A bit of writer's block

[wws_wws]

My first attempt at writing a story was posted here on Literotica about a year ago. It's called Duplicity. Fun little yarn I spun. I've been writing a little more of this story every opportunity I can. I've known for a while how I wanted it to end, even the events leading up to the end. Somehow I'm having difficulty putting it into words. Curious to know if others have ever encountered this problem. What did you do to over come this issue? For a project I started basically on a lark, I've grown strangely attached....


Also, I've gotten private messages sent from very encouraging readers to a personal email account. Any idea how I might reply anonymously? I'm not quite ready to put myself out there yet.


Thanks!

 

[LastLostIdols]

I have several stories on the go at once, so if by chance something goes dry. Then I have another to work on. Always good to have loyal readers, been a long time since I've had that. So if it were me I'd reply even if it were to say; 'I'm running on fumes for the story, sorry, might be a while guys & gals but I really appreciate you as readers', yada... yada, yada etc.

 

[wws_wws]

I have several stories on the go at once, so if by chance something goes dry. Then I have another to work on. Always good to have loyal readers, been a long time since I've had that. So if it were me I'd reply even if it were to say; 'I'm running on fumes for the story, sorry, might be a while guys & gals but I really appreciate you as readers', yada... yada, yada etc.

Right. Thanks! This is a bit of a process isn't it.

 

[8letters]

Also, I've gotten private messages sent from very encouraging readers to a personal email account. Any idea how I might reply anonymously? I'm not quite ready to put myself out there yet.

Create an email account on yahoo or gmail for just Lit emails and use that to send emails to people.

 

[LastLostIdols]

Right. Thanks! This is a bit of a process isn't it.

It's always good to keep the creative juices flowing no matter what. I've only just recently took up writing erotica, before that I was mainly a fantasy & sci-fi kinda guy, with some slight horror. I started off with fan-fiction, but have always tried to branch off trying various genres and subjects to tackle. Whether you devote yourself to writing them or just jot down some notes for use at a later date. I find the times I've struggled with any kind of block was when I completely stopped writing anything altogether. And because of that I was going several months at a time without even thinking of a character or piece of plot.

Doing anything like this can whittle away at your creativity and never serves any point. Always have an idea floating around in your head, even if it is just a trait one of your characters might have. A song they like, what they wear, a mannerism, a single fragment of a story-arc, literally anything. It ALL helps.

 

[wws_wws]

It's always good to keep the creative juices flowing no matter what. I've only just recently took up writing erotica, before that I was mainly a fantasy & sci-fi kinda guy, with some slight horror. I started off with fan-fiction, but have always tried to branch off trying various genres and subjects to tackle. Whether you devote yourself to writing them or just jot down some notes for use at a later date. I find the times I've struggled with any kind of block was when I completely stopped writing anything altogether. And because of that I was going several months at a time without even thinking of a character or piece of plot.

Doing anything like this can whittle away at your creativity and never serves any point. Always have an idea floating around in your head, even if it is just a trait one of your characters might have. A song they like, what they wear, a mannerism, a single fragment of a story-arc, literally anything. It ALL helps.

I completely agree. I find I constantly email myself notes to further the plot or just writing pure dialogue. I have trouble reigning myself in at times as all these ideas are whirling about in my head.

 

[sweet_lusciousdesire]

find your passion

I find that if I have a decent story idea in mind that engages me, the words seem to flow. Maybe just write and don't worry about sentences and grammer. When you get back to a second draft edit, you can always fix those little mess ups. First and foremost, you want your passion and energy to find it's place on the page. Then you're home free. It's all about you anyways, so just enjoy the process of being creative and write when you're in the mood. Happy Creating...

 

[Hypoxia]

Laxative for constipated authors

My usual writing strategy: Define an environment and a few plot points; create some characters and set them loose; transcribe their words and deeds.

This often works but sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the players don't know what to do next and I either have to force them along or jump ahead to a future scene. Sometimes I write a start and an ending and some intermediate scenes and then connect the dots, string the pearls together.

