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 Post subject: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 11:07 pm 
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Every now and then we get chased by a blobous, oozing, green monster called Writer's Block. *everyone gasps at the mere mention of the phrase* *the tender-stomached faint* Hereafter referred to as "IT" so as to not offend the tender-stomached.

When IT has entangled you, trapped you in a snare, crawl and drag yourself to this thread. It may not be your only hope, but it's pretty close. Explain your dire situation and implore the good inhabitants of Holy Worlds to come to your aid.

When IT has been defeated, announce your escape and run for cover. I am not responsible for ensuing glitter bombs, unicorns, or multi-colored cupcake wars. Tilly, my partner in creating the idea for this thread (she just got over writer's block, you see), is.

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Creative Writing Advice Blog: http://kathrineroid.wordpress.com
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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:24 am 
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Having suffered from a years worth of IT I finally stumbled upon the thing that started the creativity flowing again, discovering the muse I never knew I had.

Playing D&D

Playing fantasy RPG's

And listening to these bands. (Note, they may not be for you, use caution as first sight of them may scare you away. Plus first notes of the songs may drive you away with their epical loudness)

Power metal.

Dragonforce: Having that more epic and um... Destinyish I suppose, feel to it.
Through fire and flames.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jgrCKhxE1s

Heroes of our time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvquWIULIFA

Soldiers of the wasteland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg8VFMZ6_g8

Sonata Arctica (Makes me think of snow)

Paid in full
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1zkXdqcajk

Flag in the ground
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kObI4XuTR2o

Nightwish.

Amaranth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSs4xfvATjc

End of all hope
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84aIX8UPklI

Basically what I'll do is listen to the music, close my eyes and imagine the scenes from my book playing out as if they were a music video. If I like it then I'll write and describe what I saw. This is very handy for fight scenes, epic landscapes, and escapes.

Just what I do anyway.

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I practice not magic, I use only what will one day be called Science.

When in doubt, use a hammer... When that doesn't work use a BIGGER hammer!


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:31 am 
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Historical Fiction Name: BushMaid
Ohhh, the "IT" factor. *shudder* Well, my victories over IT are usually by skipping what you're currently stuck on, and continue writing, coming back to the IT spot later. By then, you've usually conjured up an idea, and IT is successfully defeated. Character conversations really help. I often get IT over something as simple as a character name. Cue baby name books and websites!

That's a little bit of randomness that may help some of you conquer the foul beast IT. :D

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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 2:16 pm 
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I do the music one! Where you pretend your characters are in a music video. That never fails to get me out of IT. :D

And for those of you who don't know...I would be the infamous Tilly. Responsible for all things party and/or party-ish. Though, I don't recall agreeing to that. :rofl:

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"I am knighted to the warfare of truth by the calling of Christ, the Master of my order, and thus, though poorly is it ever met by my feeble abilities, is my mission: to combat those ideas that are rooted in mindsets that are contrary to my Master."

note: Emuna  is Hebrew for faith;
mimetes is Greek for an imitator or follower.


"And now these three remain; faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Another note: in case you're curious, Tikva is Hebrew for hope and Ahava is Hebrew for love. ;)


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 2:21 pm 
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I find large quantity's of tea or coffee help me quite a bit. :rofl:

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http://joeclemons.webs.com/

Quetin ya merin, ar al hanyuvalyen


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:28 pm 
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Motion. Motion helps me a lot. Whether I'm sitting in a porch swing or whirling around the kitchen, I can usually think better when I'm moving or doing something mindless.

Recording things and then playing them back to myself also helps, because I'm an auditory learner and can usually see what needs done with it and what should come next.

Music, too. If I can find a song that fits the specific theme (TSFH, anyone?) I'll usually break right out of it.

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2 Corinthians 3:17 ~ Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

note: eleutheria is Greek for liberty;
mimetes is Greek for an imitator or follower.


I was Lady Eruwaedhiel. I am now Eleutheria Mimetes. This is more than just a name change. This is a promise, a calling, my candle on a candlestick, giving light to the whole house. Stand with us.


