So, I've been writing ALL night....

[Shoestring]

...except everything I wrote stayed right inside my head. As soon as I tried to put my wonderfully imaginative scenes and chapters and witty comments down to paper, my mind went blank. I couldn't even remember what I'd wanted to write down, until I packed the notebook away and tried going back to sleep. This happens to me all the time and it's so frustrating!

I suppose it's not the typical kind of 'writer's block', as I don't have any real difficulty with the creativity side of writing right now. But it is a kind of 'block', right, since I can't get any of it onto paper?

Does this happen to anyone else? Does anyone have any suggestions for how I might be able to get over this?

(And sorry if there's already a thread about this elsewhere. I didn't see one, but I have a habit of missing the obvious. Just direct me to it if there is.)

[Schilcote]

Mmh. I tend to have this problem.

[WillSauger]

It's more like stage freight. You can practice all you wish, but when the time comes, the doubt washes over you like a tsunami.

Try this:

Write the scene in a single sentence. "Bobby kills everyone."
Then break down the scene's steps. "Bobby kills Mandy, then Jack, then Sally then-"
Then, further detail the steps down. "Bobby kills Mandy with a screwdriver and stows her body away in the freezer in his Uncle's house."
After that, go on you work page and just start writing. Use the above as a guide and just try to force the words on the paper.

I'm guessing that you have doubt within your own ability and that's further forcing you to halt starting off. Just get it on the page. After you start, everything will just drain out of you. I used to be this way.

Then, if you doubt the writing itself, (earn 50 posts) and post up in the SYW section to further help your writing ability. After you're able to write better, you'll have more confidence in your ability.

Write, write, write.

[Shoestring]

Originally Posted by WillSauger

I'm guessing that you have doubt within your own ability and that's further forcing you to halt starting off.

I think you might have just nailed the issue I've been having. Now that you say it, it seems so obvious.

I'll definitely be using your advice the next time I write. Thanks, Will!

[Layla Nahar]

Something else you can try - expose only one line of your document (assuming you are writing on the computer) and/or use a light color for the letters and a hard to read (like with a lot of curlicues, for example) font.

[WillSauger]

Originally Posted by Shoestring

I think you might have just nailed the issue I've been having. Now that you say it, it seems so obvious.

I'll definitely be using your advice the next time I write. Thanks, Will!

You just need to practice writing. Thus, you need to write.

No matter how bad it will be, it can always be fixed and rewritten better.

I strongly erg you to get 50 posts, do some writing prompts and post them in the SYW forums to be critiqued. Then, rewrite them and see what others thing after that. After, adopt the principals and techniques you have learned and process them into your own writing.

After a while, you'll grown in confidence.

BUT YOU NEED TO WRITE!

[Shoestring]

Originally Posted by Layla Nahar

Something else you can try - expose only one line of your document (assuming you are writing on the computer) and/or use a light color for the letters and a hard to read (like with a lot of curlicues, for example) font.

I've tried that before with my computer and learned that my laptop has a lovely case of the hiccups and likes to skip up three or four lines at a time when it does. Unfortunately, I need to be able to see what I'm writing in case that happens. Actually, what I really need is a new laptop. *dramatic sigh*

-
I've had a bad habit over the past few years of putting off my writing until it was too late, either forgetting the idea or...well, the OP kind of sums it up. xD Since rummaging around AW these past couple f months, I've been learning a lot and writing a lot more, but still not every day like I should be doing. Thanks for the reminder, Will. ^^

[mirandashell]

Have tried writing with a pencil on paper? I find it way easier to write like that. Once I turn on the computer, I automatically go into editing mode and the creative bit of my brain just switches off.

[Shoestring]

I have been using a pen and paper for the past couple of days, and you're right, something about the feel of really writng with your hand rather than tapping away at keys just gets those creative juices flowing for me. I need to train my mind to slow down for me though. Sometimes it goes so fast I just can't keep up. Or I can learn shorthand...that might help.

[mirandashell]

I do that as well. But I don't worry too much about it cos I can go back and put the missing words later.

[Erin Kassikay]

I envy the people who can write pen and paper, regardless if it's a full detailed paragraph or just cut pieces. I can't seem to do that because of how fast my mind works, my hand can't keep up. Then my hand starts to cramp and I can't even make out what I wrote. I learned to type fast to match the speed of my brain, but now I seem to type faster and I've come across the other end: not having the full sentence thought out before you've reached that point.

