Writers block...what do you do?

[Chantilyvamp]

Ok I can't seem to get back to writing. Writers block has hit and hit hard. (I have a wallop of a bruise to show it!)

What do you do to get past writers block???

Any and all suggestions are welcome no matter how quirky or scary

 

[MagicaPractica]

I simply start telling somebody about what I am working on or want to write, it makes the ideas start flowing for me. Even works by PM.

 

[floweringquince]

"Writing is easy - you just stare at a blank piece of paper until your forehead bleeds."
- Robert Benchley


What I do is just write.

Anything.

Anything at all, just to get words on paper (or on screen). Whatever my thoughts are at the moment, or all about how I'm not having any thoughts.

If I were trying to break a block right now, I might write:

"Raining. I can tell by the sound of the passing cars. The cat is snoring like a little pig again. It's cute, but I wonder if he has adenoids or something. Can cats get adenoids? What are adenoids, anyway?...."

(With luck, that might inspire me to make notes for a really bad story about a cat who wanted to become a pig. Then I might decide it would be more interesting to have a pig who wanted to become a housecat...)

The idea is just to get the words flowing, to get the 'writing' part of your brain warmed up and going. Then later on you can start sneaking in whatever it is you *wanted* to write about


If even randomly jotting down your thoughts seems impossible, you might try completing one (or more) of the following sentences:

I hate my ex because....

I hate (that politician I hate so much) because...

I like sex because...

I like chocolate because....


If you can get one word down, you can do two. If you get two words down, you can do two more, and be well on your way to a sentence. And if you can write two sentences...
..well then, heck, maybe you're not blocked any more


Hope this helps,

- Quince

 

[gauchecritic]

Dr Cowandchicken on the DS

 

[Liar]

What do you do to get past writers block???

I don't. I wait for weeks until it's run it's course, then I write.

Not a very useful answer, but I'm not a very useful kinda guy.

 

[Chantilyvamp]

All are good suggestion or answers. Did manage to squeeze out one poem but not anything for my essays for my course work. Loads of notes I wrote down but getting them in formation is impossible atm.

*sighs* I think it might be the subject matter stumping me.

 

[floweringquince]

When it's something I really don't want to have to write ("Please write 3000 words on 'The Economic Impact of Hogbacked Curvilineaforms in Quantum Statistics.' "), I find my "just write anything' approach even more helpful:

"I hate Hogbacked Curvilineaforms! And I hate Quantum Statistics! Why did I ever sign up for this stupid class?

The worst thing about Hogbacked Curvileaforms is their stupid economic impacts! Why, they call destabilize a Rancinean Monetary Policy faster than you can spit! And what's even worse..."

Of course, this sort of thing needs to be heavily edited, and greatly expanded, prior to the final draft

(And if there are any such things as "Hogbacked Curvilineaforms", "Quantum Statistics," or "Rancinean Monetary Policy," it's news to me


When I can't get grip on a non-fiction topic, I often find it useful to (gasp!) Make An Outline. Not (necessarily) all neatly numbered and indented and sub-numbered and sub-indented like I had to turn in in Junior High (blech!), but just scribbled on scrap paper:

"H-back c-forms: $ impacts
- rapid rate of change on both sides of peak
-> exchange systems cannot adjust in time, gap in statistics:reality ratio
--> R-cine $ policy heavily stat-based, so reality discrepancy leads to inapproriate exchange factors..."


You might also find something I posted on another thread (https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?p=21536328#post21536328) helpful. There I was talking about developing a story idea, but the Five W's were originally intended for non-fiction reportage.


And if all else fails, especically if I'm on deadline, I tell myself that if I'm not going to sit down and write this stuff, I have to do some household chore you *hate.*

Then I either get the writing done; or I wind up with a sparking clean toilet, pristine oven, and nicely defrosted fridge


- Quince


PS. Now I think that there is such a thing as "Quantum Statistics" after all, but it has very little to do with most things that have any sort of direct economic impact

 

[Grushenka]

I think only two people in the universe know this. Ok, spill it, Gru.

The few times (in decades) I've had a hard case of WB I made myself copy my favorite writers. Used to do it longhand, then on a typewriter, then laptop. It's weird, but it calms me and I feel something very different than when I only read their work. I actually have dozens of fave authors, but given my background I usually go with the Russians on this. I get an amazing mental pleasure sometimes as I begin to type what I know is going to be a beautifully crafted sentence or paragraph. If the copying is an exceptional experience, I repeat it.

After a few days I feel like writing/typing something original.