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:36 pm 
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Bethany Faith wrote:
I do the music one! Where you pretend your characters are in a music video. That never fails to get me out of IT. :D


I'm not the only one who does that? :shock: Good!

Well, besides that, I also do what Bush does. Skip to a later scene. Or I'll just sit down and /force/ myself to write something.

Movies. Watching Fantasy movies like Narnia or Lord of the Rings get my muse going.

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God bless!

Currently Writing:


Above the Gray Skies - Allikkai Trilogy, Book One (Fantasy)
Wordcount: 105,000. COMPLETE.

The Girl on the Swing (Fantasy/Steampunk) Wordcount: 40,000. Estimated length: 65,000. Finish mid-July, on schedule.

False Gods (Science Fiction) Word count: 14,000. Estimated length: 150,000. Finish by December, on schedule.


GoldenInk

Amber Waves Band


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 3:42 am 
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I find motion very helpful as well. :)

eruheran

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I've not been around a lot, sorry for that. I've been busy: adventuring, falling in love, and moving forward — but I'm still a HWer all the way! My latest writing is at my blog, if you're interested. PM me if you need something, y'hear? ~drew


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:10 pm 
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Great ideas, all around! :D

But, I'm going to make it worse. See, some say that IT doesn't really exist. There is no such thing as IT. He's like the Abominable Snowman (who doesn't exist), or Elvis (who really is dead) - people believe they've seen him, but they haven't. He's not real.

But the trouble comes that so many people talk about IT... that other people begin to believe IT exists just because people told them IT did... and then, when people experience symptoms like those associated with IT, they believe even more in his existence... until some people will suffer at the hands of a nonexistent being for years if no one helps them. It's a conspiracy and a terror! :shock:

So the trouble is really training yourself to believe that IT doesn't really exist, which sometimes means slogging on with your writing even if IT-like terror is mangling your mind.

That is, of course, if you subscribe to the theory that IT is a mirage. There are other theories regarding IT. He's like the Loch Ness monster or the lost city of Atlantis, too, see.

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Gott segne Sie,
Aubrey

Lieutenant General Aubrey Leah Hansen, captain of the moderators

Keep calm and have a cupcake. :salute:

Betcha can't read more books than me in 2013! :book:


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:27 pm 
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Or it could be that you're just unmotivated at the moment and are at a boring part of the story and are just dreading getting back to it.

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Never is a warrior so strong as when he is on his knees.

I practice not magic, I use only what will one day be called Science.

When in doubt, use a hammer... When that doesn't work use a BIGGER hammer!


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:30 pm 
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I think it's really more of a laziness thing than a "block" thing.

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http://joeclemons.webs.com/

Quetin ya merin, ar al hanyuvalyen


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 9:13 pm 
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IT for me, is usually a result of my erratic, fly by night style of writing. I simply don't know what comes next. (should this be in Village Lore?) I was dealing with the morning after the grand ball, and finally realized that I was having my MC encounter people in the wrong order. I needed to start with Richard, and then move on to Myra, and now we're quite happily zooming along.

Lighting Ranger isn't quite so cooperative. It's part three... I'm not sure how many years it spans (preferably as many as ten) I introduce two or three new characters, have him captured, bring in my legends of a third religion, teach him to read, and finally, for inexplicable reasons, send him home to start part four. This is the years he spends wandering around after his wife dies.

Me: What did you do when you left Malan???
Lighting: It hasn't been written yet.
Me: :roll:

City of Lies is having a case of indigestion over an annoying feminist captain I can't get to characterize properly.

Silence of the Stones involves... allegory problems.

The Last Wizard... The Last Wizard is all hung up because I'm taking out the war that makes up over half of Part One. I'm also trying to manage serious time jumps. That one I think will come together if I just work on something else for a while...

Like Prince of Yen. :D
This an awesome thread, I'll come back to rant periodically. :)

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I am a Marcher Lord now.
But I have always been a Marcher Lord at heart. Feel free to PM and ask me about it!

