Jump to content
Banner by ~ Ice Princess Silky
  • entries
    10
  • comments
    17
  • views
    2,932

How to get back into writing again?


Haruhi-chan

942 views

Seriously. I've been forcing it so much lately, and I can't keep putting it off either. I need ways to break this writer's block. I just can't seem to write like I used to. It's frustrating because it makes me feel like something is missing in my life. If I'm not writing, then I'm losing my mind and dealing with intense anxiety. I can't seem to shake the writer's block. I know people will just say to pace yourself or write what comes to mind but... that's the thing. None of that stuff actually works for me. D:

 

Meh. I don't know. I just felt like venting all that. Feel free to leave suggestions and what not if you like.

7 Comments


Recommended Comments

*crashes through wall* HAI GUIZE LET ME TAKE CARE OF THIS K

 

Hi. Dunno if we've met. I'm Kolth. I'm the writer around here who has said for three years that he is gonna write something. I totally know what you're going through.

 

Forcing it generally doesn't help, unless you manage to force out a nugget of gold rather than what normally gets forced out. The thing I found to have helped is to have some means of getting into a creative mindset -- not necessarily "Ooh, I gotta write this" sort of thinking, but a "Let's go along with the story and see what happens" kind of thing.

 

What I personally do is pop in a song/playlist and start thinking of a scenario where that music would fit. Sometimes I'm in that scenario, and sometimes I'm the casual observer. Then I ask "What now?" The music serves to help me keep the "story" moving forward, or at least set the tone. 

 

Basically: think of some scenario and spend twenty minutes straight-up daydreaming the answer to "What next?" And when you've figured that out, ask yourself "What now?" I've literally done that for years. I don't know what kind of stories I originally came up with, but over time I would keep coming back to them and tweaking them bit by bit. Now I have a couple favorite mental scenes that I like to run away to revisit every once in a while, either to relax or to get me in the mood for writing.

 

Dunno if this will really help you, but it is worth a shot, I suppose. You could also do what I do (again) and just read a ton of fanfiction. 

Link to comment

The above advice isn't bad, but it is still forcing you to think about writing when you don't really care. You are not going to make a good story if you just keeping thinking about how much you are not interested.

 

I have been a fanfic writer for 3ish months. But I have kept up my drive consistently by doing this.

 

1) If you are still an avid brony (as I assume you are talking about writing fanfics), then that's perfect. You just need to watch content that has to do with what you are writing. Actually, this can go with any writing really.

 

Making a story about Appleloosa? Go watch a western show.

 

Making a Grimdark about Sombra? Go read the Sombra issue of comics, or watch a fan animation about him.

 

Run out of deep thought about your subject? Watch a podcast or a Silver Quill video.

 

You aren't going to get a good idea If you just keep thinking about ways to make a good idea. Its like watching water boil. Its better if you go and do something else, then soon or later, an idea will come to you, just like how eventually the water will start boiling.

 

I find that if you are not thinking about writing, but you are doing something you enjoy that can connect with your writing, your mind will automatically connect the ideas, and you will have a drive to jot down notes that will then make you want to type those notes into your story. BAM now you are writing again. All it takes is the proper inspiration. It sucks trying to add to your story, but can only come up with useless filler.

 

This is what works for me, but like in Testing, testing, 1.2.3. you need to find your own way of doing things, everyone is different.

Link to comment

The above advice isn't bad, but it is still forcing you to think about writing when you don't really care. You are not going to make a good story if you just keeping thinking about how much you are not interested.

 

I have been a fanfic writer for 3ish months. But I have kept up my drive consistently by doing this.

 

1) If you are still an avid brony (as I assume you are talking about writing fanfics), then that's perfect. You just need to watch content that has to do with what you are writing. Actually, this can go with any writing really.

 

Making a story about Appleloosa? Go watch a western show.

 

Making a Grimdark about Sombra? Go read the Sombra issue of comics, or watch a fan animation about him.

 

Run out of deep thought about your subject? Watch a podcast or a Silver Quill video.

 

You aren't going to get a good idea If you just keep thinking about ways to make a good idea. Its like watching water boil. Its better if you go and do something else, then soon or later, an idea will come to you, just like how eventually the water will start boiling.

 

I find that if you are not thinking about writing, but you are doing something you enjoy that can connect with your writing, your mind will automatically connect the ideas, and you will have a drive to jot down notes that will then make you want to type those notes into your story. BAM now you are writing again. All it takes is the proper inspiration. It sucks trying to add to your story, but can only come up with useless filler.

 

This is what works for me, but like in Testing, testing, 1.2.3. you need to find your own way of doing things, everyone is different.

Well... no. I actually can only write original fiction stuff now. I've tried just about everything to get me back into the swing of writing. Perhaps, it's just because I'm too tired and lazy to write. I usually get my inspiration from listening to Simple Plan too, and I had a story based on a song of theirs, but my mind went and died on me. Ever since then, I haven't been able to do any writing at all. ;____;

Link to comment

My advice would be to write with no end in mind -- just sit down at your computer and let ideas flow to your finger tips as you write. It doesn't have to be good; it can be horrible for all you care. :lol: The point is that as you begin writing nonsense, ideas will slowly begin to manifest themselves. We often get writer's block because we try too hard to write something creative. However, creativity is elusive to those who try too hard to pursue it. So, let it come to you.

Link to comment

Sometimes when I'm stumped, I sit back and think about the people I know. Who are they? What makes them the way they are? What makes them different from one another? I spend weeks reflecting on what makes up someone's personality and it helps to give me inspiration for characters and stories. If that doesn't work, I just take a long hiatus from writing. Lastly, I pick up old stories I wrote, and even though I thought my ideas were silly, I read them anyway. I find myself coming up with ideas of how I could have made those stories better, which gives me the inspiration to pick up the pen again. Those were just a couple of suggestions, but I hope your writer's block goes away! Good luck. 

Link to comment

1. Don't force it too hard. I go long breaks with zero drive to write, then suddenly I'll have five or six ideas when I'm just walking home from somewhere and I'm not even thinking about writing anything up, and then I'm sorted 'cos stuff just blooms from those ideas.

2. To just get back into the swing of things, write random junk you don't intend anyone else to see. It's much easier getting creative without an audience. 

3. Try writing from a prompt. Be it a competition, a training ground exercise, or whatever. They make it very easy to write mindlessly and then the ideas can grow. Also, deadlines can help get you motivated.

4. Read something. Watch a movie. Throw on a playlist. Watch some animations. Whatever- something will give you some inspiration. 

5. Have some fun with it all. Take the world you want to create, then throw a couple of characters in and make them have a romance or something. Just mess around with whatever you have and you'll develop a world and stuff from it. For example, when I started writing my own original fiction, I looked at all the assets I had just come up with and written down over the course of however long, and I thought 'Hm, I wonder how X would react if Y happened' And then I proceeded to write that. It helped a lot.

 

Good luck, pal, Blocks are an ass and writing's too fun to be stopped!

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Join the herd!

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...