Do you ever just get stuck?

[mama4ray]

I have a good 8 chapters done on my book. I know where I want it to go and how I want it to end. I'm just stuck for words. I open up mt work everyday and sit and starre at it. If in 20 minutes I'm still blocked I turn it off and start again tomorrow.

It's not the first time it's happend to me. My brain just stares at the page going DUUUUUUUUHHHHH! I know I will get over the hump in a few days or so but darn it this drives me nuts! Especially when you were writing nonstop before that point LOL!

[Jodotha]

I get stuck every day, lol. I have a few things to jog my mind, mostly music, a few films, etc. But really what I end up doing is randomly looking for information on my story - research is a great helper.
The other thing I love to do is write on stickies, just random phrases. I don't know why sticky notes, but for some reason that just works for me.
Good luck!

[mama4ray]

MMMM I heart stickies!

[san_remo_ave]

Absolutely. Happens all the time.

Sometimes I find it helps to just start at some random point, like:

Matthew was bored, so he figured he'd take it out on someone.

I have no idea why I wrote that, but it's amazing how it gets me thinking. Why is he bored? Why would he take it out on someone else and who's in the room for him to "take it out on"? What does "take it out" entail from this character's frame of reference --if he's a bully it might mean beating someone up or if he's the class clown it might be goofing off to make the teacher nuts.

But in any case it gets me started somewhere. Even if it doesn't make it to the book, it's a great characterization exercise. Beats shutting off the computer and doing something else.

[smlgr8]

Oh sure. I am stuck on a current WIP I absolutely must have done by the end of August. I planned on working on it over the long weekend that just past. Opened it. Typed one sentence. Looked around for something else to do. Put on the television, surfed the net. Ugh. Just not happening. Eventually I opened up another WIP that has to be done by the end of September and wrote a chapter in that. I still haven't gone back to the book that has to be done in August. I am absolutely dreading it.

[DeleyanLee]

My experience is that you give up too early. If I'm sitting down to write for 2-3 hours and nothing comes, then I sit there for the entire 2-3 hours and do NOTHING but stare at the screen. No solitaire. No internet. No poking at something else. NOTHING.

Yeah, it's boring as dried spit--but, y'know? Do it a couple-three times and your creative mind will suddenly kick into overdrive, know it'll be held captive and bored until it starts producing words. And it will. Usually in copious amounts, as if the dam has broken.

Works for me every time.

[mirrorkisses]

To me, that signifies I need a break. When I first finished the rough draft of my novel (and mind you it took me about a year to write it), I just couldn't do anything with it. The thought of working on it just bored me to tears.

I haven't had writer's block in a long time, because I read a popular writing book (i cannot remember the name!) that said that writer's block was just lazyness. I'd never thought of it that way beforehand, but now I do kind of feel that way. Basically, I started keeping a writing journal, where I jot my thoughts down, and I carry it with me when I'm brainstorming a novel. It really helps a lot.

But back to my initial point. When I first finished my novel, I took a good long break from it for about two months. This cleared my mind a lot. Truthfully, though, I didn't really get my ass back into gear until a few weeks back when I went to a conference. I pitched my novel to two agents that want to see it. I know, really stupid to do when you only have a rough draft. But considering I have to revise it anyway to turn it into a YA novel, it's not a big deal. And I'll be done with it by the end of this week.

So uh, to respond to your post, you should just take a break. Put it out of your mind and don't worry about it. You don't have to wait two months like I did. You can make it just a few weeks or whatever you're comfortable with. It just helps to come back with a fresh mind. Especially if you get to the point where you don't remember what you wrote and you're shocked by how good it is.

[aliajohnson]

Happens to me all the time, too. Think I whined about it once in the "I need a cookie" thread.

The suggestions I received had something to do with eating chocolate and taking a nap, I think. Pretty easy advice to follow.:)

Just don't give up. It'll all be worth it once you're on a roll again.

[Deb Kinnard]

I'll add my name to the long list of folks above. It happens...but...

Did you ever try thinking of music that "fits" your WIP, and then finding the right CD? or tunes on your iPod (or whatever)? Sometimes when I'm badly stopped, and just staring at the screen, the music will kick-start whatever part of my brain is the creative. I can never remember if I write with my right brain or my left, but you know what I mean.

Music. It's worth a try and costs nothing.

If all else fails, eat high quality chocolate.

[mirrorkisses]

My novel has a soundtrack.

But it's also a very music-based novel, so it makes sense.

[mama4ray]

I'll add my name to the long list of folks above. It happens...but...

Did you ever try thinking of music that "fits" your WIP, and then finding the right CD? or tunes on your iPod (or whatever)? Sometimes when I'm badly stopped, and just staring at the screen, the music will kick-start whatever part of my brain is the creative. I can never remember if I write with my right brain or my left, but you know what I mean.

Music. It's worth a try and costs nothing.

If all else fails, eat high quality chocolate.

Now tha is an AWESOME idea! I'm doing that starting tomorrow! I say tomorrow cause it's already 2:30 am here. :D

[Lady Cat]

I use the CD I was listening to when I came up with the idea for my current WIP when I get stuck. It helps inspire me to get going again.

I also usually have more than one WIP going at the same time so if # 1 doesn't seem to be going anywhere I go to #2. If I'm not getting inspired to work on #2 I go to #3.

Have you tried skipping ahead in your novel? That's one of the reasons I work with an outline. If the scene I'm working on isn't working out, I go to the next scene. Who says you have to write in sequential order?

[JackieA]

Yeah, like everyone else I get stuck too. I have an open file with what I'm writing and another title 'freewriting' When I hit 'stuck' I move over to the freewriting file and simply write whatever comes and often when I read it back, there's a nugget in there that can be used to unstick me in the wip.

I've even ditched the original chapter and used the freestyle instead, on occasions. LOL

[Karen Duvall]

Same here. I find the reason is usually because I've lost touch with my characters somehow. So it's time to reconnect. I'll do a couple of different things:

1) write a letter to my main characters, usually asking questions, and have them write me back.

2) dump out her purse and empty his pockets to see what they're carrying with them. Sparks all kinds of interesting ideas. Never fails.

Good luck!