Writer's block

[scatteroflight]

What do you guys do to combat it? I get this bad feeling that some of the poems I wrote when I was 14 are better than what I write now. Certainly, I was doing a lot more creative writing then. I write non-fiction (book reviews, history for children, stuff like that) semi-professionally but the creative stuff seems to be not there most of the time. I can't string together three words for a poem and I don't get a single decent idea for a short story. It is very frustrating--especially since the last short story I wrote, I sold to an anthology, and I'd like to do it again!

So what are your techniques for getting the creative juices flowing? Where do you find inspiration for fiction or poetry? Please give me ideas.

 

[AllIWantIs]

Originally posted by scatteroflight:
I get this bad feeling that some of the poems I wrote when I was 14 are better than what I write now. Certainly, I was doing a lot more creative writing then.

Maybe feeling like that is what's contributing to your block?
Could be 1001 reasons why a person gets blocked.

I'll share my secret with you....
If I'm completly blocked, I write down a word.
ie: word
Then I stick it in a sentence.
ie: I can't think of one word to stick in a sentence.
Then I make a paragraph.
ie: I can't think of one word to stick in a sentence because my mind is a wall. How does a wall get inside my brain you ask? Well if I knew the answer to that, that frickin' wall wouldn't be there now, would it? I'll have to invest in a sledge hammer to start knocking that wall to pieces....

Get the picture? I guess I could write a whole book about a wall in my brain now.

If you write a first draft of anything, and make it the crappiest first draft...(because who'll see it besides you anyway?) you might feel the block melt away.
Just a little game I play when at a loss for words.

 

[BabyGrace]

that's a great idea, AllIWantIs!!

I don't do much to combat it scattero and I have problems often...my poetry is all the same no matter what I write about and it bothers me.
also, I was trying to write my personal essay for college, and I had this beautiful idea in my head but it only came out ok and revising it has only caused it to fade to the point where I'm tempted to abandon it. I think maybe it's too deep a subject, that could be why but still...
I've often wished I could master words the way some people can. there seem to be a lot of you at this forum and I just thank you for sharing

now, before I get off-topic.....

 

[Alisaura]

I sympathise with the writers block thing... I haven't written a poem in ages (or so it feels), and the one bit of prose I've had time to scratch down I can't decide if it's complete and utter nonsense or not. Maybe I'll put it on my home page and put a link here so I can get some feedback...

(heaven forfend I should actually show it to someone I know IRL!!)
I don't usually do much to combat the Dreaded WB either... right now I don't have as much time to worry about it. I've been through blocks before, something has always broken it, I'm fairly sure if I just wait around, something will break this one too. Sometimes I look over old ideas I've written down and not done something with, sometimes I'll have a weird-arsed dream and decide while half-asleep that it's worth writing down and making something of (although this has highly unpredictable results!). I'm glad I live in such a beautiful area... just being outside at night, seeing the stars and the moon rising over the hills and feeling the night breeze can make something happen. Or I'll have a strong reaction to something I see on TV or read... I dunno. my poems pop out of nowhere with no warning more often than not, so I guess the structured approach isn't something I'm familiar with... maybe I should give it a shot...

I'm obviously not having a problem with bleating on at length about nothing....

 

[enggirl]

I teach freshman comp at a local university, and I have to cattle prod them sometimes to write something and not whine about it! Some things I do to get them going:

Paint chips from the hardware store--I like to pick up a color chip and free write using what either the color itself or the color's name sparks in my mind...

I freewrite and then throw it away--just b/c it's written on paper doesn't mean it's set in stone. It's freeing to realize how disposable it all is.

I sit still and listen and watch people. I know, it sounds odd, but I get some of the best ideas by eavesdropping on people in restaurants, airports, etc. I'll pick out someone or a couple and make up names and professions/stories about them (why they're there, where they're going). The more outlandish the better b/c it helps me get going.


and now I'm haivng a block on what else to say......

oh, and I like to make up rhymes. Pick a word in the dictionary or one you hear in conversation and start rhyming (this works well w/ U2 lyrics, too!)

 

[foray]

A popular method is to use random triggers. Think of two words (gully, button) and try to link them in as many ways as possible. Hence (I'm doing this impromptu right now),

my belly button is like a deep gully

you pressed all my right buttons
but you had me gutted

"gully" and "button" have almost the same assonance

etc.

Did you know that Nick Cave has his own "office" where he works 9-5 everyday on his songs? That's how he does it; it's different for everyone. A Japanese guy (think he is an inventor) sits in his room with classical music booming really loud. Salvador Dali attached a key to his toe with a string, so that when he fell asleep and entered that in-between world of reality & dreams, his toe would rest, causing the key to hit a plate. He would then wake up and record what he saw in his dreams.

foray