Sterile in a fertile land.

[Carnal_Flower]

This seems to work best for me. It's not menial, but I sew and quilt, and the ideas for writing will come.

When asked about being really stuck, Toni Morrison said the best thing to do is "Get a job."

Or you could just mow the lawn. Any thoughtless, menial task seems to work just as well.

 

[beachbum1958]

When I'm stuck for inspiration, or indeed totally blocked, I trundle the de-barker out to our woods, climb on, and process logs felled the previous year; it's a pleasantly destructive pastime, it keeps me away from the Bombay Sapphire, and my mind is free to spin in neutral for several hours; it doesn't always work, but it does keep Her Royal Holy Godship happy and makes a nice loud noise, so we're both happy....

 

[PennLady]

This seems to work best for me. It's not menial, but I sew and quilt, and the ideas for writing will come.

When asked about being really stuck, Toni Morrison said the best thing to do is "Get a job."

I agree that sometimes it's best to do something else to get ideas going.

I find it's all a bit of a vicious cycle for me. I used to get ideas from reading stories -- just one little detail would often spring out and prompt an idea. Not always, but a fair bit, and I think that even opened me up to random ideas from any other source. So I find that with less time to read, I have fewer ideas, and less time and focus for writing, etc.

 

[redzinger]

Have I mentioned the shower?

 

[glynndah]

One of these days you are going to be bad and I want to be there.

I'll save you a seat.

 

[JerryJonesAfrique]

Mine is really funny

I opt to scrub the toilet, empty the trash sometimes just to take a walk to the refuse dump withits awful smell. Mostly, I just spend a lot of time on my chess board

 

[JerryJonesAfrique]

Have I mentioned the shower?

I remember a famous writer (forgot his name) said he showered five times a day. I haven't tried that.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

Yeah, link please, if you want to.

 

[Handley_Page]

I'll save you a seat.

He's in the queue

 

[YDB95]

I belong to an erotic discussion group on Facebook. When I'm out of ideas, I ask my friends there.

 

[SweetWitch]

It turns out, the key was tequila--lots and lots of really good tequila. It got me going again, unfortunately I cannot remember what I wrote.

 

[Handley_Page]

It turns out, the key was tequila--lots and lots of really good tequila. It got me going again, unfortunately I cannot remember what I wrote.

Nice one, Molly.

Perhaps if you typed or wrote it (I'd suggest a dictation machine, but that might be a trifle excessive].

 

[TxRad]

It turns out, the key was tequila--lots and lots of really good tequila. It got me going again, unfortunately I cannot remember what I wrote.

I'd be careful with tequila, it has a tendency to make your clothes fall off.

 

[beachbum1958]

I've tried writing when inspiration has been prodded by liberal doses of dry martini with an occasional olive, unfortunately, the next day, when I read it I invariably go 'WTF...? Sadly, for me, alcohol and inspiration are not particularly synonymous...

 

[SweetWitch]

I'd be careful with tequila, it has a tendency to make your clothes fall off.

Not me. It seems to create a good work environment in my head, though.

I've tried writing when inspiration has been prodded by liberal doses of dry martini with an occasional olive, unfortunately, the next day, when I read it I invariably go 'WTF...? Sadly, for me, alcohol and inspiration are not particularly synonymous...

I managed to complete a novel and get it published while drunk on tequila.

Nice one, Molly.

Perhaps if you typed or wrote it (I'd suggest a dictation machine, but that might be a trifle excessive].

I did type it. But I had to re-read the entire thing the next day every time.

 

[Hypoxia]

My muse is slowly cranking back up, motivated by the removal of my guilt for leaving important stuff undone too long. That's done now and I've no excuse.

Motivation? Not so much chemistry as determination. Sit back and WRITE, dammit! That might be easier in the next few weeks as I'll be offline a lot, traveling far, not browsing aimlessly, not contributing worthless words here. Maybe new sights and experiences will inspire endings to my unfinisheds. Maybe...

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

Everyone has a little doorway.

Not too many people find it.

In this world most people fit on one or the other side of the same long long plank, and mostly towards the ends: on one side you have Muslims who think that brainwashing since early childhood means they know what reality is, and on the other extreme Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawking, who both think that being cripples gives them the inalienable right to tell everyone else what reality is.

I don't know what reality is. On account I mess around with it every day.

 

[Handley_Page]

Molly, Have you considered looking at some of those really old (1920s) B&W films occasionally found on youTube ?
Some provide some real situation which might provoke the creative spark.

 

[SweetWitch]

Molly, Have you considered looking at some of those really old (1920s) B&W films occasionally found on youTube ?
Some provide some real situation which might provoke the creative spark.

I actually did a 3-day film noir marathon. It didn't help.