Questions

What I wish to do is this: I wish to develop a plot for my short story from a raw idea, while developing it gradually, adding ONE subplot (so as to make it short, but interesting), and developing my characters, but most of all, I wish to have a jolly good time doing it, without thinking of the amount of responsibility I must take in order for it to be a career. I already know that it is a great responsibility, but I do not wish to think in those terms, for it shall only spoil my fun, and make it so that I am not motivated to do it for the long term.

I Also wish to do it using only a notebook and pen, for it is all I have at my disposal.
- VictorianJackass

Every writer experiences the pain of writers block sometime in their life. There is tons of reasons this could happen, from lack of sleep, stress, or for any other in a list of hundreds of reasons. It is practically impossible to track it down to one reason, so beating writers block can be quite the challenge. Here are some ways you can put into your daily routine, that helps block out writers block.

1. Write every day, as much as possible. This can cure even the most challenging time of writers block. Always have a notebook at your side, and write about what you do, as you do it. Write down the little details. Also be sure to write down ideas for writing whenever you get them, so you don’t forget on your way home.

2. Kill stress. If you are having a hard time at work, find some way to make it easier. Bouts of stress are one of the biggest causes of writers block, and can be really hard to fix. Meditate if you need to. Clear your head. Take a nap. Heck, even take a day off if you need to.

3. Don’t force yourself to write. You don’t have to write the next 2 chapters right now. Take a break from writing. Go on a walk. Leave it until the next day. If you have a deadline, extend it a day or two. Even something as simple as a coffee break can recharge your energy and relax you, so you can finish up that paper you have to write.

4. Read, read, read. Picking up a book and sitting down to read for a good hour can really give you a lot of good ideas on how to finish up your book. Even if you do something as simple as reading one of your old writings, or reading the last chapter you wrote, you can definitely get out of writers block.

5. Change location. Changing your scenery can change the way you are thinking, and easily knock you out of writers block. Go to a cafe. Watch animals at the zoo. Even just sitting on a bench in a park can have an amazing effect on your writing.

6. Shut the world up. Any sound can make it really hard to think, and keeps the ideas from churning up. If it’s your family making a racket, invest $2 into ear plugs. If it’s traffic outside, change your location. Nice quiet cafes work wonders.

7. Go to a writers workshop. Refreshing your writing skills is an amazing cure for the worst blocks. There is many one day workshops that only cost $20 to enter, for all levels of writing skill. I remember that once I was writing a short 30-page story, and on page 15 I ran out of ideas. I went to a workshop, and that day I finished up my rough copy.

No matter what trick you use, writers block is still dreadfully difficult to cure. Some writers go months at a time without a single idea. Sometimes we mistake writers block for an inability to make decisions while writing, and rely on others to tell us what to do. That is never a good idea, as it mixes up different story’s into one blob of a bad book. Just sit down, and think through what you have written. If it is an information article, go and research some more. If it’s a story, think: ‘What would the character do?’ If you just plain can’t come up with an idea, write about what you did that day.


- Justin

Before I attempted to write this issue, I was sitting at my desk at work board out of my skull. I sat there with a notebook in front of me pen at the ready. You see, we had no work to do. Normally when that happens I whip out my journal and attempt an article before the work comes in. So, I am sitting at my desk flipping the pen through my fingers trying to engage my brain eyes glazed over and nothing happens. Then the lines in my notebook began to blur. I am sitting there in a silent panic screaming in my head. OMG I CAN’T THINK OF WHAT TO WRITE!

What did I do?

I got up and headed to the common area. I needed to jump start my brain cells. It doesn’t look good to the boss if your head hits the monitor. So, I’m on a mission for coffee. I needed the caffeine to ignite the currents moving in my head. As I make the coffee, I am running off a check list in my mind.

1.       Classifieds? Check.

2.       Guest Articles? Check.

3.       Tip of the week?

4.       Sponsor ads? Check.

5.       Research? Check.

6.       Off Beat Section? Check.

Now, what about the tip of the week? I really had no idea how I was going to write the article. Quite frankly I didn’t know if I even want to write it. So, I am sitting there waiting for the coffee to finish brewing and still no epiphany. Even though I am listening to my co-workers banter good-naturedly, still nothing zip zilch. It’s not break time yet but I stay in the common area (Kitchen) to get my coffee.

Well, Steph; you say. What else? What in the world did you do? Well, I decided to map out this current issue. I know it doesn’t sound very dynamic but that’s what I did. To start with, anything having to do with a newsletter you always plan the issue first. I wanted to get everything else in order. Hence, the little check list in my head. I found a few things that needed attention. After that I drank my coffee at my desk, I went outside for break time. I said to myself, self you need a good brisk walk. I took a walk and went trolling around the drug stores. I needed a snack. Discounts are your friend.

Next, I sat at my desk and started the first sentence of the Tip of the Week. You see, even though I had the material I still couldn’t formulate the proper phrasing. I couldn’t call to mind what where and why of the article. Also, there were so many concerns I had. Am I offending anyone? Am I getting my point across with out going off on tangents- that sort of thing? So when lunch came around I found that I needed another walk and I decided to troll around the Music store. That was a real treat. I then realized I needed to do an outline of what I was writing. As I tooled around the music store, I said to myself, self what is so special about link Referral? Why should people; my fellow business people start using their services? What are the benefits? Where can they find further information? Why can I say that this method is the best course of action?

After that little self interrogation, I then wrote down the answers to the questions. Then I decided to listen to my co-workers banter back and forth again. Then it hit me. The reason why I wasn’t able to prepare for the tip of the week was that I didn’t listen to the atmosphere around me. I didn’t pay attention to everything else. What do I mean? Well, I needed to have some coffee. So I went to the common area right? Right. I listened to my co-workers. Sometimes I have found that most of your epiphanies come from what a person said in another conversation or in an email. Sometimes keywords just jump out at you.

Also, recall that I went out for break time to tool around the drug store for low price snacks. Why? I needed to feed my brain. When I am hungry I cannot formulate an intelligent thought even if it hit me in the face. So I had crackers with peanut butter. That is very good with coffee. That is how I was able to start the first sentence of the Article I was writing. At lunch time however, I had a little patty called an empanada. It had chicken in it with potato and some spices. Anyway, I was in the music store trolling around. That is how I came to interrogate myself on how the Tip of The Week should be written.

I did my research as well. I decided to tool around the Link Referral website one more time. I also checked to see if I put the snippet of HTML code on my site. Research is very essential to a person’s arsenal of knowledge. It reinforces your awareness to what is going on. What is the Point of this Off Beat Article? How I overcame writer’s block. A few things to consider:

1. Have a good Breakfast. Feed your Brain.

2. Coffee or tea is a good start to jump your brain cells.

3. Go outside and get some air. A good brisk walk makes the difference.

4. Take a look at the things happening around you. You might be surprised at how non committal things can help you write your true article. People are especially helpful even if they don’t know what you do. People are far more entertaining and interesting than anything else.

5. Eat a good lunch. Feed your brain with food and you find you can think beyond one sentence.

6. Do research before you attempt to write about anything of significance? I am still doing my best to practice the same thing.


- Stephanie Fulcher

I am in a band and it is my turn to write the lyrics (Me and my other mates take turns writing different songs so we will have more than one style) .

Now i have written many songs before but as i sit at my notebook staring i can not get any ideas about what to write i got the idea for the song but i cant find the words.

How do i get pass this situation i am in?
- The Fool On The Hill

The arch nemesis of all writer’