What do you do when there's nothing there?

[minsue]

Being too cheap for therapy & meds, I write for my mental health. Well, cheap and I have a great personal distaste for walking into a doctor's office, opening up a vein, and bleeding out the poisons wandering my mind all over the carpet. It tends to leave me feeling, well, icky.

Lately, I can't write. I can't even write complete & utter crap (and that's by my own loooow standards! ). I don't know if it's insanity induced gridlock screwing up the traffic in my brain or what, but I just stare at the page and there's nothing there. And it's maddening.

Does this happen to any of you? If so, what the hell do you do to stay sane? (or as sane as a bunch of poets on a porn site can claim to be )

 

[champagne1982]

<snip> ... what the hell do you do to stay sane? (or as sane as a bunch of poets on a porn site can claim to be )

How about derty limericks...

A poet in Literotica
said, "Oh baby, I just gotica
"pull on yer winkie.
"don't bother to thank me.
"'Tis better than letting it rotica."

 

[The_Fool]

The well has been pretty dry for me lately. Life has been pretty busy and stress has been high. I have several approaches to poetry. One, I love the flow of words, the sounds of alliteration, so sometimes I just start playing word association until I come up with a decent phrase that gets me going. Second, I have to have an idea, sometimes a visual image of something that has caught my interest. Some of those visuals knock around in my head for quite awhile before I come up with something coherent that applies. The direction I start is not always the direction I’m pointed when I finish, but that is okay too.

On the threads, there are three things that have sparked ideas more than any other tool. One is the Suddenly Thread, another is the perfect ten thread, last are challenges such as the same title challenges. In a way, it’s kind of like show me where I need to be and I will find a way to get there.

Not everything that is written is fit to be read, but that is okay. Stephen King, in his book “On Writing” says you have to make writing a habit, do it every day. In the movie “Finding Forrester,” Jamal didn’t know what to write, so Forrester has him retype a story that Forrester himself had written. Looking at words, writing out words. Eventually the right words come out.

If you want a challenge, ask, I will give you one. Or come up with one on your own. Or if you wish, find someone to cowrite with.

 

[Guest]

<snip>

Does this happen to any of you? If so, what the hell do you do to stay sane? (or as sane as a bunch of poets on a porn site can claim to be )

I read someone else's work or listen to music. That usually helps.. and time. Don't beat yourself up over it.


- neo

 

[LilDarlin]

Re: Re: What do you do when there's nothing there?

I read someone else's work or listen to music. That usually helps.. and time. Don't beat yourself up over it.


- neo

That is exactly the same thing I do.
Go read new poems, old poems, stories. While you are doing that turn the music up. Listen to the words let them flow an slide. All around you.
The music is wonderful for stress releif and sometimes a word. Just one lil word will pop out at ya. Then there is your click. It just happens. So you go with it.
I am no expert. Just love to write. Love the world of words, and all the can do..
I have been there . The words not coming, blank screen, pencil scratches and erases all over the paper..BLANK..NOTHING.. Lord I hate that..
So Read and Listen. The words are there you just have to open your mind and await them to fall upon you. Good luck and Biggg Huggss!!! Just my humble opinion..

 

[minsue]

Thanks all. I'll keep reading away & see if I can't jar something loose.

Foolio, challenges never seem to work for me even when I'm writing up a storm, but thanks much for the offer.

 

[sandspike]

Try this

music, booze, challenges, fight with a loved one

 

[Remec]

Does this happen to any of you? If so, what the hell do you do to stay sane? (or as sane as a bunch of poets on a porn site can claim to be )

I abandon the page or keyboard and come in here hoping to find either...a challenge to get things rolling again...inspiration in something someone else has said or written...or a few choice bits in haiku and/or ten-word that I can relate to and respond to, thus (like with the challenges) get everything back on track...

 

[flyguy69]

Originally posted by minsue

I don't know why, but I find this an odd notion. The idea of "not having anything to say" seems incongruous with "wanting to say something". Why, if you can't find inspiration, would you feel obliged to write at all? Unless you are getting paid to contribute here (WHAT?!), I suspect you will do your work more harm than good by applying the Heimlich manuever to your muse.

Assuming you have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to return, sit back, read, clean the basement, pour 3 different glasses of wine to see if there really is any difference, master french cooking, volunteer at an animal shelter, call your mother. If inspiration returns tomorrow; write. If it doesn't; do what I do: offer hackneyed advice on the Lit boards.

