How do you get over writers block?

[Nyanko]

As someone currently suffering from this debilitating disease, it made me procrastinate enough to start a thread, looking at your strategies to getting over writers block.

Me? Definitely not procrastinating in the forums, I am someone thrives in chaos, so I generally change my environment. But alas, a thunderstorm is preventing me from doing so today. So how about you?

 

[lnv]

As someone currently suffering from this debilitating disease, it made me procrastinate enough to start a thread, looking at your strategies to getting over writers block.

Me? Definitely not procrastinating in the forums, I am someone thrives in chaos, so I generally change my environment. But alas, a thunderstorm is preventing me from doing so today. So how about you?

Generally, since I know my story overall, I just write blah blah blah and continue writing on. Or do some intermission or side story. The hardest thing is once you stop writing to get back into it, so it is important to continue writing no matter what.

 

[Nyanko]

Generally, since I know my story overall, I just write blah blah blah and continue writing on. Or do some intermission or side story. The hardest thing is once you stop writing to get back into it, so it is important to continue writing no matter what.

My problem is I know what will happen from chapters 5-infinity, its just connecting chapters 2 to 5 that's hard. rawr. Hard.
I should just kill off the Male Lead... that'd make life easy

 

[lnv]

My problem is I know what will happen from chapters 5-infinity, its just connecting chapters 2 to 5 that's hard. rawr. Hard.
I should just kill off the Male Lead... that'd make life easy

That's my point, if you can't write 2-5, skip 3 and 4 and start writing 5. Sure you might need to change some stuff or rewrite things. But that is perfectly fine.

PS You can kill of the male lead, who needs them?

 

[Nyanko]

That's my point, if you can't write 2-5, skip 3 and 4 and start writing 5. Sure you might need to change some stuff or rewrite things. But that is perfectly fine.

PS You can kill of the male lead, who needs them?

Then the Male Lead Shall Die!
Wait that's a great chapter name...

 

[GDLiZy]

Basically, go out and do stuff. Getting inspiration and twisting it in your unique ways from the mundane things you experience, whether it is your fear of height or your fascination in the blood calculatory system. Or read, short stories or one-shot, get the general idea of the story and emotions the author tried to convey, then distorted them to fit your theme and integrate them in your story as the side-plot.

 

[Nyanko]

Basically, go out and do stuff. Getting inspiration and twisting it in your unique ways from the mundane things you experience, whether it is your fear of height or your fascination in the blood calculatory system. Or read, short stories or one-shot, get the general idea of the story and emotions the author tried to convey, then distorted them to fit your theme and integrate them in your story as the side-plot.

Most of my stories are actually thought out on the long bus-ride home from work. So that's a really good suggestion *looks at storm* won't help me meet todays deadline though

 

[D.Dimitrov]

I am collecting my ideas in a file, little by little, so I can start writing any kind of novel. Well at the end, I just had a sudden impulse and saw how should my first 15 chaps of a novel go like. Then I need only to fill them up. Well sorry, that will be my first novel and I still won't publish it. It will be a great eyesore for the readers. So let's get to the point. I am writing the first 15 chapters, but at the same time, I am writing other ideas in my notes, fur future references. I hope at the end I can come up with a full story. The end of the story? I don't know it. Just going with the flow.

Edit: Let's see if I keep the tempo up or not, The problem will come after the 15th chapter.

 

[Alverost]

My problem is I know what will happen from chapters 5-infinity, its just connecting chapters 2 to 5 that's hard. rawr. Hard.
I should just kill off the Male Lead... that'd make life easy

If you have a hard time connecting chapter 2 to 5, you could just develope chapter 2 first and give yourself more room to connect to the later chapters.

Another thing is you might want to consider revising previous chapters when you encounter a point where you can't continue writing.

 

[HappyVainGlory]

These days, whenever I'm stuck in writing I usually reread the last chapter and make a chain of events that could branch off from where it ended. This is usually short and simplistic so I can sketch out ideas and have a starting point in writing the chapter itself. It's important to note that I take an iterative approach to writing though and usually make multiple passes on a chapter to flesh it out.

I think the approach to solving writer's block tends to depend on how you write though.

If you write straight through on the seat of your pants, it might help to make a promise with yourself to allow crappy writing that you can go back to later and edit, or to put something on the delete/backspace key to remind yourself not to edit too harshly.

