Help!

[T1r3d_s0ul]

I'm trying to write a novel, and I have a good idea of the plot (as if you want a summary), but I have no idea how to get over my constant writer's block! Any ideas that I could use?

 

[Norsebard]

Well, first of all, everyone's Block is different so there's really no such thing as a one-approach-fits-all (and there aren't any quick fixes, either).

How severe would you classify your creative Block? Can't you write anything at all, or is it more that you can write but constantly doubt yourself and your skills? Or somewhere in between?

If the Block is on the 'lighter' end of the spectrum, perhaps it would help to take the characters out of their context and interact with them like we would actual persons (in written form, obviously) - banter with them, ask them what they've been up to, tell them they can't do something they love, or command them to do something they're dead against, etc, simply to get to know them.

If the Block is caused by a niggling feeling that the plot you've created isn't strong enough to last an entire novel, you could write a few pre-production scenes to explore the tone, setting, conflicts, characters arcs, etc., to see if you need to go through the basic plot points again to expand them.




Norsebard

 

[Helix]

Set a timer. Write for 5 mins. That's all. Just 5 mins.

See how you go.

You can do another 5 mins tomorrow.

 

[Brigid Barry]

Have you tried outlining?

 

[Chris P]

I've not found a trick that will always work. I try different things. Sometimes I write whichever scene is most rattling in my mind, no matter where it occurs in the book. You can always rearrange later. Another thing that's worked for me on a particular scene is to imagine a Socratic question and answer "And then what happened?" "Why did she say that, and not [something else]?" "If you know where the character needs to get to, what's one step backward from there? And the step before that?" Other times a walk around the block letting the scenes play out works. All that said, I have significantly lost the fire for writing a few years ago, and I'm not writing even 10% of what I was before that, and the big thing for me is to let myself be blocked. I give myself that freedom, don't beat myself up about it, and enjoy the other things I can be doing in the meantime.

 

[T1r3d_s0ul]

Well, first of all, everyone's Block is different so there's really no such thing as a one-approach-fits-all (and there aren't any quick fixes, either).

How severe would you classify your Creative Block? Can't you write anything at all, or is it more that you can write but constantly doubt yourself and your skills? Or somewhere in between?

If the Block is on the 'lighter' end of the spectrum, perhaps it would help to take the characters out of their context and interact with them like we would actual persons (in written form, obviously) - banter with them, ask them what they've been up to, tell them they can't do something they love, or command them to do something they're dead against, etc, simply to get to know them.

If the Block is caused by a niggling feeling that the plot you've created isn't strong enough to last an entire novel, you could write a few pre-production scenes to explore the tone, setting, conflicts, characters arcs, etc., to see if you need to go through the basic plot points again to expand them.




Norsebard

Well, I have the ideas in my head, brewing around like a potion in a witch's cauldron, but I don't know how to translate those ideas onto paper, and it leaves me feeling... stuck, I guess?

 

[Lakey]

Hi there, and welcome to AW! Are you new to writing fiction? When I was new to it (and, to some extent, this is still true for me), I was terribly afraid of writing down anything that wasn’t GREAT. This feeling makes it very hard to get words out on the page — I write a sentence, find it cringey, delete it… or I fret so much that I just don’t write at all.

The fact is, though, that just about any decent published work you read has been revised several times (or MANY times) by its author, often with input from lots of other people, including editors. You aren’t seeing the first thing they wrote down on the page. Everyone’s first draft is not terribly great writing. Everyone’s first draft has cringey bits, things that don’t make sense, things that are inconsistent or cliché or just not that good. Revision is the real work of writing.

So give yourself permission to write a lousy first draft, and get yourself writing. Don’t worry if it’s not doing justice to the ideas in your head—that will come with revision. Try to write down some approximation of the ideas in your head—as is often said, you can revise a lousy first draft, but you can’t revise a blank page.

 

[TristenHannah]

Hi there, and welcome to AW! Are you new to writing fiction? When I was new to it (and, to some extent, this is still true for me), I was terribly afraid of writing down anything that wasn’t GREAT. This feeling makes it very hard to get words out on the page — I write a sentence, find it cringey, delete it… or I fret so much that I just don’t write at all.

The fact is, though, that just about any decent published work you read has been revised several times (or MANY times) by its author, often with input from lots of other people, including editors. You aren’t seeing the first thing they wrote down on the page. Everyone’s first draft is not terribly great writing. Everyone’s first draft has cringey bits, things that don’t make sense, things that are inconsistent or cliché or just not that good. Revision is the real work of writing.

So give yourself permission to write a lousy first draft, and get yourself writing. Don’t worry if it’s not doing justice to the ideas in your head—that will come with revision. Try to write down some approximation of the ideas in your head—as is often said, you can revise a lousy first draft, but you can’t revise a blank page.

