Tuesday, September 19, 2006

How to beat Writers Block

I have a fathamable idea of how to beat writers block.
I need to lock myself in my room with terrible music playing and JUST FUCKING DO MY THING!
In the words of Kirsten Pfaff, I need to be happy and sane and just remove myself...
I have no money at the moment... so I don't have the temptation to go out and drink (which is good).
I have to just ignore my friends (again... Apologies to Ang, Lucy and Charisse)
I need to ignore the charms of the net (sorry peeps... Lucy, Stacey, Alex's... Charisse Again!)
I have to ignore Lee (not that hard actually!)
I need to begin working on projects that I have started and not finished... so that would be:
-Stolen Story
-Mermaids and Drowning Women
-The Novel
-Sing,Sing
-The New story
I need to give everyting Ladyfest related to Charisse.
When having breaks I should be doing my Grants for the Arts Application.
I need to stop doing things like cleaning the underside of the sofa as procastinating
I need to chuck the TV out the window (Perhaps take a leaf out of somebody I know's book - he put a hammer through his!)

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4 comments:

Lucy Ann Wade said...

Just read Stephen King's 'On Writing' book, and he says that you do need to just get into the routine of writing. Don't beat yourself up because you've not had any new ideas these last couple of days - just keep working on the ones you've got already. If you are bored with them, or if you've come to a stop, try to work around it, or approach the problem from a new direction. On example I can think of is to take the characters out of the story you are writing, and write a scene in which they are, I don't know, all in Mcdonalds or at a Backstreet Boys concert or something out of character for them (maybe, I don't know, perhaps Christina is a secret AJ fan?). Play with them as though they were dolls - you could suddenly decide that actually, Arthur has superpowers and is going to use them for evil. Write a passage about this, and then see if this may or may not have developed the character further (in terms of his reactions to his new gift, rather than him actually being able to melt lead with his eyes). If not, then well, at least you're still writing!! Goodluck honey, sure you'll be back to your old self in no time.

Oh, and fancy signing up for the National Write a Novel in a Month thingy? That's one way to get you writing!

Sabrina Mei-Li Smith said...

I know it sounds lame-ass, but im having a low where it just seems really difficult to do any writing. Having watched Stephen Fry last night I have decided that my attitude to writing is like having bi-polar disorder (not that i actually have it - but you know what i mean!) I would like to take my characters out for the day but i really cant face getting them out of bed...
i know it sounds daft. Im getting scared of my laptop!

Lucy Ann Wade said...

That's really not good. Maybe you should try writing on paper for a bit instead?! You could start simply, by writing your name, and progress from there! :)

I do think that this write a novel in a month competition thing would be good for all of us - cos you don't have time to think, it's all about just writing anything, even bullshit, just to keep the momentum going and finishing.

Damien G Walter said...

I get blocked when I try to write 'the perfect story' instead of just writing. The problem is getting the writing process - where you churn out whatever comes next on the thing you are working one, and the editing process - where you make that rough text shiny and good, get confused with each other. The only solution I've found is to make yourself write without critiquing what hits the paper, and then go back and edit the next day. A few days of that generaly get me back into the groove.