Writers Assistance

[-Annie-]

Could I mod please pin this thread?

It keeps getting lost!

[sevenpuddings]

I discovered the best cure for writers block. Sunlight and sunbaking... which is so ironic, as it was Moonlit Walks and Summer Dreams that I was stuck on. But seriously, taking a pen and paper and going to sit outside and write, it gives you so much freedom to just think, without the confines of a computer sitting there in front of you!

I also have some tips for inspiration... try watching movies, and ripping off their themes... I know that sounds bad, but honestly, all movies in say the romance genre follow the same rules, and watching it play out in different wants can be really good for the imagination.

I also write one shots if I'm stuck in a rut. If there's just a snippit of something that needs to be written down, that sometimes helps clear the head!

[Home and Away Always!!!]

I'm in a bit of a problem at the moment and I'm wondering if anyone can help. I've been writing my first fanfiction and people seem to be liking it-that's great! But then suddenly, BAM! I'm stuck. There is no insipration and I have no idea what's coming next. I have something planned for a few chapters later, but I want something in between, and when I try to write it, it feels boring, and makes me think that no-one will like it!! I have no idea what to do, if any has suggestions or solutions, I'm all ears! Please help if you can, it would be greatly appreciated!

[-Annie-]

Jess - That's a great idea! I think I might try that tomorrow...

HAAA - Yep, it sucks being really suck. Try re-reading over the fic a few times, watch a movie, read a book, anything to get some inspiration. Actually, a few pages back in this thread, there is some great advice on how to get out of a writers block...take a read there.

[Nicom]

Hey guys, thought I'd poke my head in!

I've got a little adviceyness! So I'm going to try and be clever and say it normally.

Don't try writing when you're not in 'the mood'. It never works, you go back and think "What the hell did I write that for?" and you only delete it anyway... Well, I do.

I totally agree with sevenpudd's, I watch romantic/comedys (As I have several) and they really put you in the mood! Of course, there's always a bit of anger/pain in the movie (which I love), humour (Makes you smile and laugh) and then... the romance. (Makes you smile and giggle.) And then after you watch it, you're all like "ahhhh" so its a perfect mood to write!

Unless you're just about to brutally attack the characters in your fic..

I have another idea too, try writing about something different. Recently, I've been trying to challenge myself. With the short 'Martha's Secret' fic (That was a challenge and a half! lol) it took a lot of power to write something sad let me tell you!! And now with my current fic, Returning Emotions. I started with... fluff. Yes, fluff. I sounded like a sop, with all the "i love you"'s and there was barely any anger! I'm not a sop person, so this was really hard for me to do. But, I wanted to try different things... Later on in this fic, of course, I get some of my old anger scenes back... but I'm still going to try and keep up with the occasional sop.. even though it won't be as it seems. *wiggles eyebrows* Then I'm going to involve some flashbacks, and develop some different feelings that Jack wouldn't normally have in fics.. Martha usually has them. The whole fic, (after an event soon) is going to be a bit of a flip from a normal JM fic layout, because that'd make it a bit different, and a bit stranger for me to write.

I think challenging yourself is great! Nice and fun. It makes stuff different, and gives you the motivation to carry on and challenge yourself, because you know you're actually achieveing something.

[Skykat]

Another great thread so I'm bumping it back up.

I suffer from terrible writers block. I have to be in the right frame of mind to write at all and I get so distracted easily. I'm especially bad when I'm working on a major storyline and I want to get it just right.

My main problem is concentration though. I have nervous energy and hyperactivity, always have and my attention span is awful. If I'm reading a story it takes me several attempts at reading different bits before I get through the whole lot and then I rarely reply at the same time as I read it. I'm the same with writing. It usually takes me several attempts at writing a chapter, hence the long delay in my updates. I'm also a huge rambler, I get carried away with writing things and then spend twice as long editing it!

When I'm struggling to write the bit I'm currently focused on I'll pick up a different storyline or character or something I'm planning in the future and I'll write that instead. I find that by doing that I get into the swing of writing things again so I'm more likely to be inspired to write the bit that was troubling me. Also it helps later down the line when I'm struggling again if I already have parts written so I only have to make minor alterations, adjustments etc.

[Pierced Musie]

I go through writers block a lot. At the moment I seem to be on a roll because I'm working through two long fics and finishing off the challenge fic.

If I start a long fic I have to have a plan ready beforehand. As I go on I make several big changes to the plans and sometimes, in the case of one of my plans (Journey to Self Destruction), I even scrap the original plan and work on a new one. As I get to the end of the fic I end up making one huge change to make sure it could carry on if I wanted to.

If I'm enjoying writing it then I always continue.

I think my biggest flaws with H&A fics is that I am a sucker for a crossover and twisting canon into AU (Big clue is Aaron, Noah Lawson's psycho identical twin in the Alias saga). I will try crossing it over with anything if given the right opening. At the moment it's Alias but who knows where I will go after that is done with.

Also I have to ask. Does anyone else have muses? I guess some of you know that I have two human looking muses who have, since coming to me over the last few years, have taken over my life. When I have writersblock I always know when it is about to be smashed. I get a dream that involves one or both of the boys. When I wake up there is a new idea or enthusiasm in me. Makes me love Casey and Shane even more.

[xGlowingAngelx]

What my problem is, is that I write the beginning of something and I can write it with no problems, then I get writers block out of nowehere, and it really puts me down, then what find is (I hate myself for this) because I can't think of anything to write, I get annoyed and simply just start a new one.

I remember when I was in my last year of primary school (5 years ago, freeps, my memory isn't as bad as I thought it was), my parents went in for parents evening, and my teacher was on about the stories we'd written and one of the things she commented on was that I start of well, and then I simply end up rambling, instead of taking my time and planning things out. This is something I still do now. Only now, I'm much more serious about writing so I do try to control it. That's why, if you see fics or stories of mine, you either won't ever get an ending to it, or I just delete it.

It's a terrible weakness, especially since I love writing so much.

[Pierced Musie]

A suggestion here.

Take an afternoon to sit down, listen to music and make plans. Make out several plans to fall back on and write. Pick out a favourite and stick with it. If you start off well and start getting writersblock about it go through the plan again and edit things. Make changes to it. Hell, even kill off characters or something. You can do it, girl!

Another idea is to make a one-shot fic and stick it out until it is all written at once.

[Jess]

I know the feeling, Amy. I've been writing a fic. for way too long now, and I kinda got writer's block at one point, so I went and wrote the end. I'm kinda proud of the final chapter, but can't seem to be able to get from my current place in the plot to a place where I can stick the ending in. It's so damn frustrating!