You may remember that last semester, my plans to write another of my yearly RPGC Sagas was ruined by too many duties in my life at the time (work, babysitting my nephew and taking him to his Little League games.) I was hoping that after that was over, I’d just return to writing again.
But…I can’t.
No, I really mean that. I CANT WRITE! I’m not just blocked, I can’t even read other people’s fanfics! It’s like when you’re hungry but you’re sick- you WANT to do it, but your body says “no.”
I’m not sure what’s happening with me… I might just be burned out, or depressed, about several things: Not finishing the first story, the fact that I’ve gone back to working on construction (a job I HATE) or a lack of good stuff to read/write (God, but why do comic books SUCK so much all of a sudden? And I barely have any $$ for video games…)
Don’t worry too much about me, guys; I’ve been in worse moments and I’ve always pulled thru. But man, I miss writing. What could I do to get back in the Groove? I’ve been thinking of writing articles or reviews in the meantime (those take very little effort, at least to me.) Would that be of interest here? Anyway, hit me with any advice, inspiration or good wishes you want, folks.
At least I can still read and post in threads, so expect me to continue making a fool of myself in the boards in the near future.
Take five, Martinez. Open a can of soda, listen to something constructive and let the flow come in. That’s the way I got to writing your cameo to it’s conclusion after a year’s hiatus >_>; Also, I started studying so sharpening my English up would come in handy too. (Thanks to Rigmarole for pointing out the obvious.)
Writer’s blocks. Imagine playing Tetris with them! PSYCH!
I don’t think comic books suck too bad, of late. My only real problem is some of the character whoring they did in civil war. Since when did Deadpool become even remotely patriotic (he was blatantly and openly anti-authoritarian when Joe Kelly was writing him, and most writers have stayed true to that. Fuck you, Nicieza, just because you created him doesn’t mean you can undo his whole development to make a corny plot device in Cable & Deadpool), and the whole No, Thor’s not dead, sorry, thought we’d just ruin a dramatic ending for another stupid freaking comic book death.. Although I applaud Captain America siding with the ideals America is supposed to stand for, rather than the government, that’s cool and made me respect his character a lot more than I used to.
Um, anyway, when I have writers block I write letters to people, essays, or arguments. So you could try that. They all get creativity working, the letter since I always try and write really, really nice letters to the few people I write them to, the essays because I have to think what I’m even prattling on about and how I’m going to defend it, and the arguments because I have to creatively find the plotholes in the other person’s argument and patch them up with big cotton balls of truth. That was a really, really weird simile. I’m sorry. Anyway, yeah, that can get all the writing traits working without having to build a plot, since the letters get up my verbosity and whatnot, the plot development of a story is like the advancement of ideas in an essay, and the argument thing is a good way to check for holes in the plot and characters, et ceteras.
Wil, I am probably the last person to give you advice about writing, but I find it helpful to visualize the events. Like it was a movie, and your characters are actors. Seeing the environment that way helps figure out the right way for your characters to go.
And, don’t force yourself. If you want to write, really want to write, you will. We are not editors forcing deadlines on you. We will not sue you for late work. Just do what Mabat says, and take it easy.
It is good to hear from you again, Wil, and I am sorry to hear that you are still bearing many burdens that hinder your opportunity to write.
I think that perhaps a good strategy will be to not expect too much of yourself right now. It does sound like you are somewhat depressed, and you will want to build self-confidence by setting goals that you can meet easily. Do not worry about pleasing anyone. I have found that when I commit myself too much to helping others, I forget some very important personal needs and lose confidence. Try to be happy as you attain your goals and do not compare yourself to anyone; the reality is that your success alone will truly matter in fostering confidence. In fact, posting here counts as writing, so pat yourself on the back for that. I have also found that my physical health has had a significant influence over my ability to read, write and think, and therefore I suggest making sure that you get enough sleep, eat as best as you can and try to get some exercise. Following a fitness regime is not always easy, but it is very rewarding if you can do it.
