Writer's Block has hit me hard

[NewOldGuy77]

Late November, I totally lost my writing mojo. I've tried to write a few times, but I'm not finding my groove at all. Nothing worked. I come up with characters, but not story arcs. It's like they're standing around or having sex, but afterwards have nothing to do. My usual mental places for inspiration are empty. I read my old stories and wonder how in the hell did I ever do that?

Anybody else hit a long dry spell? How did you finally climb out of it?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

They come to all of us, I think. Watching to see if anybody else has a silver bullet.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've gone through long unproductive stretches. I'm not one of those writers who always sticks to a goal of writing a certain number of words every day. My creativity ebbs and flows.

During ebb periods, I try to do a few things:

First, keep coming up with story ideas. I'm good at that.

Second, if I'm stuck on one story, go back to another and do a little work on it. Write whatever is easiest to write.

Third, just force myself. I don't do this that well but sometimes it works. I get up early in the morning since I'm an early riser and I just make myself write something, anything.

 

[yowser]

TP is right, it is a pandemic problem for all writers, in large or small measure, so welcome to the crowd, nothing wrong with you.

Couple ideas that work for me:

Take a stroll, in your neighborhood, wilderness, whatever is available. Daydream while strolling (trying not to trip over curbs or ravines) and let your naturally perverted mind drop to sea level and marinate. Any lust lurking within a neighbor's house? At the university? Behind a potential dogging tree? Write when you get back (or keep a notebook.)

Write something, anything, maybe 180 degrees removed from erotica, pretend you are a professional cellist just doing scales to keep the blood moving. Sometimes in the process good things will happen.

Assign yourself a repulsive task, maybe one you have been avoiding, like, forever. After half an hour of misery, maybe sitting down and doing erotica may seem like a worthy alternative.

Good luck,.

 

[oneagainst]

Maybe try writing in someone else's universe? There are existing guard rails and history to play with, so you can concentrate on your characters without having to also build a world around them. I know some authors are very definite about other people coming into their work, but it can also be a productive springboard if both parties are amenable.

 

[Bareskinny]

I come up with characters, but not story arcs. It's like they're standing around or having sex, but afterwards have nothing to do.

Maybe you just need to write a long story about some people having some pretty funky bang. No plot, just holes being plugged, cavities being filled, juices being slurped, shafts getting polished and cooches getting chaffed. You're here at the right platform for it.

 

[gunhilltrain]

TP is right, it is a pandemic problem for all writers, in large or small measure, so welcome to the crowd, nothing wrong with you.

Couple ideas that work for me:

Take a stroll, in your neighborhood, wilderness, whatever is available. Daydream while strolling (trying not to trip over curbs or ravines) and let your naturally perverted mind drop to sea level and marinate. Any lust lurking within a neighbor's house? At the university? Behind a potential dogging tree? Write when you get back (or keep a notebook.)

Write something, anything, maybe 180 degrees removed from erotica, pretend you are a professional cellist just doing scales to keep the blood moving. Sometimes in the process good things will happen.

Assign yourself a repulsive task, maybe one you have been avoiding, like, forever. After half an hour of misery, maybe sitting down and doing erotica may seem like a worthy alternative.

Good luck,.

Don't obsess with being erotic. Maybe, write an essay, a memoir about something you experienced yourself. It could be about sex but it doesn't have to be. And Lit will publish them in Reviews and Essays. I've done quite a few of those already. You might think you haven't had an interesting life, but I'm sure you will find some things if you think about it.

 

[TadOverdon]

Climbing out? I'll let you know.

 

[Voboy]

Write something short and different.

I was blocked for six months once. Completely. Hazy ideas would come to me, but I rejected them all because I feared I'd start writing and not be able to sustain the effort of bringing to life an idea I didn't fully believe in, thus leaving me even less confident.

So one day, spurred by a Halloween Contest deadline, I took one of those ideas and made myself buckle down and write something. Anything. No bullshit: I promised myself that whatever I came up with, I WOULD submit. From concept, through writing, to "submit" took me about 22 hours in all.

