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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jul 9, 2007 17:43:04 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 15:29:15 GMT -6
Here are some of my comments from my forum & another board:
I have read several books on writing, and they suggest that when you're blocked you should write anyway... do writing exercises, write a letter to your characters, interview your characters, have your characters write letters to you, pick words at random from the dictionary and use them in a story, Google for images and then pick an interesting one to make up a story about, etc.
I read one book that stated that deadlines are the best way to get over writer's block. The claim is that deadlines push aside the Inner Critic / Inner Voice and lets the creative side take full control. Although, deadlines seem to block me even more... but then again, those story workshop deadlines I had didn't mean the difference between having money to live on, or going without / getting tossed out on my ear. Those kinds of deadlines might motivate me more.
Flash Writing By Michael Wilson:
[Writer's Block is when] Your Inner Critic gets involved in the creative process and freezes you out with the line: "I don't know what I'm going to write about."
Don't believe it for a minute. Locked away in your mind is enough material to keep you writing for the rest of your life. You just need to know how to tap into it and use it.
1.) Shut off Your Inner Critic / Inner Voice (For the 1st draft -- You need it for editing.) 2.) Use writing prompts / exercises 3.) Tap into personal experience 4.) What are you an expert on? 5.) Look at childhood interests 6.) Jot down your dream categories (If you were to be a contestant on Jeopardy, what categories would you win at.) 7.) Write down memorable Family Experiences 8.) First experiences 9.) Universal Experiences - everyone has them, but each are different 10.) Provide a creative environment -- change your old dull routines and get new experiences & fresh perspectives 11.) Be aware of / observe the world around you 12.) Read newspapers, magazines, books -- be alert for ideas 13.) Watch TV shows, Movies, surf the internet -- be alert for ideas 14.) Let ideas come to you. Be open & ready for them when they show up. 15.) Give yourself a deadline -- set a timer for 10 mins. - 20 mins. -- Give yourself a day - week- month/s to complete a project -- (Whatever time limit you choose should fit the size of the project you're working on. Short short pieces should have shorter deadlines than larger pieces.)
remly2.proboards.com/post/45/thread remly.proboards.com/post/2107/thread http://btheillusivemuse.runboard.com/t134,offset=0#post247
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 15:58:50 GMT -6
I just started reading this book, and I'm only on chapter 2: Writing on Both Sides of the Brain (Breakthrough Techniques for People Who Write) by Henriette Anne Klauser It teaches you how to turn off the Inner Critic for creating, and then to turn it back on for editing. It contains exercises to help set your creative side free, and then later on allowing the Inner Critic to hone the first draft to final draft.
MOTTO: Do No Editing Before Its Time.
Writing & Editing are two separate brain functions & the problem arises from doing both tasks simultaneously. Don't edit & write at the same time. Write first -- then go back and edit later.
[Writer's Block appears when the act of] writing looms very large and you feel very small. You need to flip the equation around and relax; you'll perform better.
The best antidote to writer's block is -- to write. The hair of the dog that is biting you provides the instant cure. Remember, the key to writing fluently is to separate writing from editing.
Try Rapidwriting: Let the words spill out without stopping to critique or correct or rearrange -- it is one dependable way to keep the two functions apart. (Rapid Writing also known as: Free Writing; Nonstop Writing)
Giving yourself permission to write garbage is like having a compost pile in the backyard. It might smell a little and even look yucky, but it provides a fertile environment for some great stuff to grow.
[Being an adult shouldn't mean you have to get it right on the first try. Allow yourself to make mistakes. Learn from them, over and over, and you'll be amazed at how much you have grown in knowledge/skill.] So pat yourself on the back for all that you have written, and recognize that writing is a growing thing, a learning experience. It is going to keep getting better and better. The more you write, the better you get at it. Practice! Practice! Practice!
The above are excerpts I've come across in the book so far. (I haven't finished chapter 2 yet.) And I've reworded some ideas from the book into my own words.
Okay, I'm up to chapter 7 now. The author feels that linear outlining is a no-no, as it's a left brain (Inner Critic) function, and can worsen Writer's Block. Whereas, branching uses the whole brain. Here are some various GoogleUS Searches I made on the different types of outlining:
Outline: Branching
Branching: An Alternative To The Outline
Writing+Concept Mapping
Outline+Concept Mapping
Writing+Mind Mapping
Outline+Mind Mapping
Clustering+Writing
Clustering+Outline
"Net lining" In Writing
Netlining In Writing
Create An Outline+Writing
Outlining In Writing
Linear Outlining In Writing
Non Linear Outlining In Writing
NonLinear Outlining In Writing
Writing+Brainstorming
Disclaimer: As with anything... what works for one doesn't always work for another. Use what works for you, and discard what doesn't.
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 16:12:07 GMT -6
Okay... about The Wall.
