@honeyscribe's guide to busting writer's block: Never admit defeat

in #writing8 years ago

The key to overcoming writer's block is to persist even when your words are distinctly non-lyrical nonsense. Never admit defeat. Write (or type) whatever comes into your head on the page (or screen). You may not find the flow and you may not meet your NaNo goal the way you wanted to, but you held yourself accountable.


It's a writing rainbow!

In a world of erasers and delete keys, there is no sense in stopping your pen. Burn the pages is you have to because they're so bad, but write them in the first place. You won't know what you can write until you try.

And when you write something so phenomenally bad you want to quit? Don't. Celebrate because things are now looking up. You've learned what not to write. Take heart. Not all writing is good just like not all sex is good, but there are always new tools, techniques and positions to try. Go for it!

Half of writing is showing up. The other half is the application of words to document. For those of you who can't bust a block while looking at it, here are a hatful of tricks to help you on your way:

  • Describe an object in extreme detail. Write what it looks like, what it reminds you of and what it does not look like. If you are writing a novel, do this with an object of your character's environment.

  • Write rhyming words until one of them pulls your thoughts in a different direction. Follow it. Write the way.

  • Change your perspective. Don't sit where you always sit. Move to the floor or bed or lean against the wall in the coffee shop.

  • People watch. Too classic? Plant watch. Plants are awesome.

  • Rewrite a paragraph. Yours or someone else's. Doesn't matter. Just write.

I hope this helps as those of you meeting word counts or producing poems/blogs/other work daily this month. You are amazing. Keep up the good work. I believe in you!

((((((Steemit hug))))))

@honeyscribe

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Last year during WriMo I had such writer's block! Suffered through a chapter for over a week and getting nowhere. Then in the middle of the night, I woke up with the thought that I didn't need that chapter! There was nothing in it moving the story forward. It was painful, but as soon as I got rid of it, the words flowed.

That is huge! Did you have to make a ritual of parting with it or any large work around it? A chapter is often a story in itself.

I took the entire chapter and extracted it onto a new word document (I hate wasting words as much as I hate wasting food. LOL). Because I'd suffered with that chapter for a week, I knew exactly what was in it and was able to repurpose some of the dialogue elsewhere. The hardest part was realizing that chapter was holding me back. I'm so stubborn sometimes and did everything I could to power through it. When I finally "gave up" and listened to the small voice, it was like magic.

Good thinking! I know exactly what you mean about wasting words. I feel the same way. I'm so glad that worked for you. Blocks are not fun.

Back in February, I started writing a script to a short film that I wanted to produce this year. Obviously, I'm not going to have it completed this year, as I have actually run into a serious bout of writers block. That was in April. Since then, I had to shelve the idea because we hit the busy season of our photography business. I haven't had a chance to revisit it yet. What's weird, is that I've actually found myself talking about the writers block and writing about it, but not actually doing anything about it. I have the structure of the story in my head exactly as I want it to go, but in the process of writing it, I ran into a spot that needs more detail, but I can't seem to pull those details out. So in essence, I have the complete structure to a story that has a gap in the middle which I'm having trouble filling. I could technically remove the gap and simply have the story go from where I am to where I want it to go, but the flow and the feel of the story if I do that won't be right.
The good news is that I've been talking about it more and thinking about it more, so hopefully I will be inspired and come up with some great idea that will link the first half and the second half of the story together in a way that will be enjoyable. The winter is coming up, so my slow season is about to start again. I'll probably have a little extra time in the evenings that I can devote to hashing out some ideas.

I hope you do come to a point that you can engage it. Have you ever come at it sideways? One of the block busting tips above is to write the nots. The way it isn't. That's a fiction writing tool and one that could work since you say you know what you do want but you're still circling writer's block in place of being able to write your section. Just a thought. Let me know if this makes sense. :)

OMW!!! I am halfway with a post about writers block! :) Luckily I saw this now....otherwise you might have thought I wanted to copy you.... I am going to keep what I have and then just change my title a bit.

I don't think there can ever be too much writing on writer's block. TBH I write about it to get past it. LOL. I look forward to reading yours!

It is on it's way....just a little bit stuck here....Think I now have writer's block! LOL!

@honeyscribe my post is done and posted. Now I am going to read it again for inspiration:)

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