Trouble doing anything.

Limbless K9 · Apr 29, 2010

Hello all.

Ive hit quite a big snag lately. I can see all these fantastic stories playing out in my head but when ever i go to write them down, my mind goes blank. Its really beginning to annoy me.

I imagine all these characters and stories but i just cant write anything down. And when i do manage to write something down, it turns out to be complete crap.

Any ideas on how i can fix this?

aadams73 · Apr 29, 2010

Keep writing even if it's crap. Eventually it might evolve into something less crappy. Or you may be able to slap it into shape in the second draft.

But keep at it.

Good luck.

Alwoody · Apr 29, 2010

Don't worry about writing it in a story format the first time. Maybe you're an outliner. Maybe you're a mapper. Try writing down whatever comes to your mind, don't worry about sentence structure or any type of grammar. Just get your ideas on to paper.

Once you get that done, give it a few days, or weeks, and add whenever you get an idea. Then, once you have most of your ideas out, you can begin to piece them together. Write an outline, putting everything in sequence, and use it as your guide as you write the story.

Another option I've used before is a voice recorder. I would carry it around with me everywhere, and when an idea hit, I could just talk into the thing. You can use your voice notes to make an outline.

Cybernaught · Apr 29, 2010

Just write. That's the only thing that's going to help you.

CalynMorgan · Apr 29, 2010

I'm currently going through the same problem. When my brain blanks I either take a run on my treadmill or do a little yoga. Sometimes it works and sometimes I just get a good workout. Either way I don't force myself to write everyday like I've read some writers do.

Sit all your stuff aside for a couple days. Relax. Then try again. Relaxation does a body and brain good.

Jamesaritchie · Apr 29, 2010

Limbless K9 said:
Hello all.

Ive hit quite a big snag lately. I can see all these fantastic stories playing out in my head but when ever i go to write them down, my mind goes blank. Its really beginning to annoy me.

I imagine all these characters and stories but i just cant write anything down. And when i do manage to write something down, it turns out to be complete crap.

Any ideas on how i can fix this?

Pretty much every write feels like this at some point. Everything seems better in the imagination than on paper. Doesn't matter. If you want to be a writer, you practice BIC. There is no other way. Whether you think what you write is wonderful or pure crap, the answer is the same. BIC. Butt-in-chair.

You only get better through practice. It's just this simple.

Kelsey · Apr 29, 2010

I second the voice recorder thing. I used to do that, and it helped a lot. Also, like everyone else mentioned, just write. Even if it's a paragraph. You might be surprised by how much potential it has when you go to look at it the next day.

Good luck.

Limbless K9 · Apr 29, 2010

Thank you all very much for the help! Hopefully i can write soon! Thank you all again!

Shadow Dragon · Apr 29, 2010

One thing I would suggest is to find a comfortable spot to do the writing. This is of course easier if you have A) a wireless keyboard or B) a laptop.

Rubicon · Apr 29, 2010

Try outlining your story first so you can break it down into sections and focus on only that part of the story when you write.

About the sucking part just keep writing.

hannah_92 · Apr 30, 2010

I've got the same problem and I find it helps to just sit down and write what ever you can grasp as it comes into your head. Perhaps you're an outliner, if so outline first.

Libbie · Apr 30, 2010

It is perfectly fine for you to write crap. Everybody writes crap. The best writers in the world write crap. Write it anyway, and if it's crap, you can fix it later.

RJK · Apr 30, 2010

You said this happened to you lately. Perhaps your story hasn't had time to "cook" yet. Professional writers like James and some of the others will always advise you to sit down and write.
I don't think that always works. If your creative mind hasn't finished working, you're going to write junk and you may get off track from where you wanted to be. The best way to get your creative mind working, is to do mundane tasks with the other half of your brain. Balance your checkbook, count the number of days till your birthday, read a related book. If your story is about pirates in the 18th century, read about buccaneers and pirates. Conduct other research on your story. Don't waste your time, but don't try to force your creative mind to birth its child before the gestation period is complete.

Libbie · Apr 30, 2010

It is okay for you to write junk. You do not have to make it perfect or even good the first time around. You can always revise later.

But you will never even get to the point where you can revise if you don't write it first.

Fallen · Apr 30, 2010

I'm a line junkie. I write the odd line no matter where I am. Most times those lines are crap, but sometimes you get gems among it. Like everyone else is saying, good writing doesn't mean easy writing. The chances of getting perfection first time isn't something you should expect in aspect of writing.

The Grump · Apr 30, 2010

How do you know your ideas are crap before they are developed?

