Overpowering Writer's Block

[MistyLover]

As we all know, every writer in the world has a writer block. So, I am gonna post some advice a friend told me. I hope they help for some.

1.) Listen to inspirational music. (That will motivate you greatly)
2.) Take a walk somewhere with your iPod.
3.) Brainstorm your ideas, so it won't be as hard to write the next chapter. (I know sometimes you won't feel like it, but seriously, just take out a piece of paper and grab a pen. The moment the pen touches the paper, you won't stop writing.
4.) Eat well! Always have a good meal so your mind can be fresh.
5.) Drink something you like. (Soda for me)
6.) Relaxed. You have to be relaxed in order for you to start writing.
7.) Think about your work getting published and seeing your crush's face glowing...hehe.

Any more suggestions? Opinions are welcomed.

[Orenji-chan]

I am currently having writer's block and I'll post some of my ideas!

1. Take a vacation somewhere, maybe the place you visit will help you create some new ideas.

2. Talk to one of you friends (who's not part of serebiiforums) and see if they have any ideas.

3. Just plain brainstorm.

4. Get enough sleep so your brain can function enough to write the chapter.

5. You could ask one of the fellow authors for an idea. (Well of course, they might just want to keep their ideas all to themselves.)

That's all I have for now, see you all later!

~Orenji-chan

[flygonrulz]

I doubt this should be her but, meh.

1) Don't get it.

XD, only kidding!

1) Believe in yourself and your writing and you'll be fine; don't think "This is stupid!" ! If you THINK it's stupid, it'll affect your writing.

2) Get comitted, think about your story and things will just pop up! Trust me, it happens to me a LOT. This works for RPGs as well!

3) Put your friends in your storys. I haven't done this but I will probably be doing it soon, I've seen works with other members of the forums in it and they are laugh-out-loud worthy.

[penngrade6]

I think you should have wrote this in advice for aspiring writers, but anyway the advice was good. Sometimes when I get writers block, I write a different story and pretty soon, ideas come to my head.

[Aquaflowr]

Sometimes you just need to take a couple of days off. Ignore your story and just do whatever. Pretty soon your muses should come back. Or at least mine usually do...
~Aquaflowr

[Encyclopika]

Guys, this doesn't belong here. =\ *moves*

[Sammi]

Hrm, I find that I overcome writer's block from dreaming. O.o;; I first dreamt of my fiction, Chase That ~... Then I wrote... And wrote...

Ooooh. I wrote. D:

[Psychic]

Write. My best advice is to just write. Granted I never take my own advice and I ALWAYS get stuck with Writer's Block, but I think that if I actually did what I'm preaching for you to do, it would go away much faster. But I am confident that the rest of the advice here will be of some help to me.

Here are some ideas for you to write:
-Whatever comes to mind. Put an egg timer on your table and set it to five minutes. During that time, writer WHATEVER comes to mind. Even if it's something weird and random and makes no sense, just write it down, no matter how ridiculous. Even if it's "I like pengiuns couches are sexy TOENAILS" and if you get stuck or something, just keep writing your last word out, like "Onix are big and tall tall tall tall" until you think of something else.

-Write random scenes that have nothing to do with your story. It could be a battle between two wild Pokémon over a scrap of meat, or a kid being accused of stealing at a candy story. Just write it.
-Describe a random scene, a short one. Describe a sunset, or a house on fire. A bubbling river snaking through a forest. A teacher standing at the front of a classroom impatiently. Go simple. Go fancy. Do it Lemony Snicket-style.

-Write a scene with a character from your story (preferably the one you're stuck on). Whether before your story, after or any point in between, just include them. Or write a scene where you are meeting them. Just use your character and play around with them. What if they got a makeover, or went to Hawaii?

-Just brainstorm ideas of things that may happen later on in your story. Whether it's just a little note, like "make Harrison spot a Shiny Wingul delivering mail" or a full-blown scene you might like to add in later. Bits of plot you can add in, or even other characters that can appear. Just think about what may happen in the future, even if distant future.



^^ Yay random bits of advice! *notes everything everyone says*

~Psychic

[DGCatAniSiri]

My methods to get the juices flowing is to jump around. There's a scene that's begging to be writen BUT it won't happen until long after the scene I'm currently writing, which is going nowhere, so, I go ahead and put in something to mark the separation of the work that's completed that's sequencial and then pour out the later scene. Sometimes, figuring out the events that come after help you to figure out what has already happened.