 

[Liar]

Lately, I can't write. I can't even write complete & utter crap (and that's by my own loooow standards! ). I don't know if it's insanity induced gridlock screwing up the traffic in my brain or what, but I just stare at the page and there's nothing there. And it's maddening.

Lately, I can't write.
I can't even write
complete & utter crap

(and that's by my own

loooow

standards!)

I don't know
if
it's insanity induced gridlock
screwing up the traffic
in my brain

or what

but I just
stare        at        the        page

...

and there's
n  o  t  h  i  n  g
there.




Hey look, a poem.

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: What do you do when there's nothing there?

I don't know why, but I find this an odd notion. The idea of "not having anything to say" seems incongruous with "wanting to say something". Why, if you can't find inspiration, would you feel obliged to write at all? Unless you are getting paid to contribute here (WHAT?!), I suspect you will do your work more harm than good by applying the Heimlich manuever to your muse.

Assuming you have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to return, sit back, read, clean the basement, pour 3 different glasses of wine to see if there really is any difference, master french cooking, volunteer at an animal shelter, call your mother. If inspiration returns tomorrow; write. If it doesn't; do what I do: offer hackneyed advice on the Lit boards.

It's not that I have nothing to say. (Well, actually, I never have anything to say ) Writing is cathartic for me and that is the only reason I do it. I only rarely post anything I write. I haven't been in the best of moods and there's plenty of crap that I need to get out of my damned brain, it just doesn't happen. That's what's driving me mad.

I need no excuse to offer hackneyed advice on the boards. I do that regardless.

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: What do you do when there's nothing there?

Lately, I can't write.
I can't even write
complete & utter crap

(and that's by my own

loooow

standards!)

I don't know
if
it's insanity induced gridlock
screwing up the traffic
in my brain

or what

but I just
stare        at        the        page

...

and there's
n  o  t  h  i  n  g
there.




Hey look, a poem.

ROFL

Liar, you rawk.

http://addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/mix/grosse005.gif

 

[twelveoone]

Re: Re: What do you do when there's nothing there?

Lately, I can't write.
I can't even write
complete & utter crap

(and that's by my own

loooow

standards!)

I don't know
if
it's insanity induced gridlock
screwing up the traffic
in my brain

or what

but I just
stare        at        the        page

...

and there's
n  o  t  h  i  n  g
there.




Hey look, a poem.

Damn, that's good, that's one of the few "whinning about the muse", I like

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: Re: What do you do when there's nothing there?

Damn, that's good, that's one of the few "whinning about the muse", I like

Damn. I finally write a poem, and a good one at that, and it's Liar that wrote it. Sounds about right.

 

[twelveoone]

Re: Re: Re: What do you do when there's nothing there?

It's not that I have nothing to say. (Well, actually, I never have anything to say ) Writing is cathartic for me and that is the only reason I do it. I only rarely post anything I write. I haven't been in the best of moods and there's plenty of crap that I need to get out of my damned brain, it just doesn't happen. That's what's driving me mad.

I need no excuse to offer hackneyed advice on the boards. I do that regardless.

What you are doing is judging yourself by what you think are the standards of others. Just get the crap out quickly, now look at the page, something of interest, written crappily, but now you have something to work with, now you can start beating it into something of interest, that is written well. The first good line, phrase will trigger other good ones. You can't edit a blank page.
I once wrote something, that someone remarked " that has to be one of the best lines I've ever seen" It started out as ten lines of crap.
The other thing to do is get in a real traffic jam, good source material, when you are not in the best of moods.

 

[Liar]

Re: Re: Re: Re: What do you do when there's nothing there?

Damn. I finally write a poem, and a good one at that, and it's Liar that wrote it. Sounds about right.

You poor thing.

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What do you do when there's nothing there?

You poor thing.

Do I detect a note of sarcasm?

 

[The_Fool]

I'm sure that Liar would never stoop to sarcasm. I on the other hand, drink it all the time....I'm so cheap.....

 

[Liar]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What do you do when there's nothing there?

Do I detect a note of sarcasm?

How the hell would I know?

I did however transmit tons of it. What you detect or not is up to you.
Go write a poem, girl.

 

[minsue]

 

[echoes_s]

wait, watch, listen, feel, pay attention to anything and mentally look at it, inside and out, wait ... still cant write? Keep repeating this over and over, dont forget to add laugh, sing, buy a single flower and inhale it, take many warm and singeing baths, make the water bubble, it will come back, once i couldnt write for two years. i painted instead while i waited for it to come back to me.
hugs