Writer's Block

Xathan · December 22, 2011, 12:26:40 PM

Obviously, I've not been very active here the past few days, and a big part of that is owing to a serious case of writer's blockage. I'm going to try and sit down and write today, force something out, but I'm sure it's going to be like a particularly dense bowl movement: uncomfortable, forced, and not something you want to show others. :P

My typical response to this kind of thing in the past has been to vanish for a few months to eventually return, lurking offline in the meantime, but that's old Xathan - instead, new Xathan is asking everyone of the CBG:

What do you do to kick-start the creative process when stuck with writer's block?

LD · December 22, 2011, 01:00:50 PM

Writing more is the best cure for writer's block. Next best is reading widely- if you only read SF/Fantasy, read Non-Fiction instead. e.g. a science magazine or a good biography. Third- get out and live and do fun things that you could then write about. Fourth- talk to interesting people. Fifth- observe people (if you're too shy to talk).

Magnus Pym · December 22, 2011, 01:01:34 PM

I think forcing creativity will, in general, give poor results.

When I get a writer's block, as you call it, I do not press myself to produce something. I wait, even for months if need be. Though this might be where me and you differ; the CBG is a great think-tank for all sorts of things, from politics to what you eat on sunday nights, from fiction to reality. So I usually hang around, check out the posts that may have useful information and inspirations for the subject I am writing about.

That being said, the CBG is, but -ONE- community. You can check alot of other sources to feed your creative process. Reading and watching stuff like discovery channel is beast to spark up creativity.

Xathan · December 22, 2011, 01:44:16 PM

Heh, I think I'm going to combine LD's and Pym's suggestions - not force anything out for my own stuff, but use the opportunities provided by this board to write about other people's stuff, getting kind of the best of both worlds. :)

Weave · December 22, 2011, 01:58:18 PM

I'm going to offer one of my personal favorite things to do: look at fantasy art. I have books and books on fantasy artwork (Spectrum books, art by Tom Kidd, John Howe, even "How to Paint Dragons" is awesome), and when I sometimes need something to kickstart my creative process, those usually do the trick, even when I feel like there's nothing in them for me at the time.

Also, if you have some artistic skill, I find that expressing myself via a different medium often works wonders. There's often times where I can't muster up the expressive talent to bring something alive through writing, but if I approach it from a different perspective (with a pen or brush, say) it can jump off the page for me and even fuel me to further write about it.

Hibou · December 22, 2011, 02:43:52 PM

Along with what Weave said (fantasy art almost always gets me going), I'm going to suggest something that might not work, and might feel like you're spreading yourself thin, but when I get stuck on what to write next I try watching a few new and/or favorite movies or playing some video games, looking for aspects of them I hadn't noticed before. I find this often leads me to start writing a new setting or at least a new part of a setting I've been working on. This kind of behavior is a bit of a 'refresh' button for me and I find I can write easily again.

Steerpike · December 22, 2011, 04:56:14 PM

You might try:

1) Writing some micro-fiction in one of your settings. This can force you to brain-storm new ideas.

2) Brainstorming possible plots for games, or adapting plots from video games/movies.

3) Switching projects briefly in an attempt to revitalize your creative juices. You've got a Bioshocky sunken-city thing going right? Or maybe write something for the Mons project?

4) Pick some aspect of an existing setting that just *needs* to be fleshed out more fully and run with it. Like, for example, in Terra Macabre, London must be a pretty interesting place. What do all the different districts look like? How's crime? The theatre? Bear pits with tentacled star-spawn instead of bears? Where's the GOO hold court? What's trade like? Are guilds prominent? Check out some maps and images of 18th century London. Or something like that.

CoyoteCamouflage · December 22, 2011, 05:47:27 PM

To go along with what's been said, here's a few other bits that have proven useful for me in the past. Each writer has their own temperament and personality, so who knows what will work for whom.

1. Consider forming a small writing workshop with other writers you know. Sometimes working on a small project together or having a small contest can be good motivation to break through the block.

