All you need do is: Present the want, desire, problem to yourself "I want a "whatever" ending to my story." And move on. Don't obsess. Don't dwell on it.

I want an interesting criminal event to close my story.

It works for the rest of the story, too. When you hit the WHAT NOW! wall, simply think CREATE A GOOD PLACE TO GO..

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Eureka!

I got my ending, and it works.

I needed a serious crime my principal character would observe at close hand and be able to exploit, cause he's an asshole.

 

[SusanJillParker]

I never stare at a blank page while wondering what to write.

Whenever I'm stuck, I go for a walk, a bike ride, or take a shower.

If I'm really stuck, just before going to sleep, I'll think about my writing problem and take it to bed with me. During the night, my brain percolates the issue and comes up with the answer by morning.

Then, when I sit at the keyboard, I can't type enough before forgetting everything.

I only wished thinking about what the winning lottery number is worked the same way (lol).

 

[rjordan]

No one has brought up writers block lately so this is a public service for how to beat it.

I can't imagine how anyone could get "writer's block" unless they are writing to deadline that puts a check in jeopardy. Any other situation, you stop writing when you have nothing to say or don't know how to say it. So what?

At least you didn't mention a muse. God, I hate that term. If I had to come up with a sentence defining the words effete and effeminate, it would have to contain the word muse. Anytime anyone says it, I visualize the prince in the tower in Monty Python's Holy Grail...with a typewriter.

rj

 

[FAWCker]

I can't imagine how anyone could get "writer's block" unless they are writing to deadline that puts a check in jeopardy. Any other situation, you stop writing when you have nothing to say or don't know how to say it. So what?

At least you didn't mention a muse. God, I hate that term. If I had to come up with a sentence defining the words effete and effeminate, it would have to contain the word muse. Anytime anyone says it, I visualize the prince in the tower in Monty Python's Holy Grail...with a typewriter.

rj

I don't like the term muse, either. When anyone uses it, I visualize an odd little gremlin sitting on their shoulder, telling them what words to write.

If I can't get a story to flow right, I walk away from the computer, turning my focus to something else. When I figure out what I want to say, I go back to writing.


ETA: Oops. Signed in under the other account.

 

[sr71plt]

I and my muse find this all very amusing.

 

[rjordan]

I and my muse find this all very amusing.

I never pictured you as effete or effeminate, but I see all muses in a tutu.

rj

 

[rjordan]

Double post

 

[sr71plt]

I never pictured you as effete or effeminate, but I see all muses in a tutu.

rj

I don't see why. There is some force that drops stories and other ideas into my brain already developed. If I want to call it a muse, why should anyone go into a snit? It's as good a name for it as any, I think.

 

[rjordan]

I don't see why. There is some force that drops stories and other ideas into my brain already developed. If I want to call it a muse, why should anyone go into a snit? It's as good a name for it as any, I think.

The force can be easily explained without resorting to such a prissy word.

We are bombarded by information, internally generated and externally generated. Our brains are designed to find patterns in all this chaos. That's how we evolved. We survive because of it. It never stops, not even when we sleep.

We're always connecting the dots trying to find something that makes sense. Ancients did it with constellations (what the hell were they smoking, none of them look like what they say). We did it for hours as kids and sometimes still with cloud formations. We see tigers and ships and Jesus Christ Hisself in the sky. Or on toast.

Most of the time the connected dots make no sense. When they do, we notice. Eureka! Creative people, including writers, probably do it more than most. Our subconscious is constantly scanning things in our head. When the dots make sense to your conscious mind, you credit some dork Greek. I credit my brain.

I don't really have a problem with people using the word. Just know how you sound when you do...

rj

 

[NaokoSmith]

... I see all muses in a tutu.

rj

I think of a muse as an actual person. Sometimes I write my stories without Real Life inspiration. Sometimes a person: their character, or something they said - maybe they grumbled about something going on in their life, inspires me to write a fictionalised account of the events.

That real person is a muse, to me, rather than there being some fairy going bippity-boppity-boo on my head to make stars in my eyes and stories in my fingers.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

I can't imagine how anyone could get "writer's block" unless they are writing to deadline that puts a check in jeopardy. Any other situation, you stop writing when you have nothing to say or don't know how to say it. So what?

At least you didn't mention a muse. God, I hate that term. If I had to come up with a sentence defining the words effete and effeminate, it would have to contain the word muse. Anytime anyone says it, I visualize the prince in the tower in Monty Python's Holy Grail...with a typewriter.

rj

I just found a collection of boxing stories by the Conan the Barbarian author. He died young but is reputed to know his stuff about boxing circa the 20s and 30s. I just read THE BLACK DAHLIA and aint impressed with James Ellroys boxing scenes.

