writer's block during Nano

Dares

Ninjas/Vikings/your mayhem of choice

Skip to the interesting parts

Write with eyes closed/screen blank

Change of writing location/music or silence/other environment

Bouncing ideas off of someone else

Interviewing characters on-page

Playing beat-the-spreadsheet/word wars
or, alternatively, shutting out the wordcount and just focusing on story

Find something else that urgently needs done, that you want to do less than you want to write...bonus if it's something mindless like washing dishes, to let thoughts percolate while you work

Read the NaNoisms thread, or the adoptables threads on the NaNo board.

...something totally unexpected that works at the time?

Hope you figure it out!

Annie's got some great ideas, but they all amount to one thing -- just do it! Sit down and write, even if you start out, "I don't know where this story's going or what Character A was thinking when she did such and such..." You get the idea.

The other thing you need to do is figure out WHY you're stuck. I was stuck a couple of days ago, and realized that it was because I didn't know enough about the world that I'd thrown my characters into, so I sat down and took a day for research. It paid off today, big time, and I'm back on track. But I knew specifically why I was blocked, and was thus able to destroy the block.

If you get the 'pep talks' emailed to you from the NaNo folks, you might also get some assistance from the one that got mailed out today. If you don't get it emailed, it will probably be posted soon on the boards. Check it out, because it talks specifically about blocks and unblocking.

Good points!

(I read up to WHY... and thought you were going to talk about figuring out WHY characters are doing this or that. Oops. Though that's another good angle of attack. )

I second adding Ninjas into any book! It will not only cure your writer's block, but make your book ever more awesome, as Ninjas are made out of coolness!

But for a serous idea. I don't suffer from writer's block. Whenever I sit down and hit a wall, there's always something in the back of my head. An idea I have to write. Something I may not WANT to write because it's corny/stupid/cliche or what have you. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and sacrifices will need to be made.

So, if you're like me and have that itching thought in the back of you mind that you just don't want to write. Just do it! And there's plenty of time for you to join the winners so no need to worry!

Just keep writing, fix the plot later! We'll save you a seat at the winner's table!

free write. one word after another.