Jason R. Davis
It is funny to have this question come up. I actually have written two long blog posts on my website, the first about dealing with writer's block and the second about where ideas come from.
In dealing with writer's block, for me, I have to look at the cause. It is because I'm not feeling motivate to write, or is it something to do with the story. If it is that I am not feeling motivated to write, that is usually due to some stress happening in my personal life that I need to get through first. That is the hardest writers block for me to overcome.
When it comes to creativity, again we must first find the reason. Is it that I just don't know how to start writing again or do I find what I am about to write just too straight forward and uninteresting. If it is the latter, then I need to think about that element of the story, because if it isn't working for me as the writer, how is it supposed to work for the reader. I go back and see what can happen, or what else can happen there to make it interesting. (In my latest instance, I went back and had the person doing laundry and though of some funny elements I can add to her doing that to make it more fun)
If it is that I am just having an issue of thinking how to start, well, I brainstorm a little, do a free flow of words. If that doesn't work, I start the chapter with a random string of curse words that the current character is screaming both at me, and at what is going on around him. I start from there. Most times, I remember to go back and restructure the chapter a little so that is cut out..., but I have missed once. Of course that always seems to be the chapter most people turn to when they first open the book and then they give me that funny look of why there are so many curse words in the book. Of course, that line probably has 90% of the curse words in the entire book. It did work for the scene which is probably why my editor didn't catch it either.
In dealing with writer's block, for me, I have to look at the cause. It is because I'm not feeling motivate to write, or is it something to do with the story. If it is that I am not feeling motivated to write, that is usually due to some stress happening in my personal life that I need to get through first. That is the hardest writers block for me to overcome.
When it comes to creativity, again we must first find the reason. Is it that I just don't know how to start writing again or do I find what I am about to write just too straight forward and uninteresting. If it is the latter, then I need to think about that element of the story, because if it isn't working for me as the writer, how is it supposed to work for the reader. I go back and see what can happen, or what else can happen there to make it interesting. (In my latest instance, I went back and had the person doing laundry and though of some funny elements I can add to her doing that to make it more fun)
If it is that I am just having an issue of thinking how to start, well, I brainstorm a little, do a free flow of words. If that doesn't work, I start the chapter with a random string of curse words that the current character is screaming both at me, and at what is going on around him. I start from there. Most times, I remember to go back and restructure the chapter a little so that is cut out..., but I have missed once. Of course that always seems to be the chapter most people turn to when they first open the book and then they give me that funny look of why there are so many curse words in the book. Of course, that line probably has 90% of the curse words in the entire book. It did work for the scene which is probably why my editor didn't catch it either.
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