Questions for you

[unchristened.livejournal.com]

I've got two questions for you all.

When you're going about your life and you want to stop and write, but nothing comes to mind, how do you get those juices flowing?

Similarly, what do you use to get over writer's block?  I've got a story I'm working on, but I've kind of gotten myself stuck, and it's really frustrating me that I can't figure out where to go from here.

Comments

[redqueen1.livejournal.com]

The only time I get writer's block is when I've messed up something in the story line. Go back and figure out if you wrote something that doesn't fit or had a character do something that they wouldn't have done.

Hope that helps!

[unchristened.livejournal.com]

Oh, huh. That's interesting, actually. I'd never have thought of that.

The latest couple of pages are something that needs to happen in the story but......maybe it's too early, or maybe it's not the right execution for it... Hmmm.....

[flamingruby.livejournal.com]

If I can't seem to get started, a prompt helps.

If I have writer's block, I'll walk away from what I'm stuck on and write/do something else

[cat-mcdougall.livejournal.com]

Go back to the outline/plan/something. Go back and see what's next on the list. (I write my plot outlines like a blog post. No, I'm not joking)

You can always go back and revise it, later.

[unchristened.livejournal.com]

XD Me, outline? Sadly, I was never good at outlining things in school, and I've only gotten worse over the years. I always plan things in my head, and never really write it down anywhere, other than a short one-line note to myself.

[cat-mcdougall.livejournal.com]

I never outlined in school. EVER. My teachers tried to teach me, but my brain just doesn't work that way. When I started really getting into writing though, I began writing out plans. Most especially the beginning (where everyone starts) and the end. Then I'd fill it in as things struck me and it gave me a basic plot to follow so I didn't get stuck.

[baltimoreandme.livejournal.com]

What cat_mcdougall said about outlines. I've found that fooling around with the outline, or writing other parts of the story (even if I don't end up using them) is often helpful.

Or, there is the old standby of simply not letting yourself work on that particular project for a week, or a day, or whatever. Often, forcing yourself not to write for a while can help.