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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: eviladam on May 09, 2007, 08:39:16 AM
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Do you guys get that feeling? I'm getting it again. For about a month now everytime I try to write it's like there's nothing there, and any thing I try to force just comes out awful. And the simple act of trying to write something requires me to nap.
I hate these periods.
Any suggestions on working past it?
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When I feel like my creative well spring has dried up, I try to do something that is creative in a different way. For me it could be anything from cooking something new to drawing to rpgs. It just has to get me being creative in some way. Before I know it, things are better with my writing.
good luck
-paul
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Ack! I know what you mean. When that happens to me what I usually do is look outside of myself to other things that I may see in daily life. A scene taking place in nature or the life experiences of people that I know for instance. In my experience a lot of being really creative comes from what you see in life and taking what you see and modifying it in some way to fit your story. So, I guess when in doubt just look around and see what ideas pop up from what you see or maybe hear. Or, sometimes just start writing and see where it takes you. Often times just writing even when you don't know what exactly to write gets the creative juices flowing. Oh, and relax. Hope that helps. Good luck.
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Is it bad that this topic inspired me?
Winter has come again
The wind has swept the leaves away
A clean stale for spring
But I usually find that when I get the "words on paper" moods, I either refill my creative tank with reading or listen to music. I also try to write something, anything everyday (something that is not the main project). It usually ends up as little poems or RPG character short stories.
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And the simple act of trying to write something requires me to nap.
I may be overreacting here, but I have to speak up on this.
I deal with depression issues in a big way. For the most part I can keep them under control, but every so often I'm hit with something that causes it to flare up. In this case it was a death in the family just shy of 2 months ago (see the "Cancer Stories" thread on the Anything Goes board). If people have ever noticed me disappearing for a short time, it's me dealing with depression.
So why am I bringing this up now? Well, your statement there pretty much sums up the beginning of an "attack" (for lack of a better word). In my case it's really the simple act of trying to do anything that requires me to nap. Now I'm not too worried...I have help for it so I get through it. However, seeing that statement sent up a red flag.
So I'm asking, have you ever considered that it might be depression? As I said, I could be overreacting in a big way, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to bring this up. Is the problem your writing or is there other stuff bringing it on?
Sorry if this seems way off base, but I figured it couldn't hurt to throw it out there.
Keith
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That may not actually be that far off base. I have some occasional trouble with depression myself. It doesn't really feel like depresion though.
Sorry to hear about the death in your familly.
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Hey, in order to be creatively dead, you had to once be creatively alive -- which is more that A LOT of people can say.
Don't beat yourself up.
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;D Thanks Nyte, that made me grin. Now I need to reanimate my creative corpse. Or would wardens come and behead me for necromancy?
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;D Thanks Nyte, that made me grin. Now I need to reanimate my creative corpse. Or would wardens come and behead me for necromancy?
Hrmm, tough call....
I say reanimate and run like hell!
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Think of it more like a Phoenix. It will rise again! ;D
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Do you guys get that feeling? I'm getting it again. For about a month now everytime I try to write it's like there's nothing there, and any thing I try to force just comes out awful. And the simple act of trying to write something requires me to nap.
I hate these periods.
Any suggestions on working past it?
Have you ever tried Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way? It's for writers as much as any other creative type--her seminars are for writers--and is amazingly good at freeing things up and re-stocking the brain. A creative writing MFA friend put me onto it and it worked--not only on writing but as a general mental-tidy as well. Gave it to all my friends who were still writing dissertations. Ardently recommended.
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Sounds like your "Sense of Wonder" dries up. When that happens, I usually step away from the creating, and watch a favorite movie, read a book, or even do chores.
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Have you ever tried Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way? It's for writers as much as any other creative type--her seminars are for writers--and is amazingly good at freeing things up and re-stocking the brain. A creative writing MFA friend put me onto it and it worked--not only on writing but as a general mental-tidy as well. Gave it to all my friends who were still writing dissertations. Ardently recommended.
