Actualizing Concepts

[Leah]

As writers, or anyone involved in creative artistry, I think we hope to process the world that we see, and the concepts we draw from our experiences, into a form. Right now, I am having a hard time actualizing some of the things I have been thinking. It feels different than a writers block, because it is more that I am just not sure what direction to take some larger ideas, and how to start to get them into some sort of structure, even if it is skeletal. I mean, I don't have some sort of story in my head, I don't have characters or dialogue. I just have ideas that I need to put out there creatively, before they form a mutiny and take over my head in a negative way. Ya dig?

What are some of the ways/exercises you find helpful to begin giving birth and form to unhatched concepts?

[Brigid ✩]

Well I'm not exactly sure what you mean. Do you mean that sometimes you think about a concept, but you don't know how to fit it into a story?
That happens to me sometimes too. What I do is I just write down my random thoughts somewhere. And then eventually, I'll think of a plot and characters, and the concept will find its way in somehow.
I guess what I do is just write down all the hatchings of ideas that I have. I make basic outlines to help me. And then I wait for the story to start writing itself in my head. Personally, I just wait for something to come to me, and eventually inspiration comes along.
I don't know if that's what you were asking for, but if it is then I hope it helps. :)

[Leah]

Thanks, Brigid, I am totally sure I am being unclear in what I am asking, too. HA! Sort of abstract.

I guess it is interesting to me to be on a different side of the process for once, in that I have big time inspiration in the way of concepts but not inspiration in the way of how to bring those concepts to life. Maybe this actually IS a form of writer's block!

I think maybe making some outlines as you suggested would be a great start. Because they always can be altered, and at least it is a beginning.

It could be that I am experiencing this because these thoughts of mine are sort of new ideas I am toying around with, absorbed from some kind of far out places and influences, and that *I* am not even totally solid or concrete on what they are about yet, and therefore don't have words to express them? I've pondered whether it might be helpful to do some sort of abstract method to at least bring them into the light a bit. Like doing some Nano-Fiction:
http://www.percontra.net/11turnernano...

Or trying the cut-up technique to just get the ideas flowing and OUT THERE in some form?

Sorry, this is all a little in my head, I was hoping maybe some other writers have been in this weird state before! ha

[Brigid ✩]

:D

[Riley]

make an attic journal. Write out some basic concepts, just write, free write, write about anything. Put it somewhere secret, wait a month. Come back to your journal, re read your ideas.

[Riley]

that's what I do. Don't try to write out your ideas you've already had. Somehow your subconscious will take over and you'll write it out without even trying.

[[deleted user]]

OH MY HECK, that's a good idea. I keep a Dream Journal where I write down anything that has to do with dreams or wishes that I have.

[Riley]

I used too, but I forgot all my wishes. I have no hope. My emo personality is taking over so sorry if I seem pessimistic.

[[deleted user]]

Don't give in!!!

[Brigid ✩]

i tried writing a dream journal, but it was kinda pointless... cuz none of my dreams made any sense whatsoever or held any source of inspiration. XD plus i always forgot to write in it in the morning; i was too lazy. lol.

[Daisy]

I keep a notebook with me as often as posssible I do not get writers block or when I do its because i have another 60 or so ideas going through my head that I have to write down it least two of.

[Laina]

woah! i ahve some crazy dreams I don't even want to write about!

[Daisy]

me too! I get so many ideas during school about different crazy wacked up schools I'm going to start a series called School Stories or something like that I need a better title.

[Laina]

haha... definitely! I've been thinking of writing a story featuring my math teacher whom we think is a ninja in hiding. He even admitted to it today... hehe

[Daisy]

LOL

[Laina]

seriously though! it would make so much sense for him to be a ninja... haha

[Daisy]

weirdness

[Laina]

very much so. : )

[Daisy]

Like how would he be a ninja I mean does he like wear black or something?

[Laina]

lol... quite the contrary. he wears all different bright colors of shirts with matching ties : ) he always brags about his reflexes, (and we saw em today haha), he is strangely evasive, and yes... haha... he's interesting. (fyi jsut to make sure, i'm not being completely serious, although I haven't ruled out the possibility!)

[Daisy]

yeah oh you should google cheesy pick up lines they are funny.

[Brigid ✩]

one time me and my friend wrote a story about our science class... and our science teacher ended up being thrown into a volcano. (uh, yeah. we REALLY didn't like him.) heehee.

[Laina]

haha... my old science teacher was REALLY scary... at least like the Grimm... Adams was... *shudders*

[Brigid ✩]

heehee. our science teacher was just... annoying. and evil. in an annoying way. if that makes any sense.

[Laina]

haha yes that makes tons of my sense. my old science teacher was just incredibly closed-minded and argumentative. One day (in Advisory) when we going over how to take good notes, Adam's and i got into this huge argument over Harry Potter that lasted the whole hour... the funny thing? THis kid tok notes on the whole thing! Something like:

"lainey makes better point... Mr. Adams prooved wrong. lainey still right..." hahaha

[Brigid ✩]

haha. yeah our science teacher last year... gah. he was one of those teachers that tried to be all cool and funny and just totally WASN'T. he was meeean. he would make us do like thirty pages of notes and then not even check them. ggrrrrr... plus he thought i was an idiot; i could tell. XD

[Laina]

haha i'm sorry... you can get some freak science teachers out there. i have been greatly blessed with smart, funny, (even though somewhat impossible) ones

[Brigid ✩]

i had a cool science teacher in like... sixth grade. and my seventh & eighth grade science teachers were also pretty cool. after that....... errrrrmmm :-/

[Riley]

AT HOGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGWAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Veronica, What the neck!?]

My science teachers have been pretty good in the past. But then again, I shouldn't really judge my 6th grade teacher. I mean, I liked him, as well as all my other teachers, but if I had them now...*shudder* I would go crazy.

[Veronica, What the neck!?]

Oh, and my science teacher this year is like, UBER smart. He was like, the head guy at some place or other that is more important than I'm making it sound. Well, that was before he became a high school biology teacher anyways.

[Sella, ov vey! i haven't checked this group in months. ><]

My science teacher has anger management problems. He yells at us randomly in the middle of class if we start talking. XD

[Brigid ✩]

scaaaary

[Veronica, What the neck!?]

I love all my teachers but one this year, which is pretty good. I mean disliking 1/7, and she's not even that bad. But econ is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo boring, and she teaches it, and she has an annoying-ish voice.

and my lit teacher is crazy. in a good way though

[Tate]

I shall read the older posts later as I don't have time to now.

However, my lit teacher is rather crazy in an awesome way as well, yay! :D

[Sella, ov vey! i haven't checked this group in months. ><]

Our new social studies teacher ROCKS!! He's strict in class, but really he's a student trapped in a teacher's body. During Advisory, instead of talking about our feelings, he lets us goof off and talk about random stuff, and he even joins in with us!! Plus he uses the kind of language that we use and stuff and he's really funny. XD

[Veronica, What the neck!?]

sounds fun.

but advisory? what's that?

[Laina]

advisory? it's a class where they teach you good study skills etc etc.... we had it for only like twenty minutes.

[Sella, ov vey! i haven't checked this group in months. ><]

Well, it's supposed to be a class where you can get help with organization or if you have any problems you can ask for help. But Mr. Clymer doesn't actually follow that, and he just lets us goof off and talk about whatever we want. It rocks! XD