Do You Get Writer's Block?

[Ishtar]

Ok, quite a few times lately I've had to write a few essays. However, while trying to write them, I just get stuck and can't think of how I'm going to continue writing them. It's been frustrating and it's been happening today aswell. Sometimes it will even happen when I'm making a post here. Anybody else face the frustration that is Writer's Block?

[Peter Paltridge]

Sure, everyone does. It's especially annoying when a deadline is involved, and there seems to be no cure.

Sometimes someone else will be able to think of where to take a piece of writing next when you can't, so try asking for input.

[Roman Legion]

Constantly. I hate essays. Professors love my results, assuming I finish; I have too much trouble getting those results. If there's a hard due-date on a paper, I tend to get into trouble. It's not that I intentionally put things off, but I can't write what's not in my head. BS'ing on papers has never been my strong point, so writers block can be devastating for me. Ultimately, my papers pass gloriously or fail miserably, with little in between.

For my own personal writing, things are a bit different. I can write hundreds of pages of background material, but I get stuck within a few paragraphs when I sit down to write the real thing.

--Romey

[Michael24]

For my own personal writing, things are a bit different. I can write hundreds of pages of background material, but I get stuck within a few paragraphs when I sit down to write the real thing.


I have the exact same problem. I've got binders full of background material for all sorts of stories I've thought up over the years: character biographies, vehicle descriptions, maps, star charts, all that kind of stuff. Then I sit down to write, and I stall after the first couple of chapters and have no idea where to go from there. It's very frustrating after all that development. (On the other hand, sometimes I can just breeze through an entire story from beginning to end, only to look back at it and realize it's an utter incoherent mess that just goes all over the place.)

However, one thing I've discovered that's occasionally helped me overcome that is to take two completely unrelated stories (or elements from unrelated stories) and find a way to merge them together. It usually opens a whole new door of possibilities that makes the resulting story flow better, though I admit it doesn't always work.

I never had many problems writing essays or reports for class, though. Which is ironic considering sometimes they were for subjects I didn't particularly care about, whereas it was my own stories that I had the trouble with.

[purplehairedwonder]

I'm an English major so I do a lot of writing and I get writer's block pretty often. Though I've found I get it in more of my fun writing than papers. I usually put papers off to the point I can't afford writer's block so I just plow through no matter what. I'm not always pleased with what comes out of it, but my teachers always give me positive feedback.

I usually find when I'm writing a fan fic that I'll know a general direction I want the story to go in but it's the getting there that gives me trouble. I've found either taking a break from it for awhile (I just took an entire semester off from all fan fic writing and still have writer's block on one of the stories I was writing) or just plowing through is what gets me over it. Usually if I just force myself to start writing I'll end up with something I can work with and go back over it later.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I've got a job with deadlines that don't allow me writer's block. I think the best strategy is just to keep writing, even when it's lame, and eventually you might kick into gear. Also, if you're having trouble with the one part of a piece, skip it and then come back to it later. The hardest thing to write in news story is often the lead, or opening. Sometimes it helps to save those until you have more of the story developed.

[Eddie G.]

I have the exact same problem. I've got binders full of background material for all sorts of stories I've thought up over the years: character biographies, vehicle descriptions, maps, star charts, all that kind of stuff. Then I sit down to write, and I stall after the first couple of chapters and have no idea where to go from there. It's very frustrating after all that development. (On the other hand, sometimes I can just breeze through an entire story from beginning to end, only to look back at it and realize it's an utter incoherent mess that just goes all over the place.)You need to do two things if you haven't. One is carry a journal. Start writing down overheard conversation, stuff about your day, and other things that will help exercise your voice and storytelling abilities. The other thing is not being afraid to rewrite. No matter how good your writing is you're going to have to do it anyway. When you write your first draft don't worry about it being good, just get your words on the page, you can always edit it.

Also, you're going to need to learn about basic story anatomy.

[Gatomon41]

You need to do two things if you haven't. One is carry a journal. Start writing down overheard conversation, stuff about your day, and other things that will help exercise your voice and storytelling abilities. The other thing is not being afraid to rewrite. No matter how good your writing is you're going to have to do it anyway. When you write your first draft don't worry about it being good, just get your words on the page, you can always edit it.

Also, you're going to need to learn about basic story anatomy.
Yes, I agree with Eddie G. on this. Journaling, or just recording any good idea is a good start. What also helps is getting some sort of external stimuli. During the anime club, my mind would rush through a thousand ideas a minute. And all through that time, I would be keeping notes.

[ToOn~g@l]

This past semester I took a class called Creative Writing and my writing teacher told us that there is no such thing as writers block just writer lazyness. She gave us this fun idea that if you are stuck on something when writing a story just come up with twenty ridiculus solutions on what to do next, the writers block will go away eventually. It might work on essays too, haven't tried that though.

[Chad Bonin]

For a Media Studies Major/Professional Writing Minor/Reviewer/"I wish I actually found a freakin' artist so it could be made" Comic Book Writer-in-dreams...

Yes.

Best thing to do? Keep a notepad on you. Inspiration will come at the weirdest times, primarily driving for me.

[Baltofan]

I got a writer's block too.

[Desensitized]

I constantly get writer's block when trying to write one of my stories, but NEVER essays. I can always crank one out, but I hate doing them so much.

[The Guitar Slayer]

I think everyone gets writer's block. I wouldn't call it writer's laziness, considering how much trauma some people put themselves through trying to get rid of it.

Do something else. Entirely different. Go play raquet ball. Do something you've never done before. The weirdness of it can remedy the "can't think" problem.

I've also found the bathroom to be my think tank. Sometimes it's just sitting in the empty tub writing. Other times it's taking a shower at the end of the day when the brain is winding down and something pops loose.

[PeppeRaskell1]

Ever notice it's easier to write a post in a forum such as this than it is to write a story?

[Kury Wagner]

I don't really get writer's block, I just procrastinate or am too unfocused to write. I can't remember ever going, "oh, I don't know where to take this story/paper now." =\

[Elven Moon]

I'm an English major, so I have to write all the time. Though, it's much harder when it comes to my own stories that I write for "fun" on the side. Sometimes it's months or a year before I can finish something :sad: Sometimes I know what I want to happen, but I can't write what leads to that point. Sometimes I have characters, language, worlds, etc. planned out, but when I try to sit down and write, I either can't write anything or get stuck within the first few chapters.

[candy17]

I'm a writer, so, duh, yes I do get writer's block (also writer's cramp, but that's another story), but I don't consider it writer's block. It's more like a lack of idea flow, like a twisted up garden hose. I find that if I just walk away from the project or do something else then come back to it, I'll be able to untie the kink in the idea garden hose.

[Hanshotfirst113]

Yes. I want so badly to write, but I feel like I'm not mature enough to crystalize my ideas.

[WolfieKiwi]

I completely loathe writers block with an undying passion! The strange thing, is that it lasts the longest when I'm not writing in general and when the assignment is for school. That really ticks me off... ><

[JTurner954]

I go through it all the time. Essays take hours at end and it's past midnight by the time they are finished. I'm stressed out during that time (sleeping for as little as 3 hours) but I've received A's on those papers ... and even then, I feel like the papers could be better.

With message boards, I'm more relaxed so it's not as bad.