I find I have all sorts of ideas just festering with the help of my computer. I'm always jotting down ideas: bits of character and setting mostly. I just set up files for each "cluster" or "mess" or whatever it is at the beginning. Then, as the thoughts grow for a bunch of happenings, I divide them into chapters ... where the characters start acting against the background. Eventually, I start writing about something ... but have all sorts of stuff stored in the computer for the future.

I did the above when I first started fiction writing. Then, I tried to write by the "seat of my pants" as the story lurched. Then, I tried another WIP trying to outline to see if I could write faster. (Wrote slower) Still, I came out of the experiments with two semi-decent manuscripts, I think. Now, I'm trying again with I piece I rescued from my files.

Jamesaritchie · Apr 30, 2010

RJK said:
You said this happened to you lately. Perhaps your story hasn't had time to "cook" yet. Professional writers like James and some of the others will always advise you to sit down and write.
I don't think that always works. If your creative mind hasn't finished working, you're going to write junk and you may get off track from where you wanted to be. The best way to get your creative mind working, is to do mundane tasks with the other half of your brain. Balance your checkbook, count the number of days till your birthday, read a related book. If your story is about pirates in the 18th century, read about buccaneers and pirates. Conduct other research on your story. Don't waste your time, but don't try to force your creative mind to birth its child before the gestation period is complete.

Always sit down and write. There's plenty of time in the day to do mundane things. Even if you write four hours per day, and sleep eight, there's still twelve hurs to do whatever it takes to get your mind in gear.

Creative minds don't birth children, they write books, and they react to the way we train them. Start thinkof your books as children, and they'll probably all be stillborn.

Writers write books, and the only way they write books is by planting butt in chair and writing. This is how we become professional writers, right from day one.

Writers write junk eithe rbecause they lack talent, or because they train their minds to write junk by not planting butt in chair often enough.

As someone once said, "If you want the muse to help you, she must know where you are, and when you'll be there."

It's true. You can think until Satan starts selling ice cubes, but unless you train your mind to write well when you're actually sitting there wanting to write well, it's never going to work.

We are our habits. If you habit is to walk away, you'll keep writing junk. If your habit is to plant butt-in-chair at pretty much the same time and same place nearly everyday without fail, it won't be long ebfore your "creative mind" is trained to perform when you're actually sitting there writing. The muse knows where to find you, and when you'll be there.

Jamesaritchie · Apr 30, 2010

Fallen said:
I'm a line junkie. I write the odd line no matter where I am. Most times those lines are crap, but sometimes you get gems among it. Like everyone else is saying, good writing doesn't mean easy writing. The chances of getting perfection first time isn't something you should expect in aspect of writing.

Well, it isn't going to be perfect after fifty revisions. But you can, and should, expect to write well the first time.

Though it's probably a moot point. Over the years, I've learned that good writers really can't write poorly. At least not without great conscious effort.

I've seen the first drafts of many published writers who swore the drafts were crap. All were better than 99% of the final drafts I see in slush piles.

linfred4 · Apr 30, 2010

I am unsure if this will help, when I get idea for a story i pull my little book out and put the idea down and then leave it but if I have that itch if you know what i mean where i have to keep going write it on what ever paper you have.
But the blank thing when about to write you could, stop think what your seeing in your brian then if it sticks longer then 5min then you have something. Sometimes i sleep on it and if it's still there well see if it will work with paper. But they are right even if you just put little bits here and there it will come all together. I think all great things come from crap.

You will get it back trust me, i was having trouble for mths, my friends could see my was stressed from it so I deside to ahve girls nights every Friday let me tell you what ideas i had they would help, so you could always try that . Good luck

Margarita Skies · Apr 30, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
Always sit down and write. There's plenty of time in the day to do mundane things. Even if you write four hours per day, and sleep eight, there's still twelve hurs to do whatever it takes to get your mind in gear.

Creative minds don't birth children, they write books, and they react to the way we train them. Start thinkof your books as children, and they'll probably all be stillborn.

Writers write books, and the only way they write books is by planting butt in chair and writing. This is how we become professional writers, right from day one.

Writers write junk eithe rbecause they lack talent, or because they train their minds to write junk by not planting butt in chair often enough.

As someone once said, "If you want the muse to help you, she must know where you are, and when you'll be there."

It's true. You can think until Satan starts selling ice cubes, but unless you train your mind to write well when you're actually sitting there wanting to write well, it's never going to work.

We are our habits. If you habit is to walk away, you'll keep writing junk. If your habit is to plant butt-in-chair at pretty much the same time and same place nearly everyday without fail, it won't be long ebfore your "creative mind" is trained to perform when you're actually sitting there writing. The muse knows where to find you, and when you'll be there.

