Writer's Block?

by **natashasurgirl** Sun Sep 08, 2013 6:24 pm

Writer’s Block?

We’ve all been in that place where we just seem to have lost that spark, that will to write. Every writer goes through it at some point…(unless the muses have blessed them to never run out of that juice you get when you start the novel.) and sometimes we need to get some help digging ourselves out of that hole.

So, how do we do that? How do we spark that inspiration that gets us going again and keeps us from stopping?

Everyone has their own answers, their own solutions, but the truth is they may not work for everyone, and that’s okay. This is why we have created this thread. Everyone can share their ideas of how to get out of writer’s block, and in addition to that, people can ask for help as well.

Steps for Getting out of Writer’s Block:

Take a break. Take some time off to read excerpts from your favorite authors. Watch your favorite tv show, or go see a movie. Sometimes, going and looking at other people’s creative works will inspire us to write as well.
Do a writing exercise. Go outside and sit in your yard, or maybe to go a river or park. Make sure you have a recorder or a notebook and pencil with you. In complete silence close your eyes and listen to the sound of the water, or look at the color of the leaves on the trees. Are there kids playing on a playground? What are they dressed like? How do they act around each other? What are their parents doing? Answer these questions. Write and describe these scenes from either your point of view or maybe from your character’s. Sometimes simply writing something else will jolt an idea or a spark in your brain for your book.
Delve into your own memories and past. Every writer puts a little bit of their soul into their characters. That is how we get a relatable character. Surely, somewhere else, someone else has had a comparable experience. Use a memory or perhaps create a character that reminds you of a friend and add them in. Sometimes you can add in several thousands of words by adding a character in. There is so much to learn and explore when you add in a character or past experience.
Listening to music is a good tip. It goes back to step 1. Listening, watching, or reading another’s author’s work can inspire us to write. However, to enhance this step, I will say that listening to music that fits the mood you are trying to write is a great idea. Need your characters to feel annoyed? Listen to that song that you hate and can’t stand. (say hello to the Barney theme song in my case.) Need your characters to be funny and upbeat? Listen to that song that makes you want to stand up and dance along. Need your characters to be sad? Listen to the song that makes you go into that dark place in your brain that makes you yourself sad. Our writing is influenced by our emotions, and music is a great tool to control those emotions.
Roll the dice! What do I mean? Well, you can always take a listen of 100 words or prompts from some drabble site or whatever. Instead of using it for drabbles, use it for your book. Roll the dice and whatever number you get is what you use as a prompt to write about for your characters. It’s another way to spark creativity. We all know those random thoughts or flashback scenes! Well take advantage of it with this system. Whatever word or prompt you use, cross off. The next word on the list becomes a part of the 1-6 bracket. Rinse and repeat when you get writer’s block!
Sometimes you just have to power through. In other words, get over it and just write with a timer. I have used this step many times. I use a 15 minute timer where I can do nothing but write SOMETHING for that 15 minutes on my story. It doesn’t matter what I write, so long as something is on that piece of paper, and somehow it relates to moving the story forward in someway. Sometimes you have to force yourself to write until you aren’t forcing yourself anymore.
A writing partner is a great person to have in times like this. You have that person who you talk to about what’s going on in your story. You can talk about the plot, the characters, what you imagine will happen to them. For me, this person is my husband. Even though he may not be a writer himself, he likes to listen to me talk, and he asks me questions about my characters or my story, and gives me ideas of what he thinks would be cool. What does that do? It forces me to answer those questions. This always sparks new ideas!
An accountability partner or group. When step number 7 doesn’t always apply to you, that’s what online groups are for. Sometimes you need to talk with the people working on the same project as you so you know you’re not alone in this. Someone else is struggling too. These kinds of groups or partners can do the 15 minute writing goal with you.

Please list other suggestions below!

And if you need help with writer’s block feel free to post below as well!

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31