What Do You Write When There's Nothing to Write

popmuze · Jul 5, 2009

Right now my agent is submitting three novels of mine. Having finished the last one two months ago, I have been unable to start on the next one, as everybody advises.

How do you keep writing through a dry spell? Where do you get an idea for another novel when you've written three in two years? Do you manufacture a sequel? Do you go back to abandoned stuff from college? Your first trunk novel that you could probably make so much better now? Just start typing? Scour the newspapers? Or should I just take the summer off.

scarletpeaches · Jul 5, 2009

*waits for tt42 to post*

ChaosTitan · Jul 5, 2009

I have more ideas for novels than time to write them. I doubt the majority of my ideas are books that I could sell, but the ideas exist. It's always a matter of picking one and focusing on it. I write down almost everything and keep files of ideas for later.

popmuze, if you're not sure you want to write another novel right now, why not try some shorts? I'm not much of a short story writer, but I'm in between contracts and waiting on feedback from my agent for another book. It's given me time to practice writing short (and I definitely need the practice, I envy short story writers).

Caramia · Jul 5, 2009

So that I can focus on a single story at a time, I've got a folder for blooming story ideas and tweak the individual files with notes. I don't feel pressured to work on it, the ideas are saved. Having ideas isn't the problem in my case, it's not enough time. (I'll be signing up folks to send official complaint to the creator of time when I have time! 24 hours? Seriously? Sheesh!)

If you have previous works saved, I'd suggest spending some time reading them over. Not with the intent of revising, but simply reading what you wrote already and maybe that will spark some excitement and ideas flowing for you. Might be for that story or another. They don't look exciting when covered in dust. (Okay yes, history buffs are exception)

Good luck! Congratulations on the progress of your stories!

Kitty Pryde · Jul 5, 2009

Sunday night Flash Fiction challenge in the Absolute Write chatroom?

Aggy B. · Jul 5, 2009

If you aren't feeling up to the challenge of a novel I would suggest working on some short stories. Or character sketches. (I always have characters with loose ideas attached but no clear idea of how to stretch the story to novel length. Writing little vignettes always helps get the juices flowing.)

Short stories always help me hone my world-building and descriptive skills because you have to do it in a very small space. So, even if I don't do anything with the story I find it's very good practice.

Lisa Cox · Jul 5, 2009

Perhaps try some free-writing? (Or whatever the cool kids are calling it these days.) Don't think about grammar. Many people write it all in one sentence. You could maybe go to a park and take a look around. There's a young couple there, he's wearing blue, she's wearing barely anything, they're holding hands and he's fascinated with her, her eyes are wandering, they round a corner, you can't see them anymore but they're going to bump into a man who asks for change, she fishes some coins out of her purse and as she hands it to him, he slips her a scrap of paper, on the paper is a code of numbers, then he pulls out a gun and shoots himself in the head, the park explodes in screams, blood splatters everywhere...

And etc. I love doing it. Sometimes I get some gems and store them to work on later.

There may be people who will think this is terrible advice, but your question asked me what I do to work through a dry spell. That's what I do.

(Sometimes it's a challenge to forget the grammar and punctuation and just let go -- but for me it's worth it in the end. I become fairly unstuck pretty quickly.)

James D. Macdonald · Jul 5, 2009

Just start writing. Or spend two hours a day staring at a blank screen (no internet, no TV, no radio...).

Gillhoughly · Jul 5, 2009

There's ALWAYS something to write.

But when the words don't come, I READ!

And for gosh sakes, NEVER take time off. It makes it too hard to start up again.

If your agent sells those books, better believe they will want MORE from you, and they will want them yesterday if not sooner!

Poetic_Justice · Jul 5, 2009

I tend to read, do writing prompts, or write poetry. Sometimes I even take a line from music lyrics, and make it the first line of something, and run with it.... Just to get the creative juices flowing...

But sometimes you just need a small break. There's nothing wrong with taking a week or two off of "work." Go out and do something completely unrelated to writing. You never know, sometimes two completely unrelated things just....smash together.

