Writer's Block Sucks
Feb. 22nd, 2019 03:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridloreI have been experiencing terrible writer's block for the past few weeks. I sit down, distraction-free, empty screen in front of me, and nothing happens. It's so frustrating that I have literally screamed at the walls after trying and failing to come up with a single coherent sentence. I look at the row of empty boxes on 750words.com and feel like an utter failure. Which is not good for my general mental state.
There are mitigating factors. I've been getting a lot of work recently, as regular crossing guards take vacations and use their sick days. In fact, I have three straight weeks coming up as a guard visits family in the Philippines. Work does tire me, and working in the recent waves of storms hitting the Bay Area has made things much worse. I also picked up a nasty-ass cold that transitioned right into allergy season. Hard to write when you're coughing up the shattered remnants of your lungs every fifteen minutes.
It's not like I've lacked ideas for my writing. I've got reviews for two Dungeons & Dragons books to write, my fanzine-publishing friend is always looking for articles on any number of subjects, and I'm always thinking of scenes and essays that I really need to get down just so that they are there for later review. But while the ideas are happily bouncing around my brain they fade when I sit down to even sketch out barebones frameworks of what I'm thinking.
As an example, there's a scene for my next NaNoWriMo project that keeps coming up. A scene where my hero attempts to start a coup by suborning fleet units to rally to his banner and advance to Earth. It's based on a similar attempt by Louis Napoleon. I can see the cramped bridge of the old destroyer that is the hero's "flagship." I can feel his emotions and know exactly how to write his lines as he first makes his brazen announcement to the Terran Navy ships in orbit around this colony world. I can hear the entire discussion among ships, with an early sense of triumph as ship after ship begins declaring for the hero, followed by the quick collapse as the commanding admiral quickly brings order back to his squadron.
The scene ends with his own crew turning, and allowing the ship to be boarded and the hero taken out under arrest. It's a major plot point in the book, as the hero is first imprisoned and then escapes into exile. It sets up the final act of the novel, where through political manipulation he manages to seize power through a mandate of the citizens. It's vital, I can see it in my head, and I can't bloody write it!
Oh, I've done all the exercises experts recommend to deal with writer's block. I've meditated, changed my writing medium, did basic typing exercises just to get in the habit of writing words. I've even gone back over older pieces and attempted to edit them and rewrite some sections. Nothing.
In fact, this piece today is the first significant writing I've done in four weeks. Writing this is like pulling teeth, a subject I have extensive experience with, sad to say. I'm looking at my word count, seeing that I've written 548 words of my 750-word goal. I'm at a loss as to what else I can say on the subject of my inability to wrote two sentences on "My day at the farm" or whatever.
But I will make that goal. I'm am going to try all the tricks again. Tomorrow I may write my 750 words right after I get up before I do anything else. I might just use my voice transcription software to see if I can get my stream of consciousness out a little better if I speak rather than type. Because let's face it, I am king of the two-finger typists. It might be best to combine the two.
I'm also committing to getting out of the apartment more. Yes, I've been sick, but getting out stimulates my mind and invigorates my creative juices. I honestly believe I'm able to do this today because I took the recycling over to the recycling place earlier. So even if it's just a walk around the block, go out and get some sensory input. This will become easier as spring approaches.
So, yeah. Writer's block sucks. What I've found is you really just need to ride it out, keep chipping away at it, and be patient. The words will come back.
There are mitigating factors. I've been getting a lot of work recently, as regular crossing guards take vacations and use their sick days. In fact, I have three straight weeks coming up as a guard visits family in the Philippines. Work does tire me, and working in the recent waves of storms hitting the Bay Area has made things much worse. I also picked up a nasty-ass cold that transitioned right into allergy season. Hard to write when you're coughing up the shattered remnants of your lungs every fifteen minutes.
It's not like I've lacked ideas for my writing. I've got reviews for two Dungeons & Dragons books to write, my fanzine-publishing friend is always looking for articles on any number of subjects, and I'm always thinking of scenes and essays that I really need to get down just so that they are there for later review. But while the ideas are happily bouncing around my brain they fade when I sit down to even sketch out barebones frameworks of what I'm thinking.
As an example, there's a scene for my next NaNoWriMo project that keeps coming up. A scene where my hero attempts to start a coup by suborning fleet units to rally to his banner and advance to Earth. It's based on a similar attempt by Louis Napoleon. I can see the cramped bridge of the old destroyer that is the hero's "flagship." I can feel his emotions and know exactly how to write his lines as he first makes his brazen announcement to the Terran Navy ships in orbit around this colony world. I can hear the entire discussion among ships, with an early sense of triumph as ship after ship begins declaring for the hero, followed by the quick collapse as the commanding admiral quickly brings order back to his squadron.
The scene ends with his own crew turning, and allowing the ship to be boarded and the hero taken out under arrest. It's a major plot point in the book, as the hero is first imprisoned and then escapes into exile. It sets up the final act of the novel, where through political manipulation he manages to seize power through a mandate of the citizens. It's vital, I can see it in my head, and I can't bloody write it!
Oh, I've done all the exercises experts recommend to deal with writer's block. I've meditated, changed my writing medium, did basic typing exercises just to get in the habit of writing words. I've even gone back over older pieces and attempted to edit them and rewrite some sections. Nothing.
In fact, this piece today is the first significant writing I've done in four weeks. Writing this is like pulling teeth, a subject I have extensive experience with, sad to say. I'm looking at my word count, seeing that I've written 548 words of my 750-word goal. I'm at a loss as to what else I can say on the subject of my inability to wrote two sentences on "My day at the farm" or whatever.
But I will make that goal. I'm am going to try all the tricks again. Tomorrow I may write my 750 words right after I get up before I do anything else. I might just use my voice transcription software to see if I can get my stream of consciousness out a little better if I speak rather than type. Because let's face it, I am king of the two-finger typists. It might be best to combine the two.
I'm also committing to getting out of the apartment more. Yes, I've been sick, but getting out stimulates my mind and invigorates my creative juices. I honestly believe I'm able to do this today because I took the recycling over to the recycling place earlier. So even if it's just a walk around the block, go out and get some sensory input. This will become easier as spring approaches.
So, yeah. Writer's block sucks. What I've found is you really just need to ride it out, keep chipping away at it, and be patient. The words will come back.
no subject
Date: 23 Feb 2019 02:26 (UTC)Brace yourself
Date: 24 Feb 2019 06:02 (UTC)https://thefantasytrip.game/products/core-games/the-fantasy-trip-legacy-edition/
You be okay, man, just put your head down, breathe…