Two thumbs up, great post!!

Swordswoman · Apr 30, 2010

RJK said:
You said this happened to you lately. Perhaps your story hasn't had time to "cook" yet. Professional writers like James and some of the others will always advise you to sit down and write.
I don't think that always works. If your creative mind hasn't finished working, you're going to write junk and you may get off track from where you wanted to be. The best way to get your creative mind working, is to do mundane tasks with the other half of your brain. Balance your checkbook, count the number of days till your birthday, read a related book. If your story is about pirates in the 18th century, read about buccaneers and pirates. Conduct other research on your story. Don't waste your time, but don't try to force your creative mind to birth its child before the gestation period is complete.

This is really excellent advice, RJK, and I make no apology for quoting in full. I wish someone had told me this when I was starting, but I had to churn out an awful lot of hack writing before I learned it for myself.

Not every professional writer will say the same as JAR. All writers are different, and I would mistrust any suggestion otherwise. I write full time, my first book is doing very well in a mainstream commercial market, my second has just been accepted with enthusiasm, and I do it your way. I don't always go the mundane-tasks route, I spend a lot of time walking up and down telling the story in my head, but I don't go near the computer until it's spilling out of my head and I can't bear to hold it a moment longer.

Once the gestation period is complete, then yes, of course BIC, yes, of course write crap and edit it afterwards, but the first stage of writing (for me personally) works better as a natural birth than a caesarian.

Louise

Lady Ice · Apr 30, 2010

Limbless K9 said:
Hello all.

Ive hit quite a big snag lately. I can see all these fantastic stories playing out in my head but when ever i go to write them down, my mind goes blank. Its really beginning to annoy me.

I imagine all these characters and stories but i just cant write anything down. And when i do manage to write something down, it turns out to be complete crap.

Any ideas on how i can fix this?

In the pre-digital camera days, a photographer would probably get about one good photo out of a roll of film. Keep writing-with some breaks- and things will hopefully pick up.

dgiharris · Apr 30, 2010

The problem that a lot of beginners have is they try to write the first draft and final draft at the same time and end up in a state of paralysis

Also, they convince themselves that the writing has to be perfect and so they overstress and that overstress causes them to freeze up.

Give yourself permission to write crap and just write.

Realize that it is a process.

My process involves around 5-6 drafts.

The first draft is almost like a brainstorm and outline all at once that is realized in a giant jumble of a story. In fact, I don't even bother formating it into anything coherent. I just write write write. Often times, I don't even know what the story is UNTIL i finish the first draft.

Then, on the second draft I rewrite from scratch using the first draft more or less like an outline template and the second draft is where the real story comes from.

THen on the third draft I worry about grammar, structure, pacing, rising action, etc. etc.

Fourth draft I polish polish polish and then submit for crits

Fifth draft I take the crits and revise the story, polish polish polish again and then either submit for crits again or I submit for publication.

So as you can see, for me, it is an interactive process.

But it would all be impossible if I tried to realize that fifth draft right out of the gate.

Authors like Stephen King and Anne Rice can write a pretty much perfect first draft

but for the rest of us mere mortals, that is impossible and we shouldn't even try, lets we paralyze ourselves

good luck

Mel...

Limbless K9 · Apr 30, 2010

Absolutely fantastic help! Thank you all! Last night i planted my butt in a chair and even though i think what i wrote was horrible, im just going to keep at it until it gets better.

bois · Apr 30, 2010

I have a ritual: when my daily time rolls around (8-10 am), the first thing I type is: "I give you permission to write the crappiest prose the world will never see." I set the bar very low so as not to set myself up to fail. And the great thing is: I DO proceed to write the crappiest prose the world will never see. After about 20 minutes, however, I'm feeling pretty good about what's getting written. Perhaps I just have crappy taste...

Trouble doing anything.

Limbless K9

aadams73

A Work in Progress

Alwoody

Back for another round

Cybernaught

Decker

CalynMorgan

In case of zombies, break the glass

Jamesaritchie

Kelsey

Book Slut

Limbless K9

Shadow Dragon

Rubicon

hannah_92

Libbie

Worst song played on ugliest guitar

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

Libbie

Worst song played on ugliest guitar

Fallen

Stood at the coalface

The Grump

Hates Marketing. Loves Writing.

Jamesaritchie

Jamesaritchie

linfred4

Margarita Skies

Swordswoman

Resilient and kind

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions

dgiharris

Disgruntled Scientist

Limbless K9

bois

Thick skin and head