How do you guys get yourself out of writing funk?

[FidelityBoss]

As the title says. I seem to have this issue with my writing where I'll get to a point in the story that I just cannot figure out how to continue. I'll revisit it several times but nothing ever comes so the project just stays unfinished.

So I was just curious if you guys ever have this issue and I'd love to see your strategies for fighting writers block.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I'm in the same space right now. I have a few hours set aside each day to write, even when I'm not inspired. I pick through my WIP folder, reading through them, making small edits, maybe adding to them if I can. The idea is to just keep writing, even in small ways. keep moving forward. Eventually the door will open again.

 

[MiaBabe23]

So many ways! Some more successful than others for me
How about writing a scene from a different character’s pov? Writing something completely different eg an article, a comedy scene, whatever else appeals? Writing the ending and working backward to see how you get there? Listening to music? Free writing?
But really - whatever got you in the mindset to write the story in the first place. Maybe think about why you want to write it?

 

[Voyeurkenneth]

Maybe you’ve written yourself into a corner. What if you tweaked the preceding scene(s) to open more avenues for the story to evolve?

 

[BlazonG]

Listen to an audio short story and get a new idea or new word to use. My new goal is to successfully use the word “severally” which I just heard in Call of Cthulhu

 

[onehitwanda]

Write a different part of the story.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Write a different part of the story.

@onehitwanda Totally off topic by I can't help but think, with your new avatar, your title should be 'La Petite Mort.' Just a thought.

 

[onehitwanda]

@onehitwanda Totally off topic by I can't help but think, with your new avatar, your title should be 'La Petite Mort.' Just a thought.

I love the visual ambiguity, but it's actually from here:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e4/bc/7f/e4bc7f3c46d90a76ed42b0b31cab58d2.gif

that said, I'm totally committed to Link/Zelda as a thing, even if it's not canon.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I love the visual ambiguity, but it's actually from here:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e4/bc/7f/e4bc7f3c46d90a76ed42b0b31cab58d2.gif

that said, I'm totally committed to Link/Zelda as a thing, even if it's not canon.

I never got into Zelda and often think I missed out. Did a quick search and this was the first hit, though. I may have my chance...

Zelda Live Action Film

 

[NuclearFairy]

I pull up a different work in progress and work on it for a while before going back to it. Or I sit down and read a couple chapters of something I've been meaning to read. Occasionally though I just pull up the raws for dwarf fortress and tinker around with coding for a few days before trying again. Sometimes though you just gotta put your fingers to the keyboard and type something out no matter how horrible it is while reminding yourself that you can always rework it later.

 

[FidelityBoss]

I'm in the same space right now. I have a few hours set aside each day to write, even when I'm not inspired. I pick through my WIP folder, reading through them, making small edits, maybe adding to them if I can. The idea is to just keep writing, even in small ways. keep moving forward. Eventually the door will open again.

Love this mindset. Showing up even when inspiration’s playing hard to get is how the real work gets done. Small edits, tiny additions, it all keeps the momentum alive. And you’re so right: eventually, that door will crack open. Keep grinding!

 

[FidelityBoss]

So many ways! Some more successful than others for me
How about writing a scene from a different character’s pov? Writing something completely different eg an article, a comedy scene, whatever else appeals? Writing the ending and working backward to see how you get there? Listening to music? Free writing?
But really - whatever got you in the mindset to write the story in the first place. Maybe think about why you want to write it?

Switching POVs, hopping genres, or even reverse-engineering the plot can totally spark fresh energy.

 

[Rustyoznail]

It's a bit different, but I look to edit someone else's story. The change of view, and the karma gained seems to help.

 

[lovecraft68]

Besides taking a little time away from it so I'm not pounding my head into a wall, something that has always helped me is to read one of previous stories. I have a few favs of my own and revisiting them often kicks the muse back into gear.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I switch stories. I have a dozen or more that I have started and left dangling. I just jump to one of them with a fresh perspective and often find new life in the story and my motivation.

If I'm really stuck, I just let it be, as the Beatles sang. Just move on to something else and drop the story in a dead story folder. Maybe I'll get lucky and find something interesting in a story I'm reading, that might knock the gears loose again. It's happened before.