I'll second that and add in, the muse won't pay you a visit until you've suffered long enough by producing thousands of words of garbage. Then and only then may she find you worthy.

 

[Woollybear]

What books give you inspiration?

How do they begin?

Sometimes, that can get us thinking in concrete ways of what it is we want to write. Then a couple hundred words appear, and it's a start.

You can also try prompts, like the ones here. These can help get your engine started.

 

[Infinimata]

Well, I have the ideas in my head, brewing around like a potion in a witch's cauldron, but I don't know how to translate those ideas onto paper, and it leaves me feeling... stuck, I guess?

My favorite approach is to shut my eyes for a few and try to imagine a scene, any scene, as something unfolding in a movie, then transcribe what I see. Sometimes that's enough to get the wheel turning.

 

[Chris P]

Well, I have the ideas in my head, brewing around like a potion in a witch's cauldron, but I don't know how to translate those ideas onto paper, and it leaves me feeling... stuck, I guess?

Then at this point, I would say: Write. Just write anything in any way that comes. Sometimes we just need to skim the foam off the top to get to the good stuff. After a few sessions of this, I am usually better able to focus and see what I got. Then I can make more strategic decisions. Some of what you write will be good, some bad, and some can be better with some work. You won't end up using all of it. You might not even end up using any of it, at least not in the form it comes out.

"Just write" is not always the best advice, but here I think it will help you get started. Then on to the next steps.

 

[Unimportant]

Absolutely give yourself permission to write crap. Crap can be edited. A blank page cannot. "The worst story you write is still better than the best story you don't write."

And yep, start tiny. Write for five minutes. Or write ten lines of dialogue. Or write a description of the house your character is standing in. Just get going.

If you're the kind who responds well to threats, I can threaten to peck you with my little metal birdie beak if you haven't written a paragraph by the end of today

 

[Paul Lamb]

One technique that worked for me was to put my characters in a completely different genre. Make up some stupid story and set it as a Western or a horror or a romance or whatever. Just play around with your characters in some other context.

When I've done that it gives me a break and I can go back to may "real" work refreshed.

 

[Infinimata]

Absolutely give yourself permission to write crap. Crap can be edited. A blank page cannot. "The worst story you write is still better than the best story you don't write."

Can't second this enough. I'm in the middle of reworking a story for the second time, and the whole reason I have a better idea of where to go now is because I had a story that didn't work, as opposed to an idea that seemed fine in outline form. In this case, I had to write something bad to write something good.

 

[adinaluca]

I'm trying to write a novel, and I have a good idea of the plot (as if you want a summary), but I have no idea how to get over my constant writer's block! Any ideas that I could use?

Hello, I may be late and you are already typing away at your novel - are you?
Have you written down the summary? If not, could you do that? If you have, could you develop that summary further?

 

[SariBelleW]

Well, I have the ideas in my head, brewing around like a potion in a witch's cauldron, but I don't know how to translate those ideas onto paper, and it leaves me feeling... stuck, I guess?

If you're having trouble even getting the first line out because you don't know where to start, Holly Lisle suggests just writing "Something interesting goes here" and then start. Takes the pressure off having the killer opening line when you know that's a later job.

 

[BustedPrinter]

If you're having trouble even getting the first line out because you don't know where to start, Holly Lisle suggests just writing "Something interesting goes here" and then start. Takes the pressure off having the killer opening line when you know that's a later job.

I usually start a novel on chapter two. Not only does it free me up from having to come up with that opening line hook, often times I am not really sure where the best place is for the story to start. After working on a story for a while, I know the ideal spot.

My advice is to the original poster though is similar to others, but here is one not mentioned.

Write dialog. Typically, we know what characters must say to move the plot along. What I often do not know is the setting details. So often times I start a new chapter with the characters talking. Anywhere there is a description needed and I do not know how to write it, I highlight it, and move on. I can come back to it.

Another thing I often do is open up a new writing program and start doing a chapter or a description outside of the book. It just frees that writing from being in the book itself, and lets me relax a little. I think it works because writers block is often the writer feeling the words they come up with are not good enough. By opening up a new document like MS Word, there is disassociation with the novel. If I like what I wrote, and most times I do, I then just cut and paste it into the book.

Most times writers block comes with descriptions of things, like say a character is in a house, but what is that house like? Do a image search online and try and get some pictures, and describe something you saw that you liked. A timber framed House? A Four-Square? A Log Home? To really write effectively, you need a mental picture. Without one, writer block often ensues.

 

[Unimportant]

To really write effectively, you need a mental picture. Without one, writer block often ensues.

And yet people with aphantasia can be effective, even excellent, writers.

