Writer's Block

[dchapma123]

:head

I have one of the worst cases of writer's block I've ever had. If history is any indication, eventually I'll crack out of it and the words will flow like mad. But that could be tomorrow or next year, so I probably shouldn't be content to wait for that.

Everyone's different, so I know there's no one-size-fits-all cure for writer's block. But I'm curious to know what other people do to combat it.

[captain bligh]

usually i write.

i know that sounds like a smartass answer, but it's not. just free-flow stuff. if you make yourself actually put words on the page, whether or not they're "good," it sort of loosens up the wordhole, and soon words just start fallking out of it all over the place, like change from a hole in your levis pocket.

[dchapma123]

It's not a smartass answer at all. And sometimes that's what I'll do when I need to get into the mood to work on my script. Not really working this time, though.

[joecalabre]

When I get a block (all too many times these days), I...

1- Stop writing for a day.
2 - Watch a good movie on DVD.
3 - Reread the synopsis or logline I have written before (if I was fortunate to have one prepared).
4 - Cry on my wife's shoulder.
5 - Get back to the grind.

If none of those work, then I tighten the earlier scenes (mostly dialog), but only as a last resort because I tend to get into a rewrite mode and that saps the creativity out of me.

[Writing Again]

Threaten yourself unmercifully: If you don't write you will take yourself off to spend the day visiting someone you cannot stand to look at, whose voice is so terrible every syllable grates on your nerves.

[scripter1]

Edit and rewrite.

Print out the script and read it over and over and over again.
Fix things until you get inspired. Often reading the work will get you motivated again.

Try getting some feedback.
Even critical advice can help you. You might be stuck because of some problem in the story line and someone pointing that out to you could open up your mind to the solution and get you writing again.

[pconsidine]

When I sit down to write every morning, I open up a new document and spew junk for 5-10 minutes. That usually frees my mind up well enough to put down something that doesn't suck.

As an aside, I've recently discovered that the worst blocks come when working with truly excellent concepts. The better the idea, the more I feel like I can't write well enough to execute it properly. The only way to break out of that is to talk to someone else about it. That little bit of validation that you really can do it right helps a ton.

Just my $.02.

[imgbfh]

When it's really, really bad, I go to a movie of little or no acclaim. I always leave feeling I could write a much better film and then I get started doing just that.

ME

[joecalabre]

I have had some block doozies and my best way is to watch a great movie for inspiration (one of my all time fav), take a break for a day or two and let the story mull in my head.

Then sit down and work right through it. The block may last a few days or weeks but if you keep plugging away (even if you write @#%$) you'll eventually have a breakthough and that's when the writing gets good.

Good luck and keep writing.