The cure for writer's block

pthomas4 · Oct 7, 2014

It occurred to me that the cure for writer's block might be to go somewhere slightly off the grid and just watch people, picking out the colorful ones and imagining them together in strange situations.

So help me brainstorm some places blocked writers should hang out to envision diverse people in interesting situations (be sure to dress for it). For starters:

The Greyhound bus station (in Cleveland?)
A sketchy bowling alley
The waiting area in your local social security office
Outside a Colorado mariijuana clinic

Ok, guys, where else?

CathleenT · Oct 7, 2014

I mostly watch people at Starbuck's and the grocery store. I haven't gotten any stories out of it, but I have gotten a few good lines/situations.

Lavern08 · Oct 7, 2014

Wal-Mart and the DMV

*Lock thread*

RNJ · Oct 7, 2014

DMV, yes. A farmer's market in a downtown area of a large city.

D S LILLICO · Oct 7, 2014

My cure is to walk away from the page. I go walk the dog for an hour and something clicks (I honestly think it is when I day dream. My subconscious seems to be the key to my creativity).

Needless to say, some days the dog is bloody knackered!

Six Alaric · Oct 7, 2014

Merlot. Wait, I misread the question.

I think a public park would be a good source of subtly spying on a diverse range of people. A hospital waiting room, too, but I'm not sure they let you hang out there with a notepad.

Ken · Oct 7, 2014

I don't tune in to people around me.
Watching or listening to them has always seemed an invasion of privacy.
Eavesdropping is a nasty affair. Not that I knock others for doing so.
That's their business; not mine.

pthomas4 · Oct 7, 2014

Wow. How about a shooting range? Recycling centers can be interesting too. Harley shop?

I like the Merlot idea, that has great potential. Loosen the tongue aka fingers?

Poet of Gore · Oct 7, 2014

pthomas4 said:
It occurred to me that the cure for writer's block might be to go somewhere slightly off the grid and just watch people, picking out the colorful ones and imagining them together in strange situations.

So help me brainstorm some places blocked writers should hang out to envision diverse people in interesting situations (be sure to dress for it). For starters:

The Greyhound bus station (in Cleveland?)
A sketchy bowling alley
The waiting area in your local social security office
Outside a Colorado mariijuana clinic

Ok, guys, where else?

lol, do you know what "off the grid" means???

KellyAssauer · Oct 7, 2014

pthomas4 said:
So help me brainstorm some places blocked writers should hang out to envision diverse people in interesting situations (be sure to dress for it).

In front of a blank page.
The only cure for writer's block is to write.
Anything else is avoidance.

Primus · Oct 7, 2014

You could try and find that cure with voyeurism. You'll find some "diverse people in interesting situations" there I'm sure of it. (Don't get caught.)

GingerGunlock · Oct 8, 2014

The public library. Trust me.

pthomas4 · Oct 8, 2014

Orangutan

The public library is a really good one.

Not sure I agree on forcing myself to write if I'm blocked. Am reading the Artist's Way and she suggests taking your "inner child" somewhere to play about once a week plus journaling. Journaling does help.

So is it time for a trip to the zoo? I have things I could say about the orangutan. Might be fun to base a character on an animal; has anyone done that? Now that right there would be fun to hear about.

Pat

The cure for writer's block

pthomas4

CathleenT

I write

Lavern08

Sit Down, and Shut Up!

RNJ

addicted to love

D S LILLICO

Author of Xy

Six Alaric

The terror, the terror

Ken

pthomas4

Poet of Gore

KellyAssauer

The Anti-Magdalene

Primus

Del Lago

GingerGunlock

paralibrarian

pthomas4