 

[FiveInch033]

Keep going. Rewrite later.
Just write the next thing.

 

[TheLobster]

I just do something else. I have other creative hobbies besides writing, so it's not a big deal.

 

[NotWise]

Bogging down in the middle of a story? I try to avoid it by laying out the story before I dig into details.

If I do bog down then it's usually because the story drifted off course--maybe a character is doing something inconsistent, maybe something happened that was slightly off the mark. The problem is usually within the last few paragraphs, so I back up a little and rethink it.

Slowing down isn't always bogging down. Sometimes I'll write dialog very slowly, give careful consideration to the character's thoughts and reactions, and maybe write one line or a couple paragraphs in a day. If you use a word count to measure productivity, then that isn't very productive. If you use ideas to measure your productivity then sometimes it's great.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

I'll get to a point in the story that I just cannot figure out how to continue. I'll revisit it several times but nothing ever comes so the project just stays unfinished.

"In writing a novel, when in doubt, have two guys come through the door with guns." - Raymond Chandler

That's what I do, sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively. I just do an asspull and jam a conflict into my story, even though it doesn't fit just yet.

 

[glynndah]

I have a friend who writes ... a lot ... and very well. He encourages me. If he's writing right now, I probably should be, too.

 

[Audiflex]

As the title says. I seem to have this issue with my writing where I'll get to a point in the story that I just cannot figure out how to continue. I'll revisit it several times but nothing ever comes so the project just stays unfinished.

So I was just curious if you guys ever have this issue and I'd love to see your strategies for fighting writers block.

Oh yeah, that struggle is real! Sometimes the best move is to step away and let your brain work on it in the background. Or try writing a totally ridiculous version of what happens next just to shake things loose. Even if it’s nonsense, it might spark the right idea!

 

[Audiflex]

I pull up a different work in progress and work on it for a while before going back to it. Or I sit down and read a couple chapters of something I've been meaning to read. Occasionally though I just pull up the raws for dwarf fortress and tinker around with coding for a few days before trying again. Sometimes though you just gotta put your fingers to the keyboard and type something out no matter how horrible it is while reminding yourself that you can always rework it later.

Shifting gears can definitely help reset your creativity. And yeah, sometimes you just have to power through and remind yourself that rough drafts are meant to be messy. Love the Dwarf Fortress coding detour too unexpected inspiration can come from anywhere.

 

[Audiflex]

Bogging down in the middle of a story? I try to avoid it by laying out the story before I dig into details.

If I do bog down then it's usually because the story drifted off course--maybe a character is doing something inconsistent, maybe something happened that was slightly off the mark. The problem is usually within the last few paragraphs, so I back up a little and rethink it.

Slowing down isn't always bogging down. Sometimes I'll write dialog very slowly, give careful consideration to the character's thoughts and reactions, and maybe write one line or a couple paragraphs in a day. If you use a word count to measure productivity, then that isn't very productive. If you use ideas to measure your productivity then sometimes it's great.

Love this mindset! You’re totally right getting “stuck” is often a sign the story took a wrong turn a few steps back, not a lack of ideas. Backing up to fix character choices or logic can save *so* much headache later.

And yeah, slow writing isn’t blocked writing! Obsessing over a single line of killer dialogue or a character’s micro-reaction can be way more valuable than churning out pages of filler. Quality over speed, always.

 

[Jay142]

I get stuck all the time. Recently, I was feeling under the weather and didn't have the energy to write. When this happens, I take a break and set it aside. I'll usually get that "ah ha" moment, and the dam is broken. I'll also read stories on my "read later" list.

 

[ChloeTzang]

As the title says. I seem to have this issue with my writing where I'll get to a point in the story that I just cannot figure out how to continue. I'll revisit it several times but nothing ever comes so the project just stays unfinished.

So I was just curious if you guys ever have this issue and I'd love to see your strategies for fighting writers block.

I just put it aside and start a new story or switch to something else. I'm always wrtiting about three or four stories in parallel. If I get stuck I don't screw around, I just switch tracks