Outwitting Writers Block

My tactic is looking at beautiful landscapes. Usually with water in them. I actually have a picture above my chair in my room. My... "thinking chair" (i hate to quote that kid show... Blues Clues). I also have a stack of those types of pictures on my desk where I write my stories (right next to the chair) Usually this makes me think of a story (related or not related to the picutre). I think it's because water helps me be calm and relaxed and that helps my thought process. I assume that this is different for everyone. Do something relaxing (taking a bath, reading a book, playing with your pet, taking a walk, listening to calming music, etc.) Sometimes when I have no idea what to write, I look at clipart. Real photos though, I don't like the drawings as much. I look at them and sometimes base an entire story on one of them. I think that's because I'm a nature lover, but it still might work for you
Hope I helped!

Katie

I wrote this for screenwriters. im putting a copy of it here.


I'm not a writer of any kind. But I do know when to concentrate on something and when not too regarding creativity.

If you concentrate on something it too long it will cause you'r mind to bog down and even stop in the creative juices of any project you are doing. It's like a light bulb, if you leave that light bulb on tool long it will burn out. The human mind is not suppose to function with it concentrating on something too much. Writers block can happen because of going at something to much. The mind is saying to you that your going at this too much, stop, back off.

The whole key to being creative is to have variety. To never allow your mind to concentrate on something too long or too short.If it's too long then it will burn out, if it's too short you forget key things and minute things which are crucial. You'll wind up losing either way.

The backbone to the key of being creative has to do with a process called "turn on/shut down". This means that no matter what you're working on, you have to walk away from it and get your mind to completely and absolutely forget everything and anything that you've been working on. Not just absolutely forget what you're working on but to forget for a period of time.

The reason why the mind must absolutely and completely forget what you're working on and for a period of time is because the mind is going through a process that you're absolutely unaware of. What it's doing is digesting and analyzing everything that you have done. You can't feel or tell that this is going on because its doing this on the subconscious level.This process that the mind goes through of digesting and analyzing what you have done is actually the back bone of being creative, with out it you can't be creative.

When you eat food, you're body has to be able to digest the food. When you're being creative, which is the equivalent of eating food, your mind has to be able to digest it just like your body has to digest the food that you just ate. you're mind actually does this naturally every time your not thinking of something and aren't thinking of, irrelevant to what it is. Its not just restricted to creativity.

When the mind is digesting what ever its digesting that you have created and don't have your mind on or any thought on, at the same time its analyzing it. When you eat food and you're body is digesting it,its also at the same time analyzing it. What kind of food, are there any poisons that came with the food,how heavy is the food Your body can digest and analyze your food with out you having a thought about it. But with creativity you have to get your mind off of what your creating so that your mind can digest and analyze it.

When your mind is analyzing what your creating, it will do one of three things. It will either 1) find something wrong 2) add creativity to what your doing, such as a "good idea" 3) both number 1 & 2. When you come back to being creative one of those three things will be waiting for you in your mind when you go back to concentrate on being creative. If any of those three things are'nt there then your mind has'nt digested it or has'nt completely digested it.

The amount of time to allow your mind to digest anything your creating is variant. Some times it takes a long time or a short time, some times it does it instantly but this is rare. Its just like when you eat food. If you eat certain kinds of food it will take your system a long time to digest it, with other foods its real quick. It depends on what your eating. The same holds true with being creative, it depends on what your doing. The more complex something is the longer it's going to take for the mind to digest it and Analise it.

The human mind is not a machine where it is suppose to pump out one good thing after another. This is total fantasy and absolutely impossible. There is actually a process the mind must go through in order to be creative. If you violate this process it can create writers block and creativity block.

When creating, irrelevant to whether its screenwriting, painting, or any other form of creativity the human mind must go through this process.

As far as being a screenwriter its actually best to have 3 or 4 screen plays one's creating at one time. Thus causing the screenwriters to go from one screen play to another. This will help prevent the screen writer to get bogged down in any one script. When I work on abstract paintings I do, I always work on 3 or 4 paintings at a time. I never ever concentrate on just one painting. Even masters who are the elite of the painting world have at least 2 paintings at any one time they are working on. you'll never see an artist working on just one thing, it will never happen.


