What do you do when creativity fails you?

Siddow · Jun 15, 2007

Many of us have had those days, when you're craving to write but nothing seems right and you just feel like writing something. What do you put on the paper?

I switch between writing life goals and total dreamworks. Today, instead of working on my screenplay for Script Frenzy, I wrote down the Party Of My Dreams. I put myself in my dream house and imagined entertaining my new neighbors for the first time. I had the party catered, we had sushi and a hibachi chef, two bartenders ('cause the house is big enough to need two), and we played a game called Guess the Author. Everyone had to write down a little-known fact about themselves and the other party-goers had to guess who wrote it, and nobody would confess to being the author! Ah, the things I learned today about my imaginary rich neighbors...

So, what's on your throw-away papers?

Vincent · Jun 15, 2007

Alternate and future histories... you know, timelines.

reenkam · Jun 15, 2007

Well...I have this massively long WIP that I've been doing for 3 years now so when I'm feeling uncreative I'll go and read bits and pieces of that. Usually it gets me going again and I'll write a bunch more for it, only to delete it later because it doesn't make sense. But at least by then I'm feeling creative again and I can get back to other works.

zahra · Jun 15, 2007

Read over old stuff, read over my outline, watch something that inspires me, research...

Sometimes if nothing else works, I just let it alone and do another one, though I don't think this is a good habit to get into.

Soccer Mom · Jun 15, 2007

Flash fiction greases my gears. Horror and speculative stuff. I kill off people who are annoying me in in flash as well. It's my therapy.

Harper K · Jun 15, 2007

Non-fictional things I write are to-do lists (mile-long ones) and Livejournal entries.

The characters in my WIP I've been writing about for over 10 years, so I've got plenty of secondary material on them. I write journal entries in their voices sometimes, or write entirely useless stories about average days in their lives. I also do fanfic (because of course I'm my own characters' biggest fan) about alternate relationships between them. One of them actually worked out to the point that it'll become the novel I write after I finish my current one.

Snitchcat · Jun 16, 2007

Generally, I write diary entries. Creativity reappears in there somewhere and gets re-channelled into my WIPs.

Jamesaritchie · Jun 16, 2007

Creativity

I have too many projects to ever have a day where I can't work on Things That Will Actually Sell. But even with one project, I can't remember ever having a day where I couldn't sit down and get the work done.

Siddow · Jun 16, 2007

Yes, James, we know you're different.

I go through periods (like right now!) where I have a project going, but I'm not sure what to do next with it, so I flitter off and write something just for fun. And who knows? Maybe my little party piece can be shaped up into an actual story, instead of a self-indulgent dream. It was certainly fun to write. I'm not at the point where writing is my job, so I don't feel guilty for my playtime. But if I'm still goofing off in 2009, come and kick my rear, okay? By then, it's either a decent part-time income, or I've gotta get the Dreaded Real Job. With a boss! *shudder*

sunna · Jun 16, 2007

Usually I'll end up writing scenes between the characters in my current WIP that would never in a million years happen. I'll put them in a world from some other book, or just completely reverse the relationships. Once I took my 3 MCs and put them in my house, trying to figure out where they were, who lived there, and why the place was such a mess.

Useless, but fun.

Jamesaritchie · Jun 16, 2007

Siddow said:
Yes, James, we know you're different.

I go through periods (like right now!) where I have a project going, but I'm not sure what to do next with it, so I flitter off and write something just for fun. And who knows? Maybe my little party piece can be shaped up into an actual story, instead of a self-indulgent dream. It was certainly fun to write. I'm not at the point where writing is my job, so I don't feel guilty for my playtime. But if I'm still goofing off in 2009, come and kick my rear, okay? By then, it's either a decent part-time income, or I've gotta get the Dreaded Real Job. With a boss! *shudder*

Nope, I'm not different. I'm the average pro writer. Writing Something Else is always a choice.