The Wall is an illusion that the Inner Critic uses to stop you in your tracks. The Wall is blocking you from the good stuff. The Wall is a trick the Inner Critic uses to make you believe there is nothing more there. If you give up, you will miss out on the goodies behind The Wall. If you push past/through The Wall, which isn't solid because it's only an illusion, you'll catch your second wind.
Experienced atheles know that if they push past the point of exhaustion/tiredness, when they feel they can't possibly go another step, they'll catch their second wind.
Whenever the Inner Critic steps in your path with comments meant to stop you in your tracks, simply say, "Thank you for sharing," and go around him and continue onward. Don't argue or carry on a conversation with him in any way, doing so will only slow you down or keep you from completing your project.
Give This A Try: Whenever you come to The Wall, set a timer for 10 minutes and push yourself to continue writing. If after 10 minutes you still can't put pen to paper, take a break and go back to it later when you're refreshed.
Take out a new notebook and have your Inner Critic explain why he stopped you. Perhaps he sees holes that need to be addressed and worked out before continuing the project. Don't let him berate you or the story... argue with him... banter back and forth... but don't let him have the last word. (Not if it's negative.) Have him show you what needs work/improving, then have him show you what is good and worth keeping. What you want to do here is to turn a parent/child relationship between you and your Inner Critic into a one-on-one adult relationship. A partnership. One where he helps you improve your work... where he builds you up... not tear you down or trash your work.
Keep alert for the lies he tells you that he believes is for 'your own good.' Your work doesn't have to be perfect the first go around. That's what editing/revision if for.
Discuss the project with your Inner Critic before going to bed so that you can sleep on it and figure out answers for when you wake up and work on the project early the next morning while the Inner Critic is still sleeping. (He ain't a morning person like the Creative Side of your brain... he likes to sleep in, so work while he's off in la-la land and get as much work done as possible before he awakes. )
Overcoming Writer's Block
The Writer's Block: Get Into It
Writing+Second Wind+2nd
Writer's Block+The Wall+Second Wind+2nd
Sports+Second Wind+2nd
Athletes+Getting Your Second Wind+2nd
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 16:18:17 GMT -6
Coaching the Artist Within (Advice for Writers, Actors, Visual Artists, and Musicians from America's Foremost Creativity Coach) by Eric Maisel Search For Books By Eric Maisel
Eric Maisel
Chapter 8 ... in a nutshell ...
Embrace the downside of writing. Understand that all writers have downsides, and that you are not alone in the struggle to put words to paper. All writers have bouts of frustration with their works at some point in the process.
One minute you're in love with your story, and the high gives you such a rush. The next minute you hate your story with a passion, and the low sends you to the dumps without hope. Do you let the lows stop you from continuing on and finishing your project? You shouldn't.
The lows are a part of the writing process, and fighting against them, or telling yourself that you're alone in your suffering can contribute to writer's block.
Exercise # 15:
Envision writing your story from beginning to end; from the blank page to publication. In this movie in your mind, go through all the steps it takes to go through this process. Even include the downtimes when you need to sit and stare out the window in order to work out story details before continuing the writing.
Now slow down the movie and take a closer look at what steps you could take to make the process more productive. Do you need to spend more time actually writing? Do you need to get up an hour or more earlier than your usual morning wakeup? Do you need to do less complaining? Less drinking?
Now answer these questions:
What positives can I add to the writing process?
What negatives can I take away from the writing process?
What new things can I add that will improve on the writing process?
When I get stuck, what can I do to get myself and the story back on track?
"Goal-less process" is when you leave your garden to its own devices, and "goal-oriented process" is when you get out there to weed and tend the garden.
You can be pleased and satisfied with either process, but only one will feed the family.
Exercise # 16:
Write down in your own words what you consider to be "goal-less processes," and what you consider to be "goal-oriented processes."
Which process is more beneficial to your life's mission of being a writer?
When should you give in to the "goal-less process"? When should you take on the "goal-oriented process"?
How can you help yourself get into the habit of being more "goal-oriented"? What steps do you need to take to make this happen?
Create rituals that will get you into a more "goal-oriented" frame of mind.
Give yourself permission to be bad, otherwise you won't write anything at all. Besides, the bad can be edited out later.
Just as you accept the good without question, learn to also accept the bad without guilt or blame.
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 16:20:49 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 16:32:21 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 16:33:46 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 16:35:09 GMT -6
2/22/2005:
Finish this sentence:
The difference between laziness and writer's block is . . .
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 16:37:22 GMT -6
The Writer's Block by Jason Rekulak
Aside from a 12-hour work schedule, Joyce Carol Oates also has an unusual writing/editing/revision process: "When I complete a novel I set it aside, and begin work on short stories, and eventually another long work. When I complete that novel I return to the earlier novel and rewrite much of it. In the meantime the second novel lives in a desk drawer. Sometimes I work on two novels simultaneously, though one usually forces the other into the background."
