Writer's Block is killing me, please help

[Jimmy]

I haven't been able to write in ages. I can't even be bothered to pick up a pen. I'll open an application to write and nothing comes. I'll have good ideas, but I can't get them on paper. I read and read about writing and nothing happens.

I got nothin' and I need advice. Please help.

[Erin]

Awww, i'm sorry to hear about that Jimmy.

Maybe since you like comics so much, you can make sketches or doodles of your ideas? Maybe seeing them come to life on paper will motivate you to write about them?

[Jimmy]

Heh, I can't draw anymore either. I'll sketch something out and get frustrated and stop. Thanks though.

[alinda]

Your words are gone you've lost your way
to pen a poem or a play? A novel or a letter
a clever riddle even better, the need is great
the muse is present your dreams are vivid
under the cresent. Dont fret they'll come
the words you seek, this block will open
within a week. *goodmind* Hows that?

[OchrisO]

I fight with writer's block all the time. Often I am just so busy writing for school and stuff that when I find free time to write, it is the last thing I feel like doing.

I also often suffer from having(what I think are) great ideas in my head, but being unable to get them on paper. I have found that moving to a different style tends to move things a bit, if I am mostly focuses on writing a novel idea out, I will switch up and try to write some poetry. One important thing, and this probably helps me the most, is to write something every day. Go grab a cheap journal type notebook and try to write at least something in it every day, even if it is just spilling out something that is annoying you on paper, or writing about what is going on in the world. The act of writing itself makes writing come easier. I find that if I make sure to write in my writing journal every day, the writing part tends to flow out easier when I sit down to actually write fiction stuff connected to ideas that i have in my head.

Also, I keep a small notebook and pen on me at all times for jotting down ideas, because I found that i would often get a scene or a snatch of dialogue in my head that really inspired me(this most often happened at work when my mind was wandering) and I would think that I could remember it when I got home, but I'd get home and have nothing, or remember the basics of it, but something wouldn't seem right, or as inspiring as it did when I first thought of it. So, now I just take out the notebook and write it all down the moment I have a chance. Writing down notes in the small notebook, or the journal to work from often helps me when I have sat down to try to write. My journal is full of notes on characters for stories or general story ideas.


The biggest thing is to not wait for inspiration. Inspiration is mostly a myth. People rarely just go "Oh! I've got it!" and start writing. I write stuff, bury it in a folder and no one ever sees it again. Write all the time, even if you think you don't have anything to write about. If you don't have an idea to start with, just start writing stream of consciousness about whatever is in your head. Just write. Every day. Some published authors make it seem easy, but they all work at it. Think up writing prompts to write in the journal, just for the act of writing, make a list of them and write on one each day if you don't have a story begging to be told. Things like "Describe your father/mother/grandfather/grandmother's eyes." It may seem silly, but the idea is just to make yourself write and be descriptive. It really does help in the long run.

Oh, copious non-addictive drug use also helps.

[Jimmy]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll be sure to give the journal thing a whirl starting tomorrow. Gonna be hitting the sack soon.

And I don't have a connection here OchrisO. Sucks.

Sucks so bad.

[Jean]

Also, I keep a small notebook and pen on me at all times for jotting down ideas, because I found that i would often get a scene or a snatch of dialogue in my head that really inspired me(this most often happened at work when my mind was wandering) and I would think that I could remember it when I got home, but I'd get home and have nothing, or remember the basics of it, but something wouldn't seem right, or as inspiring as it did when I first thought of it. So, now I just take out the notebook and write it all down the moment I have a chance. Writing down notes in the small notebook, or the journal to work from often helps me when I have sat down to try to write. My journal is full of notes on characters for stories or general story ideas.

same here. I only discovered that method of always having a notebook nandy a few months ago, and I know that a lot had been already lost by then - a lot of stuff I could have found use for if I hadn't waited for "inspiration" (actually, for the bout of laziness to be over) to write it down hoping I wouldn't forget.

[razz]

when i can't write on a subject, i just chill, but try to make connections with everyday life, and the subject.
ex: i can't continue my story. so i walk around (DON'T GO OUT OF YOUR WAY) and think this is related to what's happening to Phil (or Joe or Bob or whatever) and if it doesn't work the first few times, it will work within about a week.

[Mattrick]

I haven't written a word in a good five months. And it's not that I'm freaking out trying to write it, it's been in the back of my min these last few months but at the same time I think about it often.

I think what's really doing it is that I'm disappointed with aspects of my novel thus far and it's interfering with the process of writing the ending. I really want to do the first 70 pages over again, see how much better I can make it. Maybe I just sense that missing cohesion from start to finish and it's making it hard.

As for advice, I can't offer much. Notebooks et all don't do much good for me. Best advice I can give is don't fret about, just wait for inspiration. A watch pot never boils and all that jazz.

[cozener]

The worst thing for me is just getting started, writing that first couple of paragraphs and liking them enough to get the flow going.

[Jimmy]

The worst thing for me is just getting started, writing that first couple of paragraphs and liking them enough to get the flow going.

