I don't believe it

[gb]

I'm having trouble thinking of things to write down. Even when I tell myself it's meant to be unfiltered and spontaneous, and even considering I'm tl;dr at the best of times. It's not as if I don't have material to whine write about, my mind just goes blank.

I wasn't having this problem when I started! And it's gotten so bad a few days ago I resorted to keyboard-mashing gibberish for 100 words just so I'd make it in by midnight.

Anyone else have this problem? Or maybe some ideas on how to fix it?

(Sorry for unfinished entry fail, I got a bit excited with the Enter key)

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

I've had stumbling blocks w/doing my words crop up from time to time that I haven't had when I started--I figure it's my self-sabotage/creative block trying to get creative. ;) I've just been telling myself that it's not always going to be easy or fun & if I work through it, I will hopefully get to a different stage (maybe not necessarily a fun stage where the words just fly, but an easier stage).

I end up typing, "What else? What else?" a lot when I am running out of things to write about! Though I resort a lot to griping about work or how tired I am too. >_<

[gb]

Sorry for the late reply! Since making this post, I resolved to knuckle down and push through it, even if that meant writing dozens and dozens of words about having nothing to write. I lost my streak (a few days from the end of August! oof) but I've started a new one and it seems to be going a bit easier now. My difficulty might have been a variant of that second/third-week block NaNoWriMo authors complain of?

So thanks for your comment, it helped quite a bit. :D

[littlebutfierce]

Yay, I'm glad it helped, & I'm glad you've been able to keep moving forward!

Recently I read Julia Cameron's The Sound of Paper--I figured since it was her idea that morphed into 750 Words, I would give it a shot (I'd already read The Artist's Way). I had some mixed feelings, but there was some useful stuff in there about periods of creative fallowness, & how that's natural, b/c if you were just burning with creative energy permanently & staying up all night to write & everything just flowed, well... you'd burn out.

Anyway, it's been helpful to me--I've been meaning to dig out some relevant passages & post them to writethisfanfic; if I do, I'll try to remember to post back here with the link!

[gb]

haha oh man your description of that book made me lol merrily. If I had enough money to go for 45 minute cab rides I'd probably have less worries to distract me from creativity too! :D I like your idea of doing a fanzine that provides ways for getting out of a rut on a more reasonable budget, if I had more ideas myself I'd offer to help.

(If you like books regarding creativity, I enjoyed reading a book called Unstuck! by Jane Anne Straw, aimed at people with massive writers' block... it's been quite a while since I read it and it might be a bit too touchy-feely for some, but I recall it being quite interesting, without making as many weird assumptions as Cameron seems prone to)

I've been putting more effort into drawing than writing lately and I can tell I'm going to have to struggle to get today's seven hundred and fifty done, but it's still an improvement. XD I'm glad it's working out for you, too!

[littlebutfierce]

Oooh, I may have to take a look at that book. Sometimes touchy-feely gets me irritated, but sometimes it's just what I need. Thanks!

I did end up writing the post talking about creative dry spells (I guess answering your comment was the kick in the butt I needed!), hee.

Anyway--yay for us both keeping going!

[gb]

Jane Anne Staw, not Straw, sorry.