For instance, I'm working on a VERY episodic story cycle. Each journal-type episode is almost standalone; continuity is carried by the narrator and locale but with few continuing characters and actions. I don't need to write these episodes in sequence. I'll work on each till it's done, then jump to another. I'll eventually have scads of episodes to package into chapters for posting.

But sometimes I have to set it aside and focus on something else. There's always something else, yeah, some greater or lesser stub of a story awaiting its turn at the creativity tap. That writing model: Play the story in my head as if watching a video, and blog it. If one video gets stuck, switch channels. Each story is on its own channel. Stay tuned for action.

And sometimes I need a mental laxative to unblock my creative constipation. Take a long, chatty walk with my audio recorder. Take a medicinal toke and an inspirational drink and lay back in a storyboarding daze, recorder and/or notepad nearby while possibilities crawl around the edges of my altered consciousness. Read something to plagiarize, err I mean to learn from.

Consider twisting characters to make them do something interesting. Think of the least likely alternatives, and take those road forks. Surprise yourself.

 

[robertreams]

Writer's block? Never heard of it! Outrageous! Seriously, I have three series in whch my readers have been screaming for more for over a year, but I can't quite seem to do it. But like one other person said, I always have more than one going at a time so (usually) I can shift to another if one is a problem. However, lately I have had multitudinous problems with adware, malware, viruses, etc., which have really taken the wind out of my sails. I am struggling back though, gotta keep writing . If I were to die, the world would be deprived, and my immortality would be diminished.

No matter what, even if it is shit, keep writing. One thing that will help: If you create your characters with real lives, they will live on and behave in ways (when you think of them) that impel you to write it down.

 

[robertreams]

Hypoxia, I like your comment about turning your characters loose. I can never control mine. Recently I wrote a character who reembles Michelangelo's "David". The asshole had so many problems, he went and threw himself in Lake Michigan in October. I had to create a character to rescue him!

 

[wws_wws]

Now I've got to read this story. Just spewed water all over my phone.

 

[Sammael Bard]

This thread might help: http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1091123

 

[Mushrom]

Writer's block? Never heard of it! Outrageous! Seriously, I have three series in whch my readers have been screaming for more for over a year, but I can't quite seem to do it. But like one other person said, I always have more than one going at a time so (usually) I can shift to another if one is a problem. However, lately I have had multitudinous problems with adware, malware, viruses, etc., which have really taken the wind out of my sails. I am struggling back though, gotta keep writing . If I were to die, the world would be deprived, and my immortality would be diminished.

No matter what, even if it is shit, keep writing. One thing that will help: If you create your characters with real lives, they will live on and behave in ways (when you think of them) that impel you to write it down.

Writers block is often something I suffer from myself. My writing tends to come in spurts. I may throw out 4 or 5 stories a week for a month or two, then I dry up for years with nothing. And recently the problem has been how to end a story.

Of course, I tend to write in 2 different ways. One is the "open ended" which can literally go on forever, with the story developing as I go along, sometimes surprising me where it takes me. Then I have the shorter ones, which often have a planned ending and the story is what gets me there.

And at times I have even written experimentally. First person, second person, third person narration. Changing POV characters during the writing, even "O'Henry surprise endings". And of course changing tense, even doing one as a "stream of consciousness" real time type of narration.

For first timers, I always suggest short 1-2 page stand alone stories to start. This helps you learn what you and others like and to find a style before you try ambitious long form stories. And when you write these play with styles. Past tense narration, current tense narration, even write from the perspective of the opposite sex. In the end it all combines to make the person a better writer.

 

[pocketrocket]

I rarely try to write. I need to. Writing takes away from other activities, like reading. But the situations have to unravel. I have to see what happens next. So getting on a plane to join the Mile High Club becomes a novel length vacation from hell story.

I have also had to invent characters to rescue others. As Tolkien said of Faramir, "There's a new character in my book, and he's not entirely welcome."

J

 

[wws_wws]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've currently writing different scenes and dialogue. Lots of lots of little snip-bits. Going back to give it some context later.