Ziljon · Jun 16, 2007

I say "the heck with it," and I run outside and play. That seems to recharge my battery the fastest.

huggy4ever · Jun 16, 2007

Hi,
I usually just write about random things. It could be anything from a short note to a friend of mine to a "to do list" type of thing. You should try it sometime. It actually works pretty well. Thank you for your time.

Will Lavender · Jun 16, 2007

I just don't write.

Today is a good example.

My wife is out of the house with the kids, she's left me at home "to write," she tells my mother-in-law on the cell phone that "Will is spending the day writing."

But the joke's on them: I'm not writing! I'm posting on AW and eating a Subway sandwich! Ha ha!

Siddow · Jun 16, 2007

haha on you, Will! I just got back from the pool! And now I'm having a cocktail! mmmm...

MMcC · Jun 16, 2007

I do brain drain but if I am really stuck I do something ELSE creative. Anything that requires inspiration and the artsy part of my brain tends to leave me feeling refreshed, renewed, and often kick starts me toward ideas.

If writing goes flat for me I might sketch, do some graphics, or grab my camera and drive.

DragonHeart · Jun 17, 2007

I've been having a similiar problem for the past few weeks due to a high stress situation at work. It's left me so mentally drained from just keeping my temper (and my sanity) that I've had nothing left over to write with. Instead of compounding the problem by forcing myself to write, I gave myself permission to take the time off and focus on my other interests for awhile.

I've taken what was my writing time and used it to read, do some bird gardening, and basically just do things I enjoy as a way to destress. Not only does it keep me from further stressing out about not writing, it keeps my mind working. I'm even ready to return to writing, as I've been jotting down notes for new projects as soon as I felt the urge to write come back again.

~DragonHeart~

johnnysannie · Jun 17, 2007

Jamesaritchie said:
Nope, I'm not different. I'm the average pro writer. Writing Something Else is always a choice.

I agree with James; I NEVER lack a project to work on so if creativity lags on something, there is always something else to work on.

To me, it's the rest of y'all that are different!!!

Sean D. Schaffer · Jun 17, 2007

Siddow said:
Many of us have had those days, when you're craving to write but nothing seems right and you just feel like writing something. What do you put on the paper?

...Snipped.

I try to continue working on the project I'm working with at the time. I also give myself permission to write crap, if need be, to get the job done. I can always edit later on.

I don't have a lot of throw-away papers anymore. When I do, it's usually caused by a bad beginning to a chapter, or a major mistake in my writing.

Sometimes I will work on a new idea, although lately I've found reading to be a lot more enjoyable and more effective at giving me new inspiration, than writing for no reason at all.

I hope this helps.

Leah J. Utas · Jun 17, 2007

I was stuck for several months. I had a rough first draft of a non-fic that didn't want to move. I ended up letting it mold until finally, the other day, the solution came to me. I had to kill it. I keep a few hundred of the better words then button-murdered the rest.
Within moments the ideas started flowing and I've got a fresh manuscript underway.
My solution was drastic, but it was the manuscript or me.
Generally, though, if I'm stuck I go away and do something else.

badducky · Jun 17, 2007

james ritchie's right on target.

that works. when one project is grinding your gullet like a swallowed wrench, pick up something else that you will polish up and send into the world.

also, stupid routines help writers trick themselves into working. better writers than i make a very good living with routines.

Ziljon · Jun 17, 2007

I found another helpful tool the other day--standing up while you write. It's a whole new world.

What do you do when creativity fails you?

Siddow

I'm super! Thanks for asking

Vincent

Cheers

reenkam

aka cupcake

zahra

Was Zahra; lost profile - REBORN!

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Harper K

here's to the girl on the go

Snitchcat

Dragon-kitty.

Jamesaritchie

Siddow

I'm super! Thanks for asking

sunna

Jamesaritchie

Ziljon

Tortilla di Patate

huggy4ever

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

Siddow

I'm super! Thanks for asking

MMcC

DragonHeart

Oerba Yun Fang

johnnysannie

Sean D. Schaffer

Leah J. Utas

Protecting Teddy with all my might.

badducky

No Time For Chitchat, Kemosabe.

Ziljon

Tortilla di Patate