So, I am sure everyone is acquainted with an unwanted visitor by the name of Writer’s Block and have a lovely repertoire of ways to bid it goodbye, but what about selective writer’s block? Sure, that’s probably not the proper name for it, but I have been seeing a lot of it within in the group lately. You can write, you just can’t seem to write that exact section you want to, that exact bit of dialogue that would make things complete.
I am sure we have all stood there and thought “I need to write this, I want to write this, but it just won’t come!” and it’s not like we couldn’t write on another random topic, we completely could. The issue is we are stuck with this particular section and most people would say “well, why don’t you leave it alone and go work on something else?” That sounds fine and dandy to me, but what if I want to work on this specific piece, what if I have a deadline? Hopefully I will answer that for you today!
After perusing article after article, blog after blog, post after post, I have an answer that will hopefully help us all, two simple remedies that are supposed to be true blue. Do indeed write something else, but write on your piece! Find an event that you know, or even just think, you want to happen and flesh that sucker out. It may be at the very end, half way through the story or even back at the beginning where you want to change something.
IF you don’t know where you want your story to go or can’t think of something you have wanted to change, get out a blank sheet of paper. A nice, clean, blank sheet. Decide how you like to brainstorm, do you like webs? Do you like lists? Do you like scattering random words and phrases across the paper and connecting them? Whatever it is choose your method! Then, write down three colors, three feelings, three major characters from the scene, three objects, and three events from your current scene.
Now, start writing things that go with each word or phrase next to the sets. Don’t think, just write, and when you feel your brain starting to slow down take a break. Look at what you have written, take a different color writing utensil and write down your comments, let yourself get lost in everything that is on the page. Don’t think “oh, well that could never belong in my story because so and so wouldn’t do that” just draw lines connecting things and comment.
Eventually you should have a nice and messy sheet of paper in front of you and some new ideas. Yes, I just walked you through a simple brainstorming method, what makes it so special? I will tell you, nothing really. The only thing that makes it special is that you are selecting specific elements from the point at which you are stuck and encouraging your mind to spin wondrous and outrageous ideas about them. You took fifteen items from your scene that contains thousands and now, hopefully, see them in a new light.
So, I am sure everyone is acquainted with an unwanted visitor by the name of Writer’s Block and have a lovely repertoire of ways to bid it goodbye, but what about selective writer’s block? Sure, that’s probably not the proper name for it, but I have been seeing a lot of it within in the group lately. You can write, you just can’t seem to write that exact section you want to, that exact bit of dialogue that would make things complete.
I am sure we have all stood there and thought “I need to write this, I want to write this, but it just won’t come!” and it’s not like we couldn’t write on another random topic, we completely could. The issue is we are stuck with this particular section and most people would say “well, why don’t you leave it alone and go work on something else?” That sounds fine and dandy to me, but what if I want to work on this specific piece, what if I have a deadline? Hopefully I will answer that for you today!
After perusing article after article, blog after blog, post after post, I have an answer that will hopefully help us all, two simple remedies that are supposed to be true blue. Do indeed write something else, but write on your piece! Find an event that you know, or even just think, you want to happen and flesh that sucker out. It may be at the very end, half way through the story or even back at the beginning where you want to change something.
IF you don’t know where you want your story to go or can’t think of something you have wanted to change, get out a blank sheet of paper. A nice, clean, blank sheet. Decide how you like to brainstorm, do you like webs? Do you like lists? Do you like scattering random words and phrases across the paper and connecting them? Whatever it is choose your method! Then, write down three colors, three feelings, three major characters from the scene, three objects, and three events from your current scene.
Now, start writing things that go with each word or phrase next to the sets. Don’t think, just write, and when you feel your brain starting to slow down take a break. Look at what you have written, take a different color writing utensil and write down your comments, let yourself get lost in everything that is on the page. Don’t think “oh, well that could never belong in my story because so and so wouldn’t do that” just draw lines connecting things and comment.
Eventually you should have a nice and messy sheet of paper in front of you and some new ideas. Yes, I just walked you through a simple brainstorming method, what makes it so special? I will tell you, nothing really. The only thing that makes it special is that you are selecting specific elements from the point at which you are stuck and encouraging your mind to spin wondrous and outrageous ideas about them. You took fifteen items from your scene that contains thousands and now, hopefully, see them in a new light.
Previously written by Irene, Chief Moderator