(hope this helps

)

Blue Sky · Jul 5, 2009

Poetic_Justice: Yes to the break. I always come back stronger after a nice break.

Jim: you are a writing machine. Thank you for not keeping it a secret and refusing to sugarcoat BIC.

popmuze: I just finished Ray Bradbury's book Zen in the Art of Writing. It's a thin book that I found quite good. My ideas come in similar ways, interacting with life like lisamarie84x.

I don't generally jot down ideas. As long as I play with ideas, they keep coming. Specific ideas return as needed when I trust them to do so.

Congrats on completing the novels!

scarletpeaches · Jul 5, 2009

It boggles my mind that any writer would think it's possible for the well to run dry.

Claudia Gray · Jul 5, 2009

My advice would be to use this as time to "fill the well." Read books you've been meaning to read, and see movies you've always wanted to watch but never gotten around to. Take a short trip if you have the time and money; if not, find new walks, visit local attractions you haven't been to in a while or take a short class on something unpredictable. I find that new experiences and influences always get my mind working, and before long I have more ideas than I know what to do with.

maestrowork · Jul 5, 2009

I don't know.... I have at least 9 or 10 ideas waiting to be fleshed out... Even if I wrote 3 novels a year, that would last me three to four years...

That said, if you find yourself running out of things to write. Just take a break. Maybe you're a bit burned out. Writing three books a year is a lot of work, even if you're fast writer. Sooner or later, you'll find yourself repeating yourself.

Or change it up a bit. If you tend to write certain genres, maybe write something else.

Toothpaste · Jul 5, 2009

I have to say that telling a writer you don't know how it is possible for them to dry up is not very useful. I am talking from very personal experience as for the first time in my life I have NOTHING to write about. I am utterly dry. I've never felt this before and my first reaction is fear. What's wrong with me? Am I not a real writer? Every other author out there has tons of ideas! Uncle Jim says there is no excuse for not writing, I must be just lazy then . . .

My dry spell is coming from a lot of things (pressures from without and within), but it is deeply unusual for me and I in no way intend for it to last forever, I will work through this. However, while advice on how to break out of it is always welcome, being told there is something wrong with me is not.

Lisa Cox · Jul 5, 2009

It boggles my mind that any writer would think it's possible for the well to run dry.

Of course it's possible. There are many reasons why a writer might run dry. Not everyone has an endless supply of ideas. Some of us are so busy a new idea often leaves us before we've had time to jot it down. Sometimes stress blocks creativity. Sometimes, just sometimes, life, the universe and everything will burn us out.

Writers can run dry. Figuring out a way to get the juices flowing again is what's important.

scarletpeaches · Jul 5, 2009

I'm not talking about writer's block (which I don't believe in anyway). I was referring to simple material. It's all around you.

ORION · Jul 5, 2009

I totally second toothpaste's post...I think it's a natural part of the creative process and deeply individual. The question is not whether this thing sometimes called "writers' block" exists but what do you do if it happens to you.
As for me? I read widely. I do not just stare at the computer screen for five hours. I make it okay for me to just sit down a few minutes a day and brainstorm ideas and keep them in files and not have this "a novel or nothing" approach. And then I read some more.
If I become convinced that I MUST do something I may pull out one of my old truck novels and see if it is compelling enough for me to revise but I will tell you revising can be even more daunting than those first drafts so often times this does not work.
But don't let people convince you it doesn't exist...I know too many authors who admit to periods of time when they can't crank out a word...

LilliCray · Jul 5, 2009

I'm really lucky--the idea well never runs dry. Even if it did, I've got at least three dozen ideas hanging out in the back of my brain, waiting for me to get so bored that they can muscle their way to the front and force me to write them.

I find that reading nonfiction articles helps me get ideas. Especially for worldbuilding. I love worldbuilding.

Hmm... writing down whatever comes to mind might help. Like, sit at the computer and write whatever you're thinking. Anything from, "This is boring. I have nothing. Curse writer's block to whatever hell is the most evil of all," to "Blah. Blah. Blah." might help get the creative juices flowing. It helps me sometimes, anyway.

