Writer's Block - A Cure

[estragon]

From Ernest Hemingway (A Movable Feast), and I paraphrase: You have always written before. You will write again. Write the truest sentence you know. Then another.
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[JAMESBJOHNSON]

People with writers block have nothing to say! Its that simple. You become infected with writers block when your style of writing is stream of consciousness navel-gazing. Their wares are filled with tangential, loosely associated word salad. This describes most LIT writers.

 

[sweetnpetite]

From Ernest Hemingway (A Movable Feast), and I paraphrase: You have always written before. You will write again. Write the truest sentence you know. Then another.
Fair use exception claimed.

good. thank you.

 

[sweetnpetite]

remind yourself what editing is for... don't be afraid to put the words on the page.

try less... just let it flow. let it be stupid. let it suck. as they say, open a vein and bleed.

 

[oggbashan]

Publicly commit yourself to enter a writing competition, whether it is one of Literotica's themed competitions, a local/national story competition, or NaNoWriMo.

Entering a Themed Literotica Contest

(How To) Complete NaNoWriMo

Og

 

[lovecraft68]

remind yourself what editing is for... don't be afraid to put the words on the page.

try less... just let it flow. let it be stupid. let it suck. as they say, open a vein and bleed.

I agree wholeheartedly keep pushing and you will "catch on" at that point when finished you are now back in the flow and you can go back and change all the "forced shit" that you pushed out.

Another thing that works for me is reading some of my prior stuff. Find the favorite thing that you wrote and reread get back into that mode.

 

[sr71plt]

Rest and diversion. Go do something else. When the muse returns, you won't be able to wait to start pecking at the keys again. If you aren't working on a hard deadline, then so what?

 

[estragon]

People with writers block have nothing to say! Its that simple. You become infected with writers block when your style of writing is stream of consciousness navel-gazing. Their wares are filled with tangential, loosely associated word salad. This describes most LIT writers.

Tangential? I prefer tangenital.

 

[Loring2]

If you don't know the end of your story when you begin to tell (write) it; the chances are good that you won't recognize it (the end) when you see it.

Writer's block happens when you don't know where the end is.

 

[sr71plt]

I do always have an end in mind when I start a story, yes. But quite often I come up with a different--and, I think, better--ending before I get there.

 

[Loring2]

OK Pilot

I do always have an end in mind when I start a story, yes. But quite often I come up with a different--and, I think, better--ending before I get there.

That's how creativity works. I'd be surprised if I ever followed my plans to their originally intended conclusions.

As a matter of fact, if you watch TV reruns at all you might notice that the story conference didn't settle the issue and two story conclusions were taped and run with the second conclusion as the rerun.

Sometimes a strong director puts his own conclusion on the air.

Who cares, everybody got paid.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Tangential? I prefer tangenital.

Are you fussy about the species the genitals are attached to?

 

[LizzyDark]

Reading a lot is always helpful. Or drinking, speaking of Hemmingway.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The magic of writing is confounding; that is, leading the reader along to an end thats the logical conclusion to the facts, then switching to a different end that also matches the facts. Its tough to do without aiming at the target.

 

[Edward Teach]

If you don't know the end of your story when you begin to tell (write) it; the chances are good that you won't recognize it (the end) when you see it.

Writer's block happens when you don't know where the end is.

Very true!

Not having an end in mind leads to indecision which leads to frustration which ultimately makes the creative neurons stop firing.

 

[_Lynn_]

Rest and diversion. Go do something else. When the muse returns, you won't be able to wait to start pecking at the keys again. If you aren't working on a hard deadline, then so what?

I'm with SR here. Paint a room, clean the closet, organize the cupboards, shovel the neighbor's driveway, or bake dinner for someone as a treat. Get away from writing and focus on something else for a while.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm with SR here. Paint a room, clean the closet, organize the cupboards, shovel the neighbor's driveway, or bake dinner for someone as a treat. Get away from writing and focus on something else for a while.

Was actually stuck myself for a few days. This weekend watched all 4 NFL playoff games. Monday night the writing was flowing better than it had in weeks! It does work to step back sometimes.