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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:15 pm 
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I do think it would be better in Village Lore. Moving. :)

_________________
2 Corinthians 3:17 ~ Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

note: eleutheria is Greek for liberty;
mimetes is Greek for an imitator or follower.


I was Lady Eruwaedhiel. I am now Eleutheria Mimetes. This is more than just a name change. This is a promise, a calling, my candle on a candlestick, giving light to the whole house. Stand with us.


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:20 am 
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IT usually hits me hard and often. I'm good at story fragments, but not writing out the whole story. :roll: Hence the reason I have never finished a novel. (And I've been writing since I was 11!)

I am haunted by The Three F's: First chapters, filler scenes, and finishing. Worst writing enemies EVER. :shock:

How do I get re-inspired? Shelf it. Music or movement don't work for me. I have a rather rigid personality, so I only like to focus on writing one thing at a time.

~Calen

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“God does not waste an ounce of our pain or a drop of our tears; suffering doesn't come our way for no reason, and He seems especially efficient at using what we endure to mold our character. If we are malleable, He takes our bumps and bruises and shapes them into something beautiful.” — Frank Peretti

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck

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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:14 am 
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Joe Clemons wrote:
I think it's really more of a laziness thing than a "block" thing.


Sometimes the best way to beat writer's... I mean, IT, is to write even though you don't want to. Slog through it. Make a mess and edit it later.

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Gott segne Sie,
Aubrey

Lieutenant General Aubrey Leah Hansen, captain of the moderators

Keep calm and have a cupcake. :salute:

Betcha can't read more books than me in 2013! :book:


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:42 am 
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"I write when I'm inspired. And I make sure I'm inspired at nine 'o clock every morning."

I don't remember who said that, and I don't know if I got it exactly right. But that's fairly true for me. If I don't force myself to write at some point, I don't write at all. But I think IT really does exist, but it can be overcome if you try hard enough. ;)

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God bless!

Currently Writing:


Above the Gray Skies - Allikkai Trilogy, Book One (Fantasy)
Wordcount: 105,000. COMPLETE.

The Girl on the Swing (Fantasy/Steampunk) Wordcount: 40,000. Estimated length: 65,000. Finish mid-July, on schedule.

False Gods (Science Fiction) Word count: 14,000. Estimated length: 150,000. Finish by December, on schedule.


GoldenInk

Amber Waves Band


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:06 pm 
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Sci Fi Name: Eterniti Mimetes
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You can't wait for inspiration; you have to go after it with a club. ~Jack London

_________________
2 Corinthians 3:17 ~ Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

note: eleutheria is Greek for liberty;
mimetes is Greek for an imitator or follower.


I was Lady Eruwaedhiel. I am now Eleutheria Mimetes. This is more than just a name change. This is a promise, a calling, my candle on a candlestick, giving light to the whole house. Stand with us.


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 3:56 pm 
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I just go to a different writing project or Google related topics. Then I get back to it a few months later and go for 4-5k words and start over. It doesn't get a lot done quickly, but I won't have a horrible first novel.

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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:23 pm 
Marcher Lord
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I do that, Varon.

Has anyone ever found researching to be an effective way of outsmarting IT? I often find that research inspires me because of all the possibilities and ideas I discover in the technical stuff. I guess that should motivate me to research more often, but it doesn't. :P

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Gott segne Sie,
Aubrey

Lieutenant General Aubrey Leah Hansen, captain of the moderators

Keep calm and have a cupcake. :salute:

Betcha can't read more books than me in 2013! :book:


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 Post subject: Re: When IT Comes to You: Writer's Block Counseling
PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 8:12 pm 
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I often find research a good companion when I'm beginning a story, but not sure of where to begin. Some extra research really helps there :D

eru

_________________
I've not been around a lot, sorry for that. I've been busy: adventuring, falling in love, and moving forward — but I'm still a HWer all the way! My latest writing is at my blog, if you're interested. PM me if you need something, y'hear? ~drew


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