Writing Question

[scheherazade_79]

What do you do when you're desperate to write, but every idea you come up with seems boring and stale?

I've started at least seven stories this morning, but scrapped them all out of sheer frustration. I'm even looking back at other stories that I loved when I wrote, and thinking, "How dull is this?!"

So what's the cure? Do I need to go out and take a break, or should I persevere harder?

 

[impressive]

Change your setting. Throw your characters into a wild scene -- circus mishap, auto accident, Phelps picket line, hurricane -- and let them develop. You can pack a LOT of information about your characters into a couple paragraphs of turmoil -- because how people react under stress speaks volumes.

Then ... when the chaos dies down ... proceed with the story.

 

[oggbashan]

Search

Take a break from writing and use Lit's search engine to find stories related to specific words.

You may find gold; you may find dross. In either you might find something that sparks an idea.

Og

 

[rgraham666]

Ask yourself the question, "Why do I think this is boring?"

You may find that it isn't boring after all.

One of the advantages of my solitary life is that even the most vanilla sex act is rather exotic and anything but dull. And even the most mundane lives have some wonder for me in them.

 

[English Lady]

Scheh-try writing about something that makes your heart thud harder, your pulse race and your knickers to get damp How about a story about sex in that brand spanking new car of yours? all kinds of angles you could do with that....

 

[carsonshepherd]

I'm having that "URGH! everything I write is crap!" problem myself at the moment. On Chapter 3 of a new novel and dumped the opening 3 pages twice already. Last night, I just kept on until I hit my stride... eventually you'll get there, just get away fromt he keyboard awhile and think about what really turns you on...

 

[scheherazade_79]

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. You all, as always, came up trumps

Imp - what an excellent idea. I've always been too scared just to launch myself into a story without having a vague idea of what it's about, in case I end up meandering. But that kind of opening would definitely keep me on track.

Og - I never considered that one. You're right, Lit possesses an absolute wealth of ideas that I've never really explored.

Rob - I'm going through a phase of finding everything rather boring at the moment. I think it has something to do with going back to work soon, so everything has lost its glow. I don't really know how to overcome that one, so any suggestions would be welcome.

EL - a car story? Hmmmm... Now that's a possibility!The new one's going great. It's a dream! I could definitely get excited over that if there were a sexy policewoman involved

Carson - glad to hear I'm not the only one going through it. Incidentally, I followed your suggestion of taking a break. I gave myself a budget to go out and buy some much needed clothes for work, only to think fuck it as soon as I got to the city centre, and blow the money on some designer play clothes and the first series of The L Word... I can't decide whether I'm proud about that or not, but I'm justifying it to myself by the conviction that The L Word will provide me with inspiration - and I can watch it lounging around in a couple of designer labels I think I might be turning into a bit of a yuppie these days!

I hope everyone else's writing's coming on well

Scheherazade

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

You take a walk and try sorting through your idea before you write it. I have transformed many stories via this process, plus it opens you up for new ideas. Play around, flesh things out while taking a long walk somewhere. Best medicine, guaranteed.



*Warning: Guarantee not guaranteed where guarantee is guaranteed.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Drugs.

They make things new from the inside out.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Drugs.

They make things new from the inside out.

Ah, yes...

And they make the words dance.

I'd be weary of the dancing banana while under the influence however...



Q_C

 

[carsonshepherd]

You take a walk and try sorting through your idea before you write it. I have transformed many stories via this process, plus it opens you up for new ideas. Play around, flesh things out while taking a long walk somewhere. Best medicine, guaranteed.



*Warning: Guarantee not guaranteed where guarantee is guaranteed.

actually that is a great suggestion. showers too.

 

[Celtic Princess]

actually that is a great suggestion. showers too.

I've heard dish washing works for some people too.

 

[CharleyH]

What do you do when you're desperate to write, but every idea you come up with seems boring and stale?

I've started at least seven stories this morning, but scrapped them all out of sheer frustration. I'm even looking back at other stories that I loved when I wrote, and thinking, "How dull is this?!"

So what's the cure? Do I need to go out and take a break, or should I persevere harder?

Save it all. If you have written and got bored (gagging at the word) then it was not the time to write it, but it will be one day.

My remedy is to search memory for that "right" character, snatched from life whether experienced, almost experienced or never experienced. What you could do for the latter, for example, is take someone you may have pined over, and never did anything about ... then fantasise into a story the kind of character who may have been able to get what they wanted out of that other character?



Edit: a kind of dual purpose that keeps you interested because you can still feel and taste the experience, which makes it more exciting. I doubt you can write a good story without having interest in the characters.

 

[nushu2]

I'm probably way off base here but I start to feel the same way when a story doesn't have a focus. Without some kind of a purpose, the story can lose direction and is just a sequence of events. I'm talking more of a theme than a moral. When you know what you want to say, it's just a matter of finding a way to say it.

 

[Liar]

It's been said, but I'll say it again.
Let stuff simmer for a while. Take a break. Eat a . Pet the . You never see your way out of a dead end of creativity right away.

 

[oggbashan]

I have an easy way out.

I go and sit on my balcony, listen to and watch the sea.

On a bright sunny day like today I can watch the people too. The parade includes windsurfers, the dinghy sailors, the inflatable riders, the jet skiers, the paddlers, the swimmers and the idiots who barbecue wearing miniscule shorts and get splashed with hot fat.

Og