Is that a book, and do you have any more on it (Publisher, ISBN #, ect)
Craig
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For the past two years I've gotten into the habit of outputting 2000 words a day, every day. At this point, it's the exact same thing as getting through a day of work when you don't really feel like being there. A slog, a pain -- but you just do it.
The brain is a funny thing. If it knows that the 2000 must be typed into existence regardless even if they are complete crap that won't do anything but fill up HD space, and is harness broken to this fact, nine times out of ten it will relent and allow decent work. ;D
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Is that a book, and do you have any more on it (Publisher, ISBN #, ect)
Craig
I found it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Artists-Way-Julia-Cameron/dp/1585421472/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/002-4156638-8601658?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179242580&sr=1-3
ISBN-10: 1585421464
ISBN-13: 978-1585421466
-paul
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I feel the pain of having that blank feeling and not being able to write anything to write. What I do try to write anyway. It may not be the best things I've ever written but at least I can move the story forward just a little and go back and fix it later.
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Usually, when I'm struggling, I back off the writing. Sometimes, I back off the whole creative thing and do other stuff like playing with my kids or housework. If it's really bad, I'll hop on the bike for an especially long or hard ride. Strangely, the saddle is the only place I ever write poetry.
Usually, if I relax my brain and pull back, the machine reboots and all is right with the world in a few days.
If it gets really bad, I tell my co-writer and she threatens me until I comply. ;)
I have also noticed, eviladam, that some of your recent posts have looked like things are in a rough spot overall for you. I don't wish to appear rude, but sometimes talking to someone can really help. Best wishes for sunnier skies.
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I've been slowlly getting back to writing. I've written a couple of pages of stuff that doesn't really belong in the story, just random ideas I had, mainlly just to get back to putting words on paper again. So far it's going well, but I'm taking it slowlly.
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I still can't write any thing even approaching decent. If this writer's block doesn't break I'm going to bach my head into the wall. (figurativelly)
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I still can't write any thing even approaching decent. If this writer's block doesn't break I'm going to bach my head into the wall. (figurativelly)
Now now. No need to get violent with yerself. :P
Here's a little trick that works for me sometimes:
Give yourself a weird little project, something you'd normally never do.
I once challenged myself to write the first chapter of a 30's style pulp adventure -- imitating the language, cliches, etc. Not only was it fun, but it lifted the block quite handily, becoming a dream the character of a completely different story was having.
Or even weirder: a typical genre romance novel scene between a werewolf and a stereotypical gray alien with amnesia! Or...
...you get the picture. Something that will 'take you out of yourself' and, ideally, let your brain play a little.
If you can't think of anything, get a forum member to challenge you. :)
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:) Hey that might actually work. I'm going to see what I can come up with. Thanks for the advice!
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:) Hey that might actually work. I'm going to see what I can come up with. Thanks for the advice!
You're welcome, and good luck. Sometimes we forget that the reason we started this filthy habit was because it was sooooooooo much fun! :D
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You sir are both a "hallucinatin' hack" and a genuis. You were absolutelly right. I've been writing spaghetti western style stuff all night and having a blast at it! Thanks again. Thanks a hundred berjillion times over. I don't think I'm ready to start on my novel again yet, but I am writing and it feels sooooo good to be doing that again.
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You sir are both a "hallucinatin' hack" and a genuis. You were absolutelly right. I've been writing spaghetti western style stuff all night and having a blast at it! Thanks again. Thanks a hundred berjillion times over. I don't think I'm ready to start on my novel again yet, but I am writing and it feels sooooo good to be doing that again.
Yay! ;D
Glad to be o' service. :)
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Give yourself a weird little project, something you'd normally never do.
The variant on this that I have found most useful is to do a story inspired by each song on your favourite album. This works better if your favouritie album is by Leonard Cohen than it might if it was by the Spice Girls, though.
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The variant on this that I have found most useful is to do a story inspired by each song on your favourite album. This works better if your favouritie album is by Leonard Cohen than it might if it was by the Spice Girls, though.
I actually did that once with most of Springsteen's Nebraska. The stories that came out best were 'Reason To Believe' and 'State Trooper'.