When ever a screenwriter is working on 3 to 4 screen plays not just do they need to get their mind off of what they are doing with anyone script but must also get their mind off of screen writing all together. They must many times totally forget everything about screen writing and everything they are doing in screen writing.

The whole key of creativity revolves around what one is concentrating, how long they are concentrating on anything, how deeply they are concentrating on any one thing and how long the absolutely forget what ever they were doing

good luck (wink)

good advice, Toto, albeit a bit incoherent in places, but do read Jenna's book, too. Well worth the time you'll spend.

And again, sport, use spellcheck and watch those pesky apostrophes... you don't ever need one in the word "your" even though it is possessive. You do when it's a contraction, though -

Like so:

"This is your story." [the story belongs to you - no apostrophe.]


"You're using that apostrophe incorrectly." [You are, written as a contraction, leaving out the letter "A".]

See?

[No message]

I did use spell check, when I ran it through the second time it didnt have any words to correct.:shrug

I just ran it through a third time, nothing.:shrug

so, what you're saying is, what we have here is a failure to spellcheck?? :rollin

(Sorry, couldn't resist...)

Re: annyoing writer block

I can't it not because I can't contrate or don't want to write. I love writing. but sometimes ideas just leave my head. I wish I can stop it. but it's impossible. than sometimes I have like seven diffrent ones at once. knowing I can only write one. I don't what writer block is but I hate itg

Re: One of the things I'll do is

I'll take a character in the book, and give them a secret. I'll take a bad guy, and look for a way to make them sympathetic and complex, so that you'd begin to understand them.

Or, I'll take one of the sympathetic characters and give them a dark side.

This adds a completely new stream of information to the story and also can bring in other characters. In a sense, it's like finding something redeeming in Darth Vadar, but you still have the emperor to be the really bad guy.

He's not just the worst guy in the Universe, he's your father Luke!

Check your checkers

I was just reading the exchange between Toto and Betty, long after they wrote their posts I see, but anyways....

The reason Spell Check wouldn't catch the problem of your and you're is because it's not a spelling error. It's a grammar error. Spell Check is only going to let you know that a word is misspelled, not that it is used incorrectly. Spell Check would see "your" as correct and "you're" as correct.

Checkers

Yeah, but I donut think their is mulch of a chance of sum thing like that oak erring.

Re: Checkers

I think it's easier to just follow the route the vast majority of successful writers follow. Sit your rear end down in the writing chair at the same time each day and everyday and write.

Writer's block only exists if you believe it exists and give in to it. Those who suffer from writer's block are almost inevitably those those find reasons not to sit down and write each day, everyday, no matter what.

No more Writer's Block

Yes, I agree with what James said.

I used to procrastinate about writing. There was always an excuse. But now I have been writing every day. I made a deal with myself that I must write SOMETHING every day, even if it's just an email to a friend. (I tend to write very lengthy emails)

You lose the flow of words when you stop using them.

Re: No more Writer's Block

I've finally doing some writing again because I've made that one of my New Years Resolutions. I don't usually do NYR's, but I thought since I'm the world's greatest procrastinator, let's see if this work. So far, 22 days into the year, it's worked pretty good.
Let's see if I can keep this up for 343 more days.

My solution to outwitting writer's block is not to lend credibility to the term. For me, writer's block doesn't exist. It's only an excuse I have made for not writing or fearing to write. Rather, I think of myself as always writing. Thinking out loud, internal plotting or actual physical writing, is writing. Pure and simple.

Writers Block Does Not Exist...

...except in your mind.

It somehow resembles a block, internally. Who decided that?

What if you went around the block and looked on the other side.

What else would you see?

Certainly not the block anymore.

What if it's a big block?

Keep walking until you can see around it.

How?

Write.

Remove it's power and reclaim your own.

Stop giving away your power to something that doesn't exist.

Best wishes,

Nick Dunning
Head of Development
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http://www.screenwriting-on-the-net.com/Post
Royal Academy Of Dramatic Art
Hollywood film Institute
New Producers Alliance