Developing two or three projects simultaneously is good "preventive maintenance" against writer's block; if you find yourself stuck or losing interest in one story, you can simply jump to another. The important thing is to keep writing, to keep developing your skills.
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 16:44:59 GMT -6
These questions are to help actors get into character, but they also help writers to learn more about the characters in their books.
Questions To Ask Each Of Your Characters:
Who Am I? | Character. | What Time Is It? | Century, Year, Season, Day, Minute. | Where Am I? | Country, City, Neighborhood, House, Room, Area Of Room. | What Surrounds Me? | Animate And Inanimate Objects. | What Are The Given Circumstances? | Past, Present, Future, And The Events. | What Is My Relationship? | Relation To Total Events, Other Characters, And To Things. | What Do I Want? | Character, Main And Immediate Objectives. | What's In My Way? | Obstacles. | What Do I Do To Get What I Want? | The Action: Physical, Verbal. |
Use All Five Senses (If Possible) When Answering Your Questions.
Uta Hagen's Acting Class - DVD
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 16:50:24 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 15, 2008 17:10:36 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 16, 2008 15:43:40 GMT -6
Collages: Picture This: Collage as Prewriting and InspirationFan Trivia Book CollagesJENNY: Mare, the Collage 2006/07JENNY: Different Writers, Different Styles, Exciting ProcessJENNY: Mare, the Collage 2006/03And now Mare . . .Trudy: The Collage 2005/10Saturday, January 07, 2006 SHE WROTE: How We Write 2 (Image No Longer Shows)Writing and the Collage by Jenny | January 23rd, 2009Wild Ride, the Collage (in Progress) Monday, March 2, 2009
Scrapbooking: The Reincarnationist: An interview with author M.J. Rose * So then I spent about three months making this scrapbook... for this person.
* What is he like? What would he wear? where does he go? And I included theater tickets and birthday cards and all sorts of things. What happened to him when he was two years old? And who was his father? And what was his mother like? And I created all this to make him come to life.
* Well, what happens during that time is that the person comes to life and their story starts building unconsciously in my head. So by the time I'm ready -- however long that is -- I just know the story.
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 16, 2008 15:47:55 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 16, 2008 15:52:16 GMT -6
I have some screenwriter books (by Syd Field mostly), because other books on writing claim they're also good for learning how to write 'story' (even if you don't plan on writing screenplays) . . . and I skimmed through them to see what they had to say about writer's block, and they said that writer's block comes from not knowing your story. Once you dig in and find out what your story is about, the block will disappear.
So the trick to defeating writer's block is, to take time out to learn all about your characters, their motives, their backstory, etc. . . . plus know everything there is to know about the story you want to tell.
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 16, 2008 15:57:31 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Jan 16, 2008 16:01:27 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Mar 14, 2008 21:34:48 GMT -6
Writer's Block is discussed in this podcast.
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Mar 21, 2008 18:05:31 GMT -6
Thema is a magazine that gives prompts as a theme for each issue.
Themes so far:
Fortune Cookies A Train Wreck Involving A Circus Reginald Stood Too Close to the Edge... A Fragrance Remembered Miz Martha Say She Quittin' A Letter to an Ancient Teacups in the Sand The Last Time I Saw Jane The Thursday Night League Nothing Ever Happened to Him But Weather The Perfect Imperfection Art from the Canvas Freed A Tattered Hat, Abandoned It's Got To Be Here . . . Somewhere When the Birds Stopped Singing These Are Not the Best Shoes I Own Unrecognized at the Airport Tracks in the Snow It'll Only Take a Minute Dust The Dreamland Cafe Talking to a Stranger Mirror Image The Waiting Room Is It a Fossil, Higgins? Three by a Tremor Tossed Laughter on the Steps A Solitary Clue Jogging on Ice A Visit from the Imp I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Too Proud to Ask Scrawled in a Library Book EUREKA! An Unexpected Guest Don't Call Me Thelma! Magnolias in My Briefcase A Postcard Not Received The Wrong Cart On the Road to the Villa Toby Came Today Addie Hasn't Been the Same.. Scraps Safety in Numbers What Sarah [or Edward] Remembered The Third One The Power of Whim Paper Tigers Lost in Translation An Unlikely Alliance Off on a Tangent The Middle Path Stone, Paper, Scissors While You Were Out Hey, Watch This! Bookstore Cowboy Umbrellas in the Snow The Renaissance Child Just Describe Them to Me Rage over a Lost Penny The Perfect Cup of Coffee Written in Stone Everybody Quit Unprepared for adventure In Kay's kitchen Put it in your pocket, Lillian
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Mar 28, 2008 21:16:33 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Mar 29, 2008 21:56:14 GMT -6
Protect your work, back it up:
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Apr 2, 2008 18:16:44 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Apr 2, 2008 18:27:59 GMT -6
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Post by Heddy Hopper on Apr 2, 2008 18:31:23 GMT -6
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