You might consider free writing to get inspiration. Begin with something easy, like keeping a journal. Do not care about spelling or grammar, structure or content: just sit and write whatever comes to mind. It does not need to make any sense at all. It will, I hope, ultimately bring you new ideas.
I shall hope for your success. If you ever want to communicate by all means email me: I expect to be less burdened this year by my academics. I also use MSN Messenger, so if you find yourself using it, be sure to add me to your list of contacts.
Something that worked for me: Make writing your only second option.
You can’t write now? It’s fine. First lay your hands off the internet. Now pick up one pasttime you want to keep. Ideally something that entertains you but gets you bored after a while (My choice was TV, I can watch two films maximum). When you get bored of the pasttime you chose you’ll stare at the wall. You’ll contemplate on the birds singing. Then the beauty of writing will hit you once again by force.
I secluded myself with a TV and a book of poetry I’ve been meaning to read. Not only did it make me get down to reading it, it also added quite a few lines to my Word file.
Second option: Put some music playing.The music gets you in a mood, you explore this mood. Hope something of these works for you.
Mabatsekker, it’s easy to overlook a word in a long text. I pointed it out to make your revising a tad easier
Thanks, guys. I appreciate both your kind words and your advice.
Mabat: WHAT? I’m on your story!? Waaugh! :eek: Sorry, as I said, I haven’t been reading fics either- but I promise I’ll read yours and comment on it soon! (Yours too, PC!)
Arac: Why I think comics suck lately is a subject too long to discuss here- hey, maybe I’ll do an article on that, that should help me get started writing something. Thanks for the inspiration.
PC: Good idea about visualizing things, I’ll try that as well.
Percival: It’s great to hear from you. I was afraid you would no longer have time for the Agora. One of things that saddened me the most about not finishing my last story was that I never got to the moment where you made your grand entrance, I think you would’ve liked it. Hopefully I’ll soon get back into writing it. Talking with you is always a pleasure; I’m not active on MSN, but feel free to Email me, I’ll always respond.
:enguard:
Rigmarole: Yeah, I need to relax, BADLY. But darned if I’ll stay away from writing fiction forever, one way or another I’ll write again. You’ll see.
I would just like to say that I disagree with the don’t force yourself comment. If you force yourself to do it, the result will probably be bad. Really bad. Like looking at a skinned squirrel when you’re five years old and love animals, kind of bad. But you’ll have broken the barrier/stigma/mindblock of ‘I can’t write.’
After that, let it come as it comes, and it probably will come. You just kicked open the door barefoot, and the result may be ugly, but now the door is open again, the problem is solved, and you can just wait for your foot to heal.
Also, when you do start writing, refrain from using similes. Seriously. See what happens when I do it. It’s bad-apples, man.
I’m with Arac on this one. Although forced writing often leads to messy works, the idea is to simply get back into the flow of writing. It’s like freewriting non-stop for about twenty minutes: the entire thing starts as a jarbled mess, but by the end thoughts will seem to flow freely. Simply type out/hand write on a single topic, and continue to do so for thirty minutes. After that, go back to thinking about what you’re writing, and you should be able to have some idea about what you want to write about, and how to do so.
And from the moment you posted, I knew comics were going to enter the conversation somehow. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be going to break my nearly fifteen-year comic book fast. goes to read several collections of old comics, a collection of the Superman syndicated comic strip, and that issue of Punisher MAX he picked up on a whim
Although this method may not work for you, it works for me. Set a time every single day for yourself to write. Whether it is only ten or fifteen minutes or even an hour (I wouldn’t do more than an hour to start, and an hour is even quite long to start after a long block- tangent), you will write. If you do not write, you will sit in front of your writing pad/word processor until the allotted time is remaining. It is tedious, and it is oftentimes frustrating, but if you want to create, it is sometimes necessary.
As an amatuer writer myself, I completely sympathize, Wil. I wish I could offer some advice, but I could probobly use a few good kicks in the head just as much as you can (in a literary sense, of course). When you find something that works, let me know. :hahaha;