I hope your idea well fills up again, and soon!

Lisa Cox · Jul 5, 2009

So was I: "Not everyone has an endless supply of ideas. Some of us are so busy a new idea often leaves us before we've had time to jot it down."

As I said, sometimes we're so stressed/busy/otherwise preoccupied, the part of our brain that registers material and converts into ideas switches off.

It's not happened to me yet, but I wouldn't for one minute assume it's impossible. What's true for you isn't always true for everyone else.

ETA: meant to say -- I don't know if you were responding to me. But in case you were...

KTC · Jul 5, 2009

I would just start typing. Which is exactly the place where I am at right now. I too am wondering where to begin something new. Today, at the grocery store, I saw an old lady. Yes...they shop too. I thought...what if she saw a young man who looked exactly like her husband who died in 1953? I actually thought that. The process went on to have her confront him...and him explain how impossible that was. And then the young man went home and figured out that it was actually the case. The train of thought was more detailed than this...but what I'm getting at is that I just steal so much from the world around me...for fodder. It's all grist for the mill. Take a walk. Imagine the lives of those you see while you're walking. See lives string out behind them...visualize their secrets. The world is our oyster. I just saw this sad look on this old lady as she looked into the face of a young man and the whole scenario popped into my mind. I don't know if I could do an altered love story any justice...but I think I found what my 'next' thing is. I think I can start writing this story.

Don't sit in front of a blank screen. Don't do that. Stand in front of a living one. Go out into public places and be the thief that you can be. (-;

Toothpaste · Jul 5, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
I'm not talking about writer's block (which I don't believe in anyway). I was referring to simple material. It's all around you.

Hon, seriously, this is not an absolute truth. I'm telling you, and I never would have believed it myself before a few weeks ago, I look around these days and go, "Eh." I walk through bookstores looking at covers (because covers really excite me and I get stimulated by visuals most often) and I am like . . ."Eh."

Ideas might be all around me, but none of them interest me. None of them spark that excitement in me.

To say that, "Well it's easy just look around you" or (as I have always found particularly unhelpful) "Writer's block doesn't exist", well that's just dismissing the pain of others, what's more it is not remotely helpful, makes the person feel like there must be something wrong with them as a writer, and only therefore contributes the frustration.

I understand where you are coming from in saying what you are saying, I myself have felt in the past, "How can you not have ideas?" It seemed so beyond possible for me. But now that I am experiencing it, I realise it is real, just because I had never felt it before didn't mean it didn't happen.

Once more, I don't believe in indulging the dry spell, I am working my ass off trying to find the exit with this, it is really upsetting actually. But denying the existence of my problem, or offering the solution as if it ought to be easy, does not help at all. At all.

KTC · Jul 5, 2009

Popmuse: if your dry spell is anything like mine...it is brought on by the hopeless holding pattern you feel yourself to be in. I have several manuscripts out right now too...I think I'd be better able to jump into a new story if I just got rejections on all the ones out there. It's a bit frustrating having so much stuff out there and seeing the calendar pages fly by. I know the feeling well. This is part of the reason I've had such a hard time starting something new. It's almost paralyzing waiting so long for the rejection/acceptance to come. I have so much invested in the ones out there...and I think that if I DO get an acceptance on one of them...I'll have to jump into the deep end and work on edits on it before it's publication ready. It just feels like hurry up and wait. Is this what you are experiencing?

ORION · Jul 5, 2009

The thing is ...intellectually yes there is a wealth of material around you BUT- when you have experienced real passion in your former projects it is nearly impossible to work on those that merely are interesting...you hunt for that passion...that feeling that only you can write that story and it's heady and seductive. It also comes out in the work. I've read certain authors whose next book sounds like they were just going through the motions. Yes we all know that we have things to write but for myself I must have that passion and thrill to give it meaning....just saying....

blacbird · Jul 5, 2009

Bad checks.

caw

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