Exactly. For me it's a matter of working up to that. I'd love to be able to do a few paragraphs. Whether I liked it or not. Just to write again would be great.

[razz]

The worst thing for me is just getting started, writing that first couple of paragraphs and liking them enough to get the flow going.

I HATE that.

[Ves'Ka Gan]

I knew a girl who had a tattoo on her inner forearm of a plume and a scroll of paper, on the scroll of paper it said "just keep writing".

She said whenever she was stuck with writers block, she would say it to herself (much like the fish in Finding Nemo "just keep swimming, swimming, swimming) and eve nif she had NOTHING, she would write the words "jsut keep writing" over and over. Sometimes she would do stream of conciousness or write from prompts in books like "The Writers Book Of Matches", but no matter what, she would just keep writing.

I've gotten serious about my work again and I've found that it helps a lot to write a little every day, even if it is crazy nonsensical stuff. Also, I often write with a "soundtrack" of music that I feel fits the mood of what I am working on. If it gets real tough, I take a break and read.

[Mattrick]

The worst thing for me is just getting started, writing that first couple of paragraphs and liking them enough to get the flow going.

Try writing without caring about if you like the paragraph or not. That is what re-writes are for

[Mattrick]

I knew a girl who had a tattoo on her inner forearm of a plume and a scroll of paper, on the scroll of paper it said "just keep writing".

She said whenever she was stuck with writers block, she would say it to herself (much like the fish in Finding Nemo "just keep swimming, swimming, swimming) and eve nif she had NOTHING, she would write the words "jsut keep writing" over and over. Sometimes she would do stream of conciousness or write from prompts in books like "The Writers Book Of Matches", but no matter what, she would just keep writing.

I've gotten serious about my work again and I've found that it helps a lot to write a little every day, even if it is crazy nonsensical stuff. Also, I often write with a "soundtrack" of music that I feel fits the mood of what I am working on. If it gets real tough, I take a break and read.

Different strokes for different folks. For me, I can't just write nothing about anything...that's what forums are for. I write every day, even if it's only my thoughts and opinions on a forum. If I'm going to write, I'm going to write.

[razz]

there's a problem with me: I think too much.

[LadyHitchhiker]

"All work and no play makes John a dull boy..."

[Jimmy]

I knew a girl who had a tattoo on her inner forearm of a plume and a scroll of paper, on the scroll of paper it said "just keep writing".

She said whenever she was stuck with writers block, she would say it to herself (much like the fish in Finding Nemo "just keep swimming, swimming, swimming) and eve nif she had NOTHING, she would write the words "jsut keep writing" over and over. Sometimes she would do stream of conciousness or write from prompts in books like "The Writers Book Of Matches", but no matter what, she would just keep writing.

I've gotten serious about my work again and I've found that it helps a lot to write a little every day, even if it is crazy nonsensical stuff. Also, I often write with a "soundtrack" of music that I feel fits the mood of what I am working on. If it gets real tough, I take a break and read.

Huh, I'll check out this "Writer's Book of Matches." I've never heard of it. I think if I was prompted with a topic, I could probably write something.

Other than that, just writing anything is difficult for me. I'm even having a hard time posting anymore. Thank you so much for the advice though, you may have just been a huge help to me.

[Brice]

there's a problem with me: I think too much.

No...no you don't.

Spoiler:

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself, dude

[Ves'Ka Gan]

Oh, the Writer's Book Of Matches is great. Some of the prompts are really straight forward and others are little snippets and quotes that canbe sort of challenging. I've gotten some great short stories out of it, and it did help me get back into writing again.

[PedroPáramo]

The Writer's block, for me, lately is something that I don't really care. If I don't know what to write I reopen an old tale to work on it. It's just find something to do. I usually put a lot of music on my tales, so when I don't know how to write I play music and start to sing with all my heart...when I'm alone on home xD.
Just stop think on the writer's block and think more on a story. A good story don't come good from the beginig: the story evolves with time, and gets better. That's our work: get diamonds from shit, not from gold.
Write everyday like if It was the last one.
The point is to convice the reader to not die without read the rest. Don't have mercy with him.
And the best cure of the writer's block: inspiration is only for poets
and their magic:
it isn't for narrative writers.
99% of work, 1% of talent. That's what my narrative teacher says.

[Ves'Ka Gan]

Didn't Stephen King once say something about (complete paraphrasing here) Talented people are everywhere, the difference between the successful writers and non-successful writers is hard work...?

I need to go look that up.

[Ves'Ka Gan]

Here it is:
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”

[PedroPáramo]

Good one Ves'Ka Gan.
Hard work is good for literature.
Hemingway said the same, as far as I can remember.
And Gabriel Garcia Marques said too.

[Ves'Ka Gan]

Hemingway also said "All first drafts are shit." Which upon thinking about it that way, it has freed me to write a little easier...just finish the story and not worry about whether or not it's "good enough"--it isn't, that's why it's the first draft!