Denise Drespling
I don't. I don't believe in writer's block, so therefore, I don't suffer from it. I think that the idea of not being able to write is a cop out on some level. Unless you are physical unable to type or write (even then, if you can speak, you can dictate), you CAN write. What people really mean when they talk about writer's block is an inability to come up with words that they like or a scene/story line they deem worthy. The best way to get past that is just to write.
Not every word is going to be gold. Sometimes you have to push a story forward--even if you hate where it's going, even if you sense it's utter crap, even if you know that you're going to cut every word you're typing--just to find out which direction you DON'T want to go. I like to brainstorm. If I don't know what should happen next, I will take a few minutes to write down every possible scenario I can think of, even impossible ones.
If I'd been writing The Hunger Games, it might have been something like this. Prim's name is pulled for the games. What happens next? It could be: Katniss volunteers, Katniss volunteers but they reject/don't allow it, Madge volunteers, Gale volunteers, Prim volunteers back to take Katniss's place, their mother volunteers, some random person Katniss doesn't know volunteers, someone shoots Effie, an explosion destroys the stage, aliens land suddenly, the wall falls down and they discover they actually live inside a giant box and are being watched like rats in a cage.
It goes from possible to impossible to just plain whaa? But it gets your mind working. You quickly see that maybe this isn't an alien story, so that possibility is out, and by eliminating possibilities--no matter how out there--you start to give yourself direction. The story would have been quite different if anything besides Katniss volunteering took place. Imagine what would happen in each scenario and see which direction you like best.
Other than brainstorming, get inspired. See some movies, gawk at some art, write a poem (especially if you're not a poet), write some flash or short fiction, write a journal entry, do something you've never done before. Just write something. The way to move beyond not being able to write is to just write.
Now, if you don't WANT to write, that's a different problem. In that case, see Depression.
Not every word is going to be gold. Sometimes you have to push a story forward--even if you hate where it's going, even if you sense it's utter crap, even if you know that you're going to cut every word you're typing--just to find out which direction you DON'T want to go. I like to brainstorm. If I don't know what should happen next, I will take a few minutes to write down every possible scenario I can think of, even impossible ones.
If I'd been writing The Hunger Games, it might have been something like this. Prim's name is pulled for the games. What happens next? It could be: Katniss volunteers, Katniss volunteers but they reject/don't allow it, Madge volunteers, Gale volunteers, Prim volunteers back to take Katniss's place, their mother volunteers, some random person Katniss doesn't know volunteers, someone shoots Effie, an explosion destroys the stage, aliens land suddenly, the wall falls down and they discover they actually live inside a giant box and are being watched like rats in a cage.
It goes from possible to impossible to just plain whaa? But it gets your mind working. You quickly see that maybe this isn't an alien story, so that possibility is out, and by eliminating possibilities--no matter how out there--you start to give yourself direction. The story would have been quite different if anything besides Katniss volunteering took place. Imagine what would happen in each scenario and see which direction you like best.
Other than brainstorming, get inspired. See some movies, gawk at some art, write a poem (especially if you're not a poet), write some flash or short fiction, write a journal entry, do something you've never done before. Just write something. The way to move beyond not being able to write is to just write.
Now, if you don't WANT to write, that's a different problem. In that case, see Depression.
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