Writer's Block?

hey all, I'm new to the writing world and was wondering if anyone out there could give me some tips on how to get through the "writers block rut"??? any suggestions on where to draw new ideas/inspriration any techniques you would use? I've got a fantastic idea and am writing a monologue from it, for now anyway, the idea kinda lends itself to a fully fledged play but i'm not game enough for that right now!!! this is how i'm preparing etc. beggining middle and end are all plotted out as well as the basic movement from point to point, every idea gets written down, idea is elaborated and i make a judgement call on whether or not it will fit the piece, my research on characters is coming mostly from "people watching" as the character is quite physical... anybody??? thoughts ideas ALL WELCOME! thanks in advance walter but he that dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose Anne Bronte " The Narrow Way"

The only way to cure writer's block is to write and write and write and write. try this , it works for me. You say it's a monologue and you have a character. What does the charater look like? In detail? Hair colour? Curly? what about the eyes? fingernails? tatoos? See your character, really see him/her then ask him/ her a question. They'll answer and the block will start to lift Go For It Nic

Thanx Alex! i'll get on that right away and let you know what happens! just as a point of interest what do you write? walter but he that dares not grasp the thorn, should never crave the rose. Anne Bronte "The Narrow Way"

I like many others, do not beleive there is any such thing. Firstly there is no such thing as 'wracking my brain.' thoughts will or will not come (just then) they can not be induced. Loosen up, in all respects. CASUALLY read what you have written so far, not with fingers poised to make changes, just to imagine you are telling the story to a stranger. Do not go off to do something else 'to relax'. This story in front of you is the most important thing, not whatever else you have run away to do. What could be done/said by the character/s in response to what has gone before ? There are a number of possibilities, how would that one fit, or that one, or that one ? Perhaps a combination of more than one ? Over a number of days, you will dwell on various aspects, daydreaming about them whilst engaged with something else. Have you 'locked yourself out of ' connecting prose because sections have been poorly worded and ends/beginnings cannot be joined ?

I agree with Aspirant in that I personally do not believe in Writers Block. One of the firs tthings i was told from one writer to another was do not believe in writers block. it only exists in your head. now i believe in writing yourself into a corner but when i am stuck like that i read the work and talk to my characters and if nothing comes out i put the piece away and work on something else and come back to it in a few days time. Throuhout those few days i have mulled over aspects of my characters, scenes etc and thought things over and am thus ready to continue. this is how i work but you need to find what works for you. Below i'll link you to some supposed "methods" none of which I use or even liked but also some discussion related to this topic that may help. . . . http://www.sffworld.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=10 http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10413 ~ Tari The Writer is a child forever listening at the keyhole of the adult world.

The brain works like a computer. Garbage in produces garbage out. If you tell the brain there is such a thing as a writers block, it will create it.

 

The characters I write about come alive in my mind, so I have a conversation with them. When a piece does not flow for me, then I am working on the wrong piece at the time. By working on more then one play, or story, there is always something else that will occupy my brain. Sooner or later a character or experience will trigger a new flow of thoughts and ideas.

 

Above all I think the writing should be fun. I hope this helps.

Cheers

 

Josef   

The responses have been mature in nature and not intentionally critical or abusive. I have just attended a seminar by a multi-published authoress, also obviously a lecturer. That is the 'show' part, now for the remarkable 'tell' part. This lady urged us to write at times with the opposite hand as this produces DIFFERENT THOUGHTS to our usual pattern ! I was a member of an inventors club where again speakers urged us to SKETCH as that exercises the CREATIVE SIDE of the brain. Could these things, so un-usual ( sic ), be what would give us an advantage in this highly competitive field ?

I guess I have nothing new to add really. I have tried most of the techniques. I do beleive in writers block but I beleive it is a tool my brain or whatever uses to tell me that I might be approaching a dead end or something. I tend to have several projects on the go at once and at the moment as I am writing a non fiction work about the history of SA Northern Suburbs theatre over the last 50 years I use that. if I bog down in one piece I move to another or spend some time concentrating on my history. I never seem to rteurn to some oieces but that's OK maybe they weren't meant to be. I guess just keep writing and I like the idea of sketching or soemthing different. Play an instrument if you can or immerse yourself in some music. Above all. I repeat keep writing. if it doesn't work don't show anyone.