So I've got eight book ideas that I've decided to write the plot outlines for. So far it's been a really good success but I'm stuck in the middle of the second to last storyline for one of the books and I can't think of anything to go for the last storyline. What do you guys do to get rid of your writers block?
How do you get out of your writers block?
I think it depends on how important the story is in your life. If you have more important things to do, by all means do them. As for the writer's block...there is a cure for that. Ask yourself questions about the story, like why is the character doing this or that, what reason do they have for feeling this way? Also if all else fails, visualize how you would want your story to end. Now that you have down that, build a bridge for the characters to get there. Personally, I think your best bet is to avoid a happy ending that comes easily to the hero/heroine. They have to struggle and have setbacks, but in the end everybody wants a happy ending. Even when heroes die they still accomplish things.
@lykopis said:
I pretty much stick to it, write what I know is garbage but at least keep the creative process going. I aim for silly because at least I can practice something. Does it work? Sometimes. When it doesn't, I am immersed in some new story that's taken hold of me anyway.
One method that I like though is what I call the George Lucas method, which mainly consists of ripping off other people if you can't think of your own material. I don't necessarily mean this in a bad way, Lucas was a visionary in science-fiction writing partly because he saw something exotic and thought of another use for it. So the underground houses in Tunisia become Luke Skywalker's home. The palace in Caserta becomes Amidala's palace. The Tikal ruins in Guatemala become war ruins on Yavin IV. Equally the pod races are based on a sequence from some Scandinavian movie just as the droids are based on characters from a Japanese movie. So I would recommend to expose yourself to some things that you usually are not familiar with. Watch a classic movie that might have always piqued your interest, check out some art from a specific region and time period, or listen to some music from a different part of the world. You will never know where inspiration might come from, and having a broader base to draw on makes you a better writer anyway.
@knightofthechronicle: I am very busy and when I get around to writing I just try to get as much done as I can.
What I want to do is take traits from people I already admire and like and put those traits into my original character. At the same time I make sure to give them plenty of faults that would match with their strengths. For example, a brave person may seem ideal, but they may also take unnecessary risks.
I cannot simply ignore the writer's block. I get very angry and irritated and often write nonsense because of that. When I calm down, I split the narrative into several parts and start with the quirky one which I find the most ridiculous.
It more often depends on why you have a writer's block. In my case, it's usually when I'm tired or I may have read too much and then I just copy the style of the other authors. The same was after reading Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings. What is the silliest thing to do to overcome a writer's block?
Watch anime, movies and television shows. read manga, comic books and novels. Then map out world building.
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