[el_toro]

What I do to get over writer's block is just take a nice long walk outside. Take an iPod or a CD player; something to occupy your mind. Then once, you've relaxed a bit, lower the volume and just start to think. Think about anything at all, not just specifically your fic. Gradually, ideas should just start to popo up in your head. At least that's what happens to me whenever I get writer's block (which happens a lot unfortunately )

Also, before I go to sleep, I also think about the subject of my fic (in this case Pokeshipping). If I come up with a good idea, I write it down or keep it memorized in my head so I can take it down another time.

Keep in mind as well thta writer's block isn't eternal. It'll go just as fast as it came. Authors just tend to worry about it too much and that's what makes it stay in our heads.

[CrystalSaurTower]

-Whatever comes to mind. Put an egg timer on your table and set it to five minutes. During that time, writer WHATEVER comes to mind. Even if it's something weird and random and makes no sense, just write it down, no matter how ridiculous. Even if it's "I like pengiuns couches are sexy TOENAILS" and if you get stuck or something, just keep writing your last word out, like "Onix are big and tall tall tall tall" until you think of something else.

-Write a scene with a character from your story (preferably the one you're stuck on). Whether before your story, after or any point in between, just include them. Or write a scene where you are meeting them. Just use your character and play around with them. What if they got a makeover, or went to Hawaii?


~Pyschic

Wow, those two really worked. I made a really silly paragraph of words about me not wanting to let go of a pancake I had put apple sauce on, and that we could stay together, so it had better not let me go (probably since I was listening to Final Distance Remix on youtube since I didn't have a timer and that was five min). XD Certaintly got me pumped up. The other one I made my character get instantly teleported from the scene it was in my chapter and into Hawijapan, where he met me and we sunbathed. Really creepy, but it works!

[The Burnt Shadow]

Well here are the stuff I ussually do when I get writers' block.

1) listen to music that inspires you
2) look at the very first thing that inspired you to write
3) If you have a problem with certain areas, lookup books with a similar type of genre as your story
4) close your eyes and imagine the whole thing how it would go in a motion picture...

[Dragonfree]

If it's the type of writer's block where you know what's supposed to happen but just can't get in the right mood to write it properly:

- Talk to somebody about your fic and all those juicy plot points. Hint at the future, even oh-so-subtly at the end. Just have fun messing with a dedicated reader while laughing manically in your chair. This is seriously the number one thing for me. It springs me into fic-mood immediately, provided the reader has interesting enough ideas. Try it if it's an established fic with a plotty storyline you're having trouble with.
- Do something else creative, far or close to writing your fic: on one end, you can draw or sprite (what I'm doing now with my Quest for the Legends block); on the other, you can write non-fiction (I've often gotten into major moods to write content for my site when I can't write) or even just a different fic in a different genre (which I'm actually doing now too). Sometimes you just need a little break and getting your creativity flowing elsewhere.
- Read your absolute favorite piece of fanfiction ever (or close) again.
- Even just read your fic again. Yeah, just go back to chapter one and read. I've often gotten lost in rereading The Quest for the Legends, although that tends to give me rewriting-urges more often than inspiration to continue. xP

If it's the type of writer's block where you can't think of what's going to happen next:

- Take a shower or walk in the rain. I get almost all my good ideas when I'm doing one of the two (more often walking in the rain).
- Think back and try to remember ideas you've gotten before, maybe for other stories you never finished or something. Incorporate those into your story. You might need to tweak them, but it's easier than thinking of something completely new.
- If you're writing a fic about a journey of some sort: look at a map of the area the characters are journeying around. If it's a made-up region, just create a map incorporating all you've already decided about the region and filling in everything else pretty much at random. Then pinpoint exactly where on the map the characters are right now. Are they at the slopes of a mountain? Near a lake? About to enter a cave? Write about what could happen in that location. Maybe a Graveler comes rolling down the mountain or they start fishing in the lake or something. Maybe it's a special mountain/lake/cave that you can make up something interesting about.

[Encyclopika]

What I do when I have overbearing writer's block...I just stop. I save and close down, and start back up when I feel like it - usually the next day.
-My advice, do just that. Don't force it, it'll come out like crap.
-If you're really hung up on it, daydream. Try out everything in your mind - or make a list below your work - and pick the best one. (and don't forget to keep it there for the next time you start writing).
And that's all I got so far. XD

[Ayra]

When I get writer's block, I work on other things. While working on other projects, ideas just hit me.

~Ayra~

PS Encyclopika's right about forcing it.

~Ayra~

[VFD Member 2]

My advice is to relax. Listen to Motzart, it helps you think. They say Motzart's music will make you smarte. I do not know if this is true, but it is beautiful and relaxing music nonetheless.

