Creative block

[nmilek]

Hope this is the right spot for this.

 

So I have to ask what do people do to get over this sort of gap, picked up a pencil for the first time in a few years again and I just cant seem to get inspired or hell even an original thought at the moment. Having quite an extensive unemployment period so thats probably not helping but still, what do you folks delve into for insipration/ ever had any extensive periods of writers/artists block youd like to share, how'd you get over them?

[jaosals42]

Hope this is the right spot for this.

 

So I have to ask what do people do to get over this sort of gap, picked up a pencil for the first time in a few years again and I just cant seem to get inspired or hell even an original thought at the moment. Having quite an extensive unemployment period so thats probably not helping but still, what do you folks delve into for insipration/ ever had any extensive periods of writers/artists block youd like to share, how'd you get over them?

 

Let's just say I'm going through an instance of writer's block myself. Due to a combination of a heavy school workload, a decrease in amount of time to just go out there and see the world, and mere family life distractions, I've been unable to write anything really in the past year or so.

 

This really annoys me as I'm hoping to have a novel of mine worked on heavily and (maybe) released during the summer. Hopefully, with school our of the way for a few months, I should have surplus time to focus on this.

 

Of course, My parents have a lot of difficulty getting me out of the computer in the summer, so... Yeah... :closedeyes:

[exanimis]

Easy answer.

 

In his book "On Writing" Stephen King wrote that he didn't have anywhere to write when he started out. He cleaned out a closet and put a desk, chair and typewriter in it. It was a place with no distractions. Each day, at the same time, he would go into that closet and write. He typed no less than one page and would not leave the closet until he had at least one page. Most of it was trash that he threw away later but the effort forced him to finish his first book, Carrie.

 

Writers block is a phrase explaining the lack of effort that you put into your work. If you want to write a story, a book or a series, you will find a way to do it.

 

Those who want to do something will find a way. Those who don't, will find an excuse.

 

Just get to work! You can do it.

[Vagrant0]

I guess it really depends on what you're writing, or what your own personal habits are. Sometimes, the best way to get those little bits of creative inspiration you want is to explore something, a place, or an idea, that you just aren't too familiar with.

 

You can also try playing some creativity games;

Such as going to a bar, coffee shop, or library, picking some random person (without making contact, or looking at them too intently) and develop a story about what brought them there today. If you hit a wall, find someone else. Often the ones who look the least interesting can be the most fun.

 

Such as any time you hear part of a conversation somewhere, as soon as it is out of earshot, try to continue the conversation in your head working from the topic that you heard being discussed, and just letting it branch out from there, one moment to the next, as quickly as you can. You can be surprised just where those conversations in your head may go once you stop trying. You should also attempt to keep the conversation within the range of what you might imagine those people to be talking about, not only just about the topic you overheard, but also any sidebars that might pop in.

 

Or similarly, any time you overhear a phone conversation, try to fill in the other half of what is being said before the person you can hear responds, and gauging how good you do by how closely it matches, or how long you can go before laughing about it.

 

Such as taking a random concept or thing, and explaining it ad infinitum to a second voice. Don't be too concerned with logic, reason, practicality, just explain away. If something seems too far fetched, have the second voice question it, and the first voice clarify without going against what was already said.

 

Such as, a more social type game, where you can get together with your friends, and take turns trying to predict the future for eachother. Try to be as specific as possible, include details, like what happened, who they were with, what events led them to get there. You do however need an almost equally creative group of people, who aren't likely to get offended when you discuss how they are going to meet a terrible death, or do something that they normally wouldn't.

 

The advantage of all these is that they can be done almost anywhere, focus on key parts of writing, background, dialogue, explanation, planning, and require you to do these things rapidly without writing anything down, or being able to look back at what was already defined. By not writing anything down, you won't be tempted to use the actual content of these games for anything, but still practice the process of developing these things. It also gets rid of any evidence of what might, by some, be seen as rather hostile/rude behavior.

 

Often, the best writers are those who read alot, or who take the time to really pay attention to what is happening around them. Not all dialogue or background is meaningful in content, but it can still help round out both a character and a person.

[dezdimona]

my best creative activity is early morning.It's quiet and I'm relaxing drinking my morning coffee. I put the stereo on and just do nothing.It works for me.When I find my self stuck on a story or even a poem,I busy myself with other things and don't worry about it like vagrant and jaosals said. It eventually passes.