Need some Writing help...

[Ryuu814]

Hey guys, I'm not 100% sure I'm in the right forum but I need some help and stuff....

Mostly the problem is that I keep getting writers block -_-'
for those who do not know, writers block is simply being unable to write anything.

This is more or less asking fellow writers just some ideas or tips in order to overcome this annoying plague that bugs the hell out of me anything is appreciated ^_^

 

[RatRace123]

Immediate music and Two Steps from Hell.
Go on to Youtube and listen to anything from either one, always works for me.

 

[Astoria]

Gee I hate writers block -_- happens all the time. Usually I need to find some new inspiration to get me going again. If it's a story or something that you're writing read or watch one similar to get ideas and see if that leads to anything.

 

[ZombieGenesis]

Reading tends to cure writers block pretty well. Was having a serious drought myself, picked up a book and got a whole new story rolling from the ideas that sprung. If you're having trouble starting, pick out a vague sentence from another book, and tell yourself to 're-write' it into your own style and context. Then go on from there.

 

[Psytrese]

I come up with my best ideas walking home from work. There's a sense that my mind has been working overdrive all day and now I'm alone with my thoughts and I really start to shine.

I also have a "goto friend"; someone who will happily tell me when my ideas are borderline retarded. With him I can throw out random crazy ideas and see which one sticks. Having someone to bounce ideas off of is something I recommend entirely, and preferably someone who also is a good writer themselves.

You can also try writing another part of the story. When I'm writing I aim to have a beginning and and end and leave the middle until I get there. When you know where you're going, getting there just seems more natural. I say the ending is more important than the beginning in this respect.

Write down some crazy ideas! Perhaps it's the monotony that's causing your rut? Once you get that intense heart pounding feeling where you want to keep writing, then the words just seem to hit the page better. I heard George Lucas was having trouble writing Empire Strikes back until he thought of Vader being Luke's father and the story wrote itself after that.

Good luck.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

The best thing I've found to get past that is to go for a walk or a jog with no ipod. It kind of bores and relaxes you while keeping you stimulated enough to stay focused.

 

[fletch_talon]

Join the club.

I actually just found out about a program called write or die that gives you "incentive" to write.
Problem is its not freeware (as I was expecting for some reason) so I'm not 100% sure I'm gonna get it now.

If anyone has tried it, let me know if its any good. I don't so much have writer's block as much as writer's "tripped at the starting line and can't get up to start the race".

Otherwise I'll keep reading the other ideas in this thread.

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

I get it too often. One method I find effective is Lucid Dreaming for both opening your mind and creating new ideas. Warning: Pink Elephants may vary.

 

[Dimensional Vortex]

one word "INSPIRATION" no matter how large your writers block you can always beet it with inspiration, how to get inspiration? just find something you're really passionate about and use maybe similar themes, characters, topics and plot.

 

[MassiveGeek]

I'm not a writer, I'm an artist but...

When I get art-block, I usually wait it out. Maybe it's just how I work but suddenly I can get creative spurts and be able to draw constantly for a week or two before it wears off.

But if you're dead set on trying to break out of it immediatly; read, play games or do something that requires you to get into a story, because it just might break that block with a healthy dose of inspiration.

Also, when you're bored, try to write something. You don't have to plan ahead, but if you find yourself bored with nothing to do, write a little. Maybe you'll break out of the block and get going again.

 

[LightningBanks]

I always end up having inspiration, then not writing it down, then forgetting it when I come round to writing it. My advice is to carry a A5 notebook around, jot down notes, then look back later on when it comes to writing time

 

[bluepilot]

Maybe I will sound a little bit old fashioned but I have always found that the best thing for writing is to read. I think that you need to fill up your head with good ideas so that your own interpretations and ideas will come out.

May I be bold as to recommend 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame', it is one of my favorites and NOT at all like the Disney version.

I hope you keep writing and do not judge my advice on my own poor writing skills

 

[Ryuu814]

thanks for the awesome advice and tips from everyone ^_^
the only thing I'm afraid of is being a direct rip-off from anything I get inspiration if you know what I mean.

thanks for the advice though! Especially RatRace123 and ZombieGenesis! they really did help out ^_^

 

[Nickolai77]

I'd suggest taking a long walk and listen to some music, your mind wanderers and you feel inspired to write again.

 

[Best of the 3]

I had it a while ago while writing a story for my psychology class. The best thing that I found that helped was to walk around different places and look for stuff which you can use in your story. Places, people, just stuff doing stuff. Once I got started again it was hard to stop.

It depends on what you are writting I guess but that may help you out.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Music.

If you play an instrument I'd recommend that, also, watching movies has always worked wonders for me (try and watch a movie as far removed from the genre you are writing as possible).

I've always wavered on whether reading helps, because sometimes it provides the insight you need to keep going, other times it makes you sick to the back teeth of seeing more bloody words, but it's worth trying it all else fails.

I also personally advocate the playing of videogames, though not videogames which can get you caught up for three hour play sessions. More like playing one level of Halo, or a round of Left 4 Dead. Something that won't take more than an hour and will just let you get away from writing.

Also, don't think about writing and try to ignore your story. Unless you are on a tight schedule it won't help at all to overfocus on your writing.

My final question is, how long have you been writer's blocked? If it's only a few hours, maybe just something like a quick game of solitaire or Chess Titans would take your mind off it, if it's looking more like days/weeks/months, try writing something that isn't your main project (write a poem, compose a dirty limerick, try a short story focusing on characterisation or something)

 

[soren7550]

When I get writers block (which as of late is all the time) I try to indulge myself with whatever inspired the story in the first place. That usually does it but sometimes the story I'm trying to un-writer's block was inspired by something I either don't have or is not really intractable.

 

[quetzal231]

I would say inspiration but its hard to come by sometimes, my tip Loads of caffine, Go for a walk or listen to music or something. Whats important is have lots of energy and a good mood.

 

[Psytrese]

You don't need to rip anything off when you read it to gain inspiration.

There is a book called Legend by David Gemmell (possible spoilers ahead) about a fortress that is being defended against an army of 500k soldiers. As the book progresses, it is said that they have exhausted all possibilities of defending the fortress, and that everyone in there will die, but all they can do is hold them off and hopefully they will damage the enemy enough, and buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive...but by then they will likely all be dead. At the last minute an army of ghosts arrives to save the day, amongst other mystical things, when the book never seems mystical in the slightest. And I always thought it would have been better at the end had everyone died.

I couldn't think of an ending for the book I'm currently writing, but reading that gave me the idea of possibly killing off the main character...and in doing so I came up with numerous ideas for other trailing storylines I could follow as a result of this major plot point.

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

I feel your pain...but it gets easier to motivate yourself when you know you don't have the time to write (oh uni, you can be so demanding). Anyway, my suggestion is to either read something similar to get yourself thinking in the form of storytelling, or listen to music to visualize your story in motion.

Of cause, having no obligation to write can be a problem itself. Now, I've not tried this so I don't know how effective it is, but perhaps you could get some other writers to also do their own work, and have some thresholds or deadlines for you all to meet as a means of motivating yourselves.

Also, the less distractions the better. Try writing at night, even better if during a power-outage so you don't feel tempted to put something on for background noise.