[MistyLover]

One-Shots are GREAT! They are a great way of improving your writing.

[el_toro]

One-Shots are GREAT! They are a great way of improving your writing.

I agree, but it can also backfire on you since it distracts you from other fics (such as me since I've currently taken a hitaus off of my main fic for my other three shot)

I agree with Encyclopika on the fact that you just stop. I just stress myself out if I try to write when I know I've got writer's block. I just stop and do something else and then hope I can get the motivation and inspiration to continue at another time.

Another thing I'll do to get in the "fic mood" is by reading other pieces of work or see a nice Pokeshippy episode (since I do only PSing fics). It gets me inspired and also helps me keep everything in character.

(and I'll keep that last piece of advice in mind Dragonfree! )

- If you're writing a fic about a journey of some sort: look at a map of the area the characters are journeying around. If it's a made-up region, just create a map incorporating all you've already decided about the region and filling in everything else pretty much at random. Then pinpoint exactly where on the map the characters are right now. Are they at the slopes of a mountain? Near a lake? About to enter a cave? Write about what could happen in that location. Maybe a Graveler comes rolling down the mountain or they start fishing in the lake or something. Maybe it's a special mountain/lake/cave that you can make up something interesting about.

[Uzamaki Hinata]

I agree, but it can also backfire on you since it distracts you from other fics (such as me since I've currently taken a hitaus off of my main fic for my other three shot)

I agree with el_toro, but it also really depends on how much time you give the one shot

As for my helpful... uh, advise. I say this, just as listening to inspirational music has been offered as well as stepping away from the fic a little and going to do a project or just brainstorm. I don't think any advise will really help as much as your own. See what you can do to help yourself get out of writer's block. See what can happen if you try your own techniques, because what I believe is that no one's advise can work as well as your own.

But since this is a thread for advice, my only advice I can give is if you get weiter's block, simply walk away from the fic(or has this advice been offered before?). Anyway, that always works for me. Step away for as long as you want and don't even think about the fic. Don't try to think about the fic. Just live your life and one day, a great idea will come to you. Or step away and then later, re-read your fic and see if it inspires you once again to continue. Re-reading helps a lot. Because sometimes if your lost in your fic, it helps to remember where you are.
But mostly, relax, you can't force yourself to write. If you ever force yourself, I feel like you won't be giving your all in a fic or store(who says it has to be fics you get writers block on?) And just as Flygon has pointed out, do not think a fic is stupid. If you do, BELIEVE ME, you won't be getting anywhere. *says from experience*

Whelps, that's all for me.

[Bonsly-Bud]

for my book, if I have writer's block, I look at random details I've added to see if any plots can come out of them. I try and make 'filler' plots so everything isn't rushed, and that can help get rid of writer's block too. I still get it though, so I wait a week or so, and try to brainstorm.

[el_toro]

for my book, if I have writer's block, I look at random details I've added to see if any plots can come out of them. I try and make 'filler' plots so everything isn't rushed, and that can help get rid of writer's block too. I still get it though, so I wait a week or so, and try to brainstorm.

Same here except I do something differently. I would just read over what I had written and try to get back in the mood. Usually reading over what you have written so far will get you in that same state of mind that you had previous to getting writer's block. It helps for me especially if I've taken a few days off of writing and I've completely forgotten what the current chapter was about or what part of the chapter I was stuck on.

[Matt Silver]

When I get Writer's Block, which happens a lot and lasts a while (I remember my 7 Month block) I usually just listen to music. Now, with some songs, I picture a scene (Dramatic, Romatic, Comedy etc) of my fic that can go with it, so when I write, I can hear the song as I do it (I remember writing a great scene in a previous fic by listening to The Strokes' 'Reptila').

I also do a bit of thinking by just blocking out all other noises (TV, family etc) and sitting there, all relaxed and stuff.
I agree with most of the advice given in the posts, except MistyLover's "Do One-Shots!", which I think are kinda pointless. Well, each to his own.

See yall

[Conquistador]

The part about listening to music is so so very true. Whenever I listen to my favourite songs, my imagination just goes click, and I am flooded with ideas.

[MistyLover]

Music does trigger the brain.

[Arcanine Royale]

Writers block = laziness. If you train your mind to believe this, writers block is no longer a factor. Just write... If its crap its crap. Harry Potter's first draft was piece of crap and we all know it, so is every other single first draft in the world.

If that doesn't work, maybe write a random scene with your character and another character from a different fic or original work or even a friend you know. Or just work on something else...