If you're an outliner, as in have the whole story plotline, characters, and world built up beforehand, like what Inv said, skipping around might help you pick up the momentum again. You don't have to worry about the story logic or plot too much than since you've already got a concrete plan to work and can just focus on writing.

If you're an edit as you go person, the approach I take might help?

 

[Ophious]

I was always told to change perspective if I can't think, walk a different path if the one in front is block. I'm pretty sure the guy that told me this meant something like if you're stuck at a fight scene then stop and go write a comedy or romance scene, if you can't think of a romance scene go for a tragedy or action scene, if one scene doesn't work then stop and go do other scenes first you'll eventually regain that spark. I on the other hand took the advice literally and just wrote another POV chapter, worked for me since I got to imagine how the villain felt while battling my MC.

 

[Ai-chan]

As someone currently suffering from this debilitating disease, it made me procrastinate enough to start a thread, looking at your strategies to getting over writers block.

Me? Definitely not procrastinating in the forums, I am someone thrives in chaos, so I generally change my environment. But alas, a thunderstorm is preventing me from doing so today. So how about you?

It's Nyan-chan! Wait! Nyan-chan has more posts than Ai-chan!

For writer's block, Ai-chan deals with it by working on something else instead. But when Ai-chan is 'in the zone', writer's block is not a problem anymore.

Others have told Ai-chan to stop work and go for a change of scenery. But that doesn't work for Ai-chan as Ai-chan gets my ideas from dreams. So the only 'change of scenery' that helps for Ai-chan is to go to sleep.

 

[Ddraig]

Use brain bleach, super effective at clearing any kinds of blocks in drainage

 

[FemmeFatale]

The best way to end writers block is to just start writing. Don't make excuses, just do it. I learned this not as a dedicated writer, but just as part of working it the real world where you don't get the luxuries of having writers block cause your boss takes a dim view of that.

Sure, you may write crap but that is nothing that a bit of editing later won't cure. As a writer, you have to train your writers muscle (brain) to do what you want, not the other way around. Mind over matter.

Take control! Make your muse get outta bed and do her job

Or have a cuppa coffee first but train that muscle to get back in there and do it's job.

 

[Nyanko]

It's Nyan-chan! Wait! Nyan-chan has more posts than Ai-chan!

Usually I go quality over quantity, but I must hit that 50 posts so i will not be a new member!

The best way to end writers block is to just start writing. Don't make excuses, just do it. I learned this not as a dedicated writer, but just as part of working it the real world where you don't get the luxuries of having writers block cause your boss takes a dim view of that.

Sure, you may write crap but that is nothing that a bit of editing later won't cure. As a writer, you have to train your writers muscle (brain) to do what you want, not the other way around. Mind over matter.

Take control! Make your muse get outta bed and do her job

Or have a cuppa coffee first but train that muscle to get back in there and do it's job.

Thats what I ended up doing at the end. Though I wasnt satisfied with what I wrote, it got me past my bottleneck

 

[Nahrenne]

As someone currently suffering from this debilitating disease, it made me procrastinate enough to start a thread, looking at your strategies to getting over writers block.

Me? Definitely not procrastinating in the forums, I am someone thrives in chaos, so I generally change my environment. But alas, a thunderstorm is preventing me from doing so today. So how about you?

I search for pictures, to do with the genre of my story, to help inspire me.
X

 

[Raneday]

hmm whenever I experienced that I usually took some time off to relax and eat some of my comfort food. And when I start writing again

 

[Shizun]

People usually suggest to keep writing or take a break and go outside, have a bit fun and so on.... or for a chance to read some novels to get inspiration or motivation....? I always switch from writing to drawing and the opposite as well. Just do stuff that are related to what ur writing...?

 

[Bluebery]

I'm currently suffering from my first writers block.
Which is terrible.
All the motivation i felt for my novel is gone.
I guess that because i have been writing nonstop recently and damaged some brain cells.

How will i get through it?
I don't know...
But i'm trying meditation and exercises, which helped a little bit.

 

[Shizun]

I'm currently suffering from my first writers block.
Which is terrible.
All the motivation i felt for my novel is gone.
I guess that because i have been writing nonstop recently and damaged some brain cells.

How will i get through it?
I don't know...
But i'm trying meditation and exercises, which helped a little bit.

hm.... Try to do something fun ? Or think up of a new story? Daydreaming? Read and watch sth new? Although most in the long run writers advise to force writing hm....