Shook me right out of it. It's not even all that bad a story!

 

[lovecraft68]

Something that has worked for me, after just letting it be for a little bit, is to go back and read through a couple of previous stories, I've found it kind of loosens things up because its your story that you're reading and maybe subconsciously it kicks the muse back into gear. Kind of like, "See what we can do?"

 

[DarkWhispers2U]

Anybody else hit a long dry spell? How did you finally climb out of it?

Honestly, I got feeling super guilty about not writing for so long. So at the start of a long weekend, I stayed up late, got a little tipsy (rarely drink) and started a scene where I unloaded all the feelings I was having about my life through my character's eyes and situation. Really brought back my passion for the project because it made him real to me again. You know, a he's-hurting-like-I'm-hurting thing. Maybe it's time I try something like that again.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Maybe try writing a story based on a classic (Shakespeare or Greek tragedy or fairytale or whatever)? I’ve had spells when I wasn’t inspired by my story ideas, but when I used a classic as a foundation the story flowed.

 

[Djmac1031]

Obviously, you're not alone.

I've popped out 11 stories in my first month here; all short, admittedly, but as a newb I was happy with them.

Kept pumping them out for awhile and suddenly BOOM: The well ran dry.

I walked away for months.

My problems (I still deal with it) stem more from indecisiveness rather than lack of ideas.

Ideas I have aplenty. But how to flesh them out can often elude me.

The only trick is no trick. Just write it.

Even if you think it sucks.

Second; don't over complicate it, or put pressure on yourself to write some long, complex thing.

There is a market here for short, simple stories. Sexy or otherwise.

Third; don't try and reinvent the wheel.

Boy Meets Girl; Girl Meets Boy; Boy Meets Boy; Girl Meets Girl, etc.

ALL timeless classics, for a reason.

A character meets another character, sparks fly, clothes come off.

Absolutely nothing wrong with something that simple.

And maybe as you write it, you'll suddenly find more compelling aspects to the characters, more interesting things for them to do, or some sudden conflict for them to deal with, who knows?


Best of luck; we're all pulling for you.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

I've been struggling with my latest Valentine's Day story. So far, its about 18k words long, and I'm feeling kind of stuck, trying to decide where I want it to go next. Hopefully, I'll finish it on time. If not, I can always put it aside for next year. (I did this with a few other stories; Mating Season and Just Roomies) And taking my time with these two, and only working on them when I felt inspired, seemed to have paid off.
To keep going, I started another story last night, and now I'm bouncing back and forth between the two. I think jumping into something else, at least for me, helps to keep me going forward so I don't give up.

 

[NewOldGuy77]

Maybe you just need to write a long story about some people having some pretty funky bang. No plot, just holes being plugged, cavities being filled, juices being slurped, shafts getting polished and cooches getting chaffed. You're here at the right platform for it.

I’ve ever been too good at that, it doesn’t really seem complete to me.

 

[NewOldGuy77]

I've gone through long unproductive stretches. I'm not one of those writers who always sticks to a goal of writing a certain number of words every day. My creativity ebbs and flows.

During ebb periods, I try to do a few things:

First, keep coming up with story ideas. I'm good at that.

Second, if I'm stuck on one story, go back to another and do a little work on it. Write whatever is easiest to write.

Third, just force myself. I don't do this that well but sometimes it works. I get up early in the morning since I'm an early riser and I just make myself write something, anything.

Morning while waking up has usually been my golden hour, but lately it’s not happening.

 

[NewOldGuy77]

Write something, anything, maybe 180 degrees removed from erotica, pretend you are a professional cellist just doing scales to keep the blood moving. Sometimes in the process good things will happen.

I like this, worth a shot!

 

[NewOldGuy77]

Maybe, write an essay, a memoir about something you experienced yourself. It could be about sex but it doesn't have to be.

I like this idea.

 

[NewOldGuy77]

Obviously, you're not alone.

I've popped out 11 stories in my first month here; all short, admittedly, but as a newb I was happy with them.

