Help!

[ShiroiHikari]

I can't seem to sit down and write. I'm not inspired anymore, and it feels like work. Help? What do you guys do when that happens?

[inkhana]

Uh, this is gonna sound weird, but I like to play video games (specifically RPGs) to jumpstart my writing (but only ones I haven't played, that way my brain's reeling with possibilities). The sad part is, it usually turns out being fanfic of some sort or another...O.o

Sometimes writing does feel like work. That's when you must discipline yourself to finish. Everyone gets that sometimes. But it's like, there was this story I wrote once, and I wrote a page a day whether I wanted to or not. One day I suddenly broke through a wall or something and wrote like ten. Sometimes it happens like that.

[andyroo]

What I do, is I sleep, take a break and regather my thoughts, or just read a book, play a game (not to steal your idea Ink ), or watch t.v.

[Ashley]

What I usually do depends on the situation. Sometimes it's refreshing to take a whiff of fresh air and just leave the whole writing thing alone for a while. Sometimes I'll do an excercise; make myself describe a character in under 10 words, make a shopping list for them, play with plot points, etc. "The Writer's Sketchbook"--might be workbook, I don't recall exactly--by Caroline Sharp has a number of good excercises. Or I'll think of random scenes in my head and jot them down; i.e. crying over sink, running through forest, etc. Then try to figure out how I can work them in. Or, of course, work on another story. Usually I'll burn myself dry on one story and leave it for a few months while the idea for another one is still fresh and just come back to it. Slow, yes, but highly effective. Several speed burns and glides will do the job better than one long exhaustive overhaul, in my case.

[ShiroiHikari]

Well....I guess I didn't quite describe my problem accurately...I'm really having trouble doing -anything- creative.

For now, my solution is leave it alone and don't even look back at it. ::shrug::

[inkhana]

Agreed! There's no sense in beating yourself up. Just pray, take a little time off, and it'll come back to you eventually. (It might even come back BIG time!)

[Rashiir]

I usually get a Gatorade or something when i can't write...gotta have those electrolytes...

[uc pseudonym]

Perhaps waiting it out is the best thing you can do (though prayer is an understood).

Are you trying to do something completely creative, or a fanfiction that isn't a rehash of something old? There's a big difference. If you're talking about something entirely creative, you'll just have to wait. Rushing inspiration doesn't work to well.

But, if it feels like work, just don't bother. We aren't going to judge you if you don't write.

[Spencer]

Whenever I write (which is extremely rare) I get stuck, and I fell kinda like..."uh..i donnwanna. maybe later." then I never go back to it. Then like, a couple of months later, I find the spiral I was writing in, and looked over the story and am like..."This is terrible. I'm throwing this away." Then my writing career is over for the week. Then after awhile, start a story or fanfic, and repeat. It's a vicious cycle.

But then again, I'm not much of a writer.

[ShiroiHikari]

Well, I write my own stuff...I've never done a fanfic. So...

I think I'll just take a break. Every time I think about trying to write I get this funny sense of "no...don't wanna...can't do it!" Yet at the same time, I want to write. So I think I'll just quit thinking about it for a while...unless you guys know of some exercises I can do.

[Anison Twilight]

Sit down with a can or bottle of your favorite soda and read a book from the genre you want to write about. If it isn't that good of a book then get another one. Sure, it takes a while but, I usually come back headstrong when I do this.

PS: Read the sleeve of a book you're thinking about reading.

[ShiroiHikari]

Thanks a lot for the responses guys ^^

I might try to write a bit this evening, although it may or may not have anything to do with either of my present stories ^^;

[inkhana]

Just as long as you're writing something...!:)

[Technomancer]

I sympathize with you man; I'm writing up som stuff on room acoustics, and keep moving things around. I'm trying to decide what to leave out, what to discuss, and in what depth. ugh. Good Luck!

[uc pseudonym]

I don't know if you're writing short stories or longer ones. If the latter, I do have one thing that helps when I don't want to write. In general, I figure out exactly what's going to happen in the story before I begin writing. So I cover characters, plot, etc. I find that I can do this even when writing feels like a pain, and sometimes it even helps me get in the mood.

Just a suggestion...

[majanthehun]

im the oppisite, uc- i dont plan anything out. i just write and see where inspiration leads me, then go back and alter a few details to make it all work..

anyways, when faced with a block of creativity and when lacking a muse, put it down, walk a way, live your life for a week or so, then go back, re read what you wrote (from the beginning) and then just start to write.

or, what i do most commonly, is just keep writing- even if it doesnt make sense or its completley pointless, just keep writing. something may come to you.

or change your writing environment. if used to writing outside, go inside (or vise versa). turn off all the lights, light one or two candles, and write in the dark. write lying down, or standign up... anything to change your surroundings. be open to inspiration!!

anyways, thats enough from me...

i find if one of those dont work, well then, i dunno what happens when those dont work...

those are my ideas!

[ShiroiHikari]

My first (extremely long) story was not all planned out beforehand, but my second one has been. I dunno, the first one is disorganized, and the second one I've already gotten burned out on before I could start writing it. So I don't know what works better for me.

Again, thanks for the suggestions.

Actually, my interest in my second story has been sparked once again....::looks over at Ink:: THANK YOU! (ask me later girl ^_~) I might start working on it again soon :]

[Saint]

saw this thought i would post a few fun things. these maybe understood but...
pay attention to your dreams. not that you will get some mystical message, but hey, some dreams are just plain cool. i have kept a book that has some of my more intresting, noteworthy dreams in. the book dates all the way back to 1992. so i say just keep some paper and pen by the bed and when you wake up after a cool dream jot it down and your immediate ideas. later, add to it and just keep it. you may want to write about it some day.
i also like to write with a purpose. as in i want this to deliver a message to the readers. a view, a moral, or something like that. that way even if you have a dry day creatively speaking, you still know your prupose and can sometimes go on.
finally, its fun just to make intresting characters. only focus on making a cool, well rounded, dynamic character. give them a mind of there own to where, you don't write for them. you just know them so well that you know what they would do in any given situation. after you have enought "living" characters just throw down a neat delima and write down what they do...
hahaha, its easy that way, or am i just crazy.

[ShiroiHikari]

Your methods are similar to mine :]

Actually this one story was sort of inspired by dreams...my dreams felt like an ongoing saga for a while, it was strange, but it inspired me.

Usually, characters is the first thing I come up with. Then I put them in a situation. I'm like, "hmm, what would this guy do in this situation...?" and I go from there. Except my first story I didn't plan out first .___. So it's very disorganized.