I think Ring Lardner wrote of baseball.

 

[sr71plt]

The force can be easily explained without resorting to such a prissy word.


rj

OK, so explain it in one usable word (which you didn't do in your post).

Or don't, it doesn't bother me that you choose to be bothered by the word.

 

[lovecraft68]

I never pictured you as effete or effeminate, but I see all muses in a tutu.

rj

Mine's a dark gothic bad ass bitch whose driven some series mayhem filled stories fueled by hours of death metal.

She'll make you wear the tu-tu and thank her for the privilege

 

[oggbashan]

I never pictured you as effete or effeminate, but I see all muses in a tutu.

rj

I don't think any of my Muses know what a tutu is. They seem to wear large steel-toed work boots and tramp over my feelings like a herd of charging elephants.

I have seen an elephant in a tutu. It was not a pleasant sight.

 

[rjordan]

I just found a collection of boxing stories by the Conan the Barbarian author. He died young but is reputed to know his stuff about boxing circa the 20s and 30s. I just read THE BLACK DAHLIA and aint impressed with James Ellroys boxing scenes.

I think Ring Lardner wrote of baseball.

I agree there. You'd kick Ellroy's ass in a boxing scene write-off. Already did in HW 3.

I liked Black Dahlia, though. Born and raised in L.A. so stories like that tug on a lot of memory for me. I don't go back to that period, though. I was 5 when Elizabeth Short was murdered.

rj

 

[GoldenCojones]

OK, so explain it in one usable word (which you didn't do in your post).

Imagination

Don't you just hate smart asses

 

[sr71plt]

Imagination

Don't you just hate smart asses

Imagination isn't an action word. It doesn't cover what happens in the idea/story delivery process. I won't change the word I use to one that doesn't do the job just because someone doesn't like that word. There's no "someone" in my production process but me in the writing of a story.

 

[Carnevil9]

I've NEVER been at a loss for "how a story should end." I don't sit down to write a story until I know how it will end. The ending is the Sine Qua Non of the story idea. I realize that others don't work that way, but I couldn't possibly write that way. It would be like getting in my car without knowing where I wanted to drive.

 

[sheablue]

I'm with rjordan on this one. I don't love the idea of a muse, or talented writers giving credit to one. I am my own muse. Like Naoko said, many things, people, circumstances may inspire me, but it's still me.

Why would I give credit of my genius (or lack thereof) to some imaginary thing?


Back to the OP's original topic of conversation, I agree with what he, and others, have said. If I get stuck on something, I just have to kind of tuck it away to the side of my mind and do something else. Go for a walk, take a long hot shower, wash the dishes, even color in my new coloring books for adults, cause they're all the rage. Anything that doesn't require a lot of brain power. Even if I'm not actively trying to solve the problem, my brain still is, and eventually the answer will come to me. Then I have to rush to write it all down before I forget.

 

[TxRad]

The best writing advice ever.

One word: WRITE!

 

[sr71plt]

I'm with rjordan on this one. I don't love the idea of a muse, or talented writers giving credit to one. I am my own muse. Like Naoko said, many things, people, circumstances may inspire me, but it's still me.

Why would I give credit of my genius (or lack thereof) to some imaginary thing?

Who said one's Muse isn't part of them? I think you are just being anal.

 

[sheablue]

Who said one's Muse isn't part of them? I think you are just being anal.

"There is some force that drops stories and other ideas into my brain already developed."


To me, it sounded like you did. If that's not what you meant, that's fine, too. You've expressed that you find the word muse works for you. I've expressed how and why it doesn't for me. Just a difference of opinion. I'm not telling you you're wrong. I'm not being anal (what does that even mean?,) I'm just expressing my feelings on the subject, and how it works for me.

 

[sr71plt]

"There is some force that drops stories and other ideas into my brain already developed."


To me, it sounded like you did. If that's not what you meant, that's fine, too. You've expressed that you find the word muse works for you. I've expressed how and why it doesn't for me. Just a difference of opinion. I'm not telling you you're wrong. I'm not being anal (what does that even mean?,) I'm just expressing my feelings on the subject, and how it works for me.

If it's just a difference of opening you can just stop harassing me about it.

 

[sheablue]

If it's just a difference of opening you can just stop harassing me about it.

For goodness sake's, I'm not harassing you! You called me anal and asked who said a muse isn't a part of a person. I answered your question, with something you actually said. Then I told you I wasn't saying you were wrong, I was just expressing my opinion, like you did.

You are entirely impossible to have a conversation with.