I sat down last night to write and it felt like I hit a wall at full speed. I couldn't think of any ideas, any words, any sentences. I almost did a TPK on my characters.
So, what do you do if and when you hit the wall known as writers block, how do you work around it?
Normally, I would give it time, take a day or two off, but time is something none of us have in November. I know I'm ahead of my word count, but that's because I know if I take a day off, I'll take a second, then a third, and then a month. Once behind, for me, I tend to quit, rather than write harder.
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72,466 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 09 46
Write about something else.
I outline because this happens to me if I don't know what's going to happen.
Just put words down...you'll get there
----------Tirjasdyn - Badger et al
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73,464 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 10 18
I'm with Tirjasdyn.
However, if you're hitting a brick wall, it might be stress induced. Try doing something relaxing for 30 minutes and then come back. That usually does it for me.
Frankie
----------SM "Frankie" Blooding
53,055 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 10 25
Twitterfall! (www.twitterfall.com) Use their search and type in something relevant. See if anyone is talking about it and draw some inspiration from that. Given how active Twitter is, your search word can be just about anything.
51,046 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 14 33
I'm a fan of outlining, but what I do is write down all of the specific events that I want to occur, and in what order. I like to have five major points per chapter, say, in a 50,000 word novel. That comes out to between 18-20 chapters if you're writing about 3,000 words per chapter.
Depending on what kind of novel I am writing, I usually go back and reread what I have written...by the time I hit the end I have an idea for where I want to go.
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Remember your dreams, for they are the stuff of legends...or at least, of good novels.
74,792 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 10 45
Start an inane conversation between characters about something utterly irrelevant. Have them argue like politicians on a talk show about it. Like a TV show, or the merits of using Orange Sauce vs Lemon Sauce on roast duck.
Even if you delete the inanity in the post-NaNo edit you a) fill in words and b) might learn something you didn't know about your character(s).
----------Your Name In Blood - Have No Fear
50,014 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 21 16
Obviously too late to outline, so I would either go with the conversation suggestion someone else gave, or an amusing bit of advice I saw somewhere once and always stuck with me.
"If the plot isn't going anywhere, have someone kick a door down."
Personally though I always have some kind of outline/scene list/etc now because I can't pants something the length of a novel, last time I tried I failed so miserably I gave up after.. 15k words?
Meanwhile only problem I'm having now is getting the right feel for the scene I'm about to do, but I'm ahead enough I am willing to let that one sit a bit first.
7,031 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 22 08
Even if you delete the inanity in the post-NaNo edit you a) fill in words and b) might learn something you didn't know about your character(s).
I like the suggestions, and I like the idea of getting to learn more about my characters, even if I do prattle on.
Not necessarily. I decided I needed to know a bit more about where my characters were going so I went ahead and did a sort of outline, listing out where the story was going, hitting the key points, and between that and allowing for crap to get put down on paper, I was able to push out another 1000 words yesterday.
All good advice, thank you, and keep it coming! :)
----------"English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.."
50,014 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 22 19
Hah nice, though I could never do outright outlining into the process. I've fleshed out an outline before, but never actually started one part way through.
Shows a big hole in my experience I guess ;-)
22,383 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 22 24
Love the quote at the end - it more than explains why our grammar rules are so messed up!
----------MikeWrites.NaNo09
US Army, Retired