Kept pumping them out for awhile and suddenly BOOM: The well ran dry.

I walked away for months.

My problems (I still deal with it) stem more from indecisiveness rather than lack of ideas.

Ideas I have aplenty. But how to flesh them out can often elude me.

The only trick is no trick. Just write it.

Even if you think it sucks.

Second; don't over complicate it, or put pressure on yourself to write some long, complex thing.

There is a market here for short, simple stories. Sexy or otherwise.

Third; don't try and reinvent the wheel.

Boy Meets Girl; Girl Meets Boy; Boy Meets Boy; Girl Meets Girl, etc.

ALL timeless classics, for a reason.

A character meets another character, sparks fly, clothes come off.

Absolutely nothing wrong with something that simple.

And maybe as you write it, you'll suddenly find more compelling aspects to the characters, more interesting things for them to do, or some sudden conflict for them to deal with, who knows?


Best of luck; we're all pulling for you.

Thank you, you’re very kind.

 

[NoJo]

Anybody else hit a long dry spell?

Yes.

How did you finally climb out of it?

I'll let you know.

 

[NewOldGuy77]

Is it only your writing, or are also other things off track in your life? I doubt you could simply 'turn on' your writing when your general mood is at a low.

Are you from the Northern Hemisphere? Winter, coldness, darkness, general gloominess could be your issue. Family issues? Good luck. Retired? Missing a daily routine and day-and-night rhythm offset? Try to get into a new form of routine. Move yourself, get fit, try to enjoy the little things in life.

Don't feel bad about not writing for a month or two, as it's not the end of the world. Find other hobbies, and maybe the writing comes back by itself. Maybe it doesn't, but if you can spend your time in an other enjoyable way, who cares...

Yeah, there are other factors that might be distracting. I’m adopting a dog soon, hoping our walks will revitalize my brain.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

Yeah, there are other factors that might be distracting. I’m adopting a dog soon, hoping our walks will revitalize my brain.

Walks are good, even without a dog. It clears your head, and lets you enjoy what's going on outside. Walking is my favorite way to exercise. I love breathing in the fresh air, even in the winter.

Hope you get mojo back. Or even just enjoy a nice break, till you get inspired again.

 

[other2other1]

I get you @NewOldGuy77. I had a similar thing happen late last year. I was planning on getting some serious writing time in over the Christmas break. However, stress and real life got in the way of my creative juices. I had three stories planned for release by the end of 2022, and all three are only now coming near completion, which is frustrating.

Like a few of the others here have suggested, taking a break can help. You have written some great stories, and you should be proud.

In getting my own mojo back, I spent a little time off with my family, enjoyed reading a whole lot of the new (and old stories) here, and spent a lot of time jotting story concepts down without trying to write anything serious. Everyone will have their own ways of doing things. But now my stress levels have gone down. I am finding that words are again coming to mind, and I'm ready to write again.

I hope that you find what works for you and that we get to enjoy some new stories from you in the near future

 

[Trionyx]

Spend some time on the Story Ideas forum. You might read someone’s idea and click, on goes the lightbulb.

 

[JuanaSalsa]

Why do you write? If you're not feeling the passionate outpouring to write than maybe it's not what you need to be doing right now.

None of us are posting here for money. This is just a hobby, and it's one of many. Let life guide you to which hobbies you should be indulging and don't force them.

I haven't written much in 6 months and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit and stare at my computer forcing passion for a project where there is none. A while ago, I had a good multi year break in writing. I regularly switch between writing different kinds of things. My writing is a reflection of my need and if I'm not compelled to pound keys, then I really don't think I should care.

Why does it bother you? You are more than what you write. You have a whole life outside of this. Perhaps if you don't feel compelled to write it's your mind's way of telling you to focus on other things for a while? Instead of spending your morning at a keyboard, read a book, take a walk, drink coffee and stare at the sky. Your time doesn't have to be productive to be worthwhile. Give yourself space, be kind to yourself, let go of the idea that you need to do anything in particular and listen to what you *want* to do.

IMHO.