2. Write anyway. Force it out. I find that, when I do this, it is usually pretty terrible, however, my innate pride as a writer refuses to let something that bad remain-- before long, I'm re-writing it and editing it into something much better, cleaner, and potentially fit for public responses.

3. Try out new genres or styles. I've been told I have a flair for the dramatic. Literally. A fair number of the people who I allow to read my material claim that I am much better with dramas than regular literature. I find it a pain in the arse to write, so I tend to avoid it, but sometimes I find it easy to work on when I don't feel like normal writing, which occasionally helps me get through any droughts I'm facing otherwise.

4. The easiest way to identify this one is: Fanfiction. Try out writing stories from other settings you know. Video Games, TV Shows/Movies, Gaming Adventures, CBGers... I find such little works delightfully fun at times, even if most of them are stupid. Silly, fluffy drivel is just that, yet it can turn out to be fun to write all the same.

5. Check your baggage at the door. Personal matters can and will interfere with the creative process. Sometimes, it's impossible and unrealistic to expect to just sort them all out, so you need lock them in the closet for awhile; get them quiet long enough to sit down and get back to doing something you love doing. You'll thank yourself for it after.

Mason · December 22, 2011, 07:24:32 PM

When I get stuck on something I've been writing for a while I set it aside. Take a long walk or throw some energy into another hobby (painting,drawing and writing music are always my go-to's) Also editing/rewriting old stuff seems to kickstart the idea machine for some reason.

If none of that works just start writing. Don't worry about punctuation or grammar or any of the rules-just write continuously for about 15 minutes-whatever comes to mind it doesn't even need to be the same subject. You'd be surprised at what kinds of things your mind just picks up and goes on. The next day I can usually go back to whatever it was I was writing.

Personally I find writers block to be simply the lack of enthusiasm for something I'm writing (why am I writing this..this is stupid...blah blah blah) Set a simple goal like 500 words a day for a week (on whatever subject) then bump it up to 1000 the next week (or don't it doesn't really matter) but setting a writing goal is a good thing.

Also http://www.legendfire.com/ is a great creative writing community.

Lmns Crn · December 22, 2011, 10:23:49 PM

What would you folks say to a "daily writing exercise" kind of community project?

We could start a thread where each day, someone posts a one-sentence prompt and all participants aim for 500 words (or whatever) in a response.

Steerpike · December 22, 2011, 10:36:40 PM

I'd be into it. I wonder how long it would last, but who knows? I had something kinda like this a long while back called Thousand Isles that seemed to work well, if intermittently.

I think it'd be worth a shot though!

Mason · December 22, 2011, 11:03:10 PM

Quote from: Steerpike
I had something kinda like this a long while back called Thousand Isles that seemed to work well, if intermittently.

I remember that. That was cool-wasn't there a sci-fi thousand worlds thread as well?

Either way I would participate.

LD · December 22, 2011, 11:27:45 PM

There was also the Lexicon project.

Nomadic · December 23, 2011, 05:32:33 AM

I've been considering seeing if people would be interested in a setting story swap. Basically everyone interested enters the contest with a setting. Then we roll the dice of fate and randomly pair each person up with a setting and then you have to write a short story set in that world. Would get people more familiar with each others settings and give setting creators an idea of how others might use their setting foundation to craft stories. Plus it's great writing motivation. Alternatively we could pick a setting for everyone to write stories in once every so often then next time we pick another setting and so on.

Mason · December 23, 2011, 07:08:57 AM

Quote from: Nomadic
I've been considering seeing if people would be interested in a setting story swap. Basically everyone interested enters the contest with a setting. Then we roll the dice of fate and randomly pair each person up with a setting and then you have to write a short story set in that world. Would get people more familiar with each others settings and give setting creators an idea of how others might use their setting foundation to craft stories. Plus it's great writing motivation. Alternatively we could pick a setting for everyone to write stories in once every so often then next time we pick another setting and so on.

That sounds really cool.

The Campaign Builder's Guild

News:

Writer's Block

Xathan

LD

Magnus Pym

Xathan

Weave

Hibou

Steerpike

CoyoteCamouflage

Mason

Lmns Crn

Steerpike

Mason

LD

Nomadic

Mason