Offering various ideas and tips and methods is great -- the OP gets heaps of options and can try as many as they like to see what works for them as an individual writer. Sweeping generalisations, on the other hand, are less helpful and in some cases can be construed as failing to respect one's fellow writers. It may be better to phrase it as "For me to write really effectively, I need a mental picture" rather than projecting your own personal experience onto others who don't necessarily share it.

 

[BustedPrinter]

And yet people with aphantasia can be effective, even excellent, writers.

Offering various ideas and tips and methods is great -- the OP gets heaps of options and can try as many as they like to see what works for them as an individual writer. Sweeping generalisations, on the other hand, are less helpful and in some cases can be construed as failing to respect one's fellow writers. It may be better to phrase it as "For me to write really effectively, I need a mental picture" rather than projecting your own personal experience onto others who don't necessarily share it.

True, but to be fair you took me out of context. I gave a 300 word reply with very specific examples, and you quoted just my summed-up statement.

Online we have to make generalized statements because there is no way we can account for all the variations and situations of the six billion people that make up this world. It would kind of like be helping someone with dialog concerns. General rules apply for dialog of course, but if a writer has a character who has Tourette's Syndrome what would be proper dialog writing advice for most novels would be far different for that character. Yet to account for every possible dialog variable would take a six billion word post to get all the disclaimers in.

There is no doubt in my mind that those afflicted with Aphantasia aren't just great writers, but better authors. Often times, what is our greatest challenge is also is our greatest strength. Kind of like how colorblind hunters are so good at what they do. Unlike many hunters who look for a brown deer in a forest, a colorblind hunters must look for horizontal patterns like the line of the deers back. Because of that they can pick up on slight variations others would miss.

 

[Unimportant]

Online we have to make generalized statements

I disagree that this is an imperative when communicating online. Heaps of people commented in this thread and gave suggestions, ideas, examples, tips and tricks without resorting to "To write well, you must" generalisations that are not universally applicable, so it can be done.

 

[CMBright]

I disagree that this is an imperative when communicating online. Heaps of people commented in this thread and gave suggestions, ideas, examples, tips and tricks without resorting to "To write well, you must" generalisations that are not universally applicable, so it can be done.

I find I have to agree with you on this. Have you tried... or I would suggest... or X works for me... arebut a few ways to avoid "You must"

 

[TheoreticalJoe]

I am also new to writing - as anything other than a quirky hobby at least lol. The things that usually get me going again when I hit a block are going to sound kind of silly, and may not work for you, but they sure do work for me so I'll share them anyways.

1. I try to write a scene, any scene, involving my characters. Let's say I'm stuck with trying to get character A to interact with Plot Point B and progress the plot, but I can't come up with a good way to do it. I'll take character A and stick them in a situation that I know by heart - usually the plot of a movie I've watched or a book I've read, and rewrite that scene with my Character as the hero/villain/whatever. It helps me see how my character differentiates from others, and helps my brain start imagining how something that already exists would change when my character interacts with it. This will often times give me the jump I need to get started on something. Sometimes, it only results in a single sentence, or paragraph, but its almost always worth it.

2. I'll act out the scene when I'm alone in my writing cave, or in the shower or something. Just to feel it out. Make sure its suitable, and make a few tweaks before I try and get what's in my head onto the page. This works more often than not, and helps me with translating what's into my head into something I can tangibly interact with, and then makes it easier to write about.

But like the others have said, different things work for different folks. I just wanted to share what works for me in the hopes it might also work for you =)

 

[rservello]

Have you tried outlining?

I've actually tried and for some reason my brain refuses to process in this way. Whenever I try to write an outline it overwhelms me and I have to stop. I can only seem to write one chapter at a time, then once it's all on the page I can revise all day long and add missing pieces. But until it's there, I have such a hard time visualizing more than just basic premise.

 

[Jean P. R. Dubois]

Well, I have the ideas in my head, brewing around like a potion in a witch's cauldron, but I don't know how to translate those ideas onto paper, and it leaves me feeling... stuck, I guess?

I'm the same way. I have so many cool ideas that pop in and out of my head at the strangest times. The worst part is when I can't remember them when I'm in front of the document. What I've done to help with this part is I have a cloud document (Part of OneDrive attached to my email) that I can access from anywhere as long as I have my phone with me. The document is called "Cool sh*t I want to use some day" and in there i make a paragraph for each thought, even if it's only a couple words. Then I can see all my fragmented thoughts and when I'm sitting down to write and I feel stuck. I open the document and see if anything in there inspires or is something I could use.

As for straight up writers block, I write anyway, even if its completely off the topic of the novel. sometimes I use it like a diary to complain about my day, sometimes I take a moment to dive a little bit more into some part of my book I "cant wait to get to."

I feel your pain and wish you the best of luck!