I found that what helps fix my inability to write is reading. Stephen King said it once, you need to read in order to write. Then you need to write so other's can read. Or something along those lines. But reading helps recharge my vocabulary.

[Ashurita]

I have to agree with the way WillSauger suggested you go about it. It sounds like a really good way to get the creative flowing while still noting down your main ideas not to forget them.

I don't have the exact same problem as you, mine is more like; I get all the cool idea for action scenes and dialogue once I got in bed and ready to sleep, so I don't feel like getting up and writing it out (and sometimes, by the time I get to paper, I've forgotten the exact phrasing that I liked so much and it doesn't come out as cool-sounding as it did in my head).

[Granada]

Originally Posted by Layla Nahar

Something else you can try - expose only one line of your document (assuming you are writing on the computer) and/or use a light color for the letters and a hard to read (like with a lot of curlicues, for example) font.

Is this so you can't read what you write while you're typing? I really like this idea. My editing monster tends to want to kill every sentence I write.

What do you mean by expose only one line? How would one do that?

The tips on this thread are great. Thanks!

[Shoestring]

Originally Posted by Erin Kassikay

I envy the people who can write pen and paper, regardless if it's a full detailed paragraph or just cut pieces. I can't seem to do that because of how fast my mind works, my hand can't keep up. Then my hand starts to cramp and I can't even make out what I wrote.

I made it to nearly 400 written words last night before my hand cramps were so bad I couldn't continue, and my handwriting is horrendous on the best of occasions, so you can imagine how illegible it was by that point.

As for Will's suggestions, I've only been using them for a day and I can already attest to their helpfulness. Now if only my hand would cooperate, it would be a perfect situation.

[Erin Kassikay]

Originally Posted by Ashurita

I don't have the exact same problem as you, mine is more like; I get all the cool idea for action scenes and dialogue once I got in bed and ready to sleep, so I don't feel like getting up and writing it out (and sometimes, by the time I get to paper, I've forgotten the exact phrasing that I liked so much and it doesn't come out as cool-sounding as it did in my head).

I text it to my email. Yay technology!

[Shoestring]

Originally Posted by Ashurita

(and sometimes, by the time I get to paper, I've forgotten the exact phrasing that I liked so much and it doesn't come out as cool-sounding as it did in my head).

That happens to me a lot too, and it's really discouraging. I'm hoping that the more I write, the easier the phrasing and such will be for me in time. Even if it's not, it just means putting in that extra bit of effort to make it better.

[LaceWing]

Shoestring, there are various italic handwriting methods that are touted by educators on the net as being faster and more legible than cursive. You can see examples here.

I couldn't find instructions online for how the letters are formed -- doing that properly makes a difference. I can recommend The Speedball Textbook, which has a page dedicated to the Getty/Dubay method, showing how to form the letters.

A college instructor taught me how to use a version of italic handwriting, but I didn't know until now what it was called. And it does make a difference for me.

Good luck with your quest!

[Shoestring]

Thank you so much, LaceWing!

[LaceWing]

You're most welcome. Thanks for spurring me to research shorthand methods, which I'd long intended to get around to someday.

[Timmy V.]

a

[Shoestring]

Glad I could be of assistance laceWing.

Also, thanks for the suggestion Timmy V. I'll definitely be looking it that as well.

[Timmy V.]

a

[Shoestring]

I've always had a problem with being overly self-concious, no matter what I'm doing, so I think that may be why this particular issue is so difficult for me. Just in these past few days, though, now that I'm actively working on getting over it, I've been doing a lot better. I've even been discussing my story ideas with my husband (who still has no idea what my story is about xD), but the endless rambling on my part usually turns out pretty productive. I even managed to get my WIP outlined yesterday, which is more progress than I've had on it in over ten years.

[fergrex]

I need to sneak up on each new step in writing or I freeze. I'm sneaking up on revising now. I'm telling myself that the second draft doesn't need to be good, just better than the first draft. That might work.

[Shoestring]

I'm curious about what you mean by 'sneaking up' on different steps of your writng, fergrex. Do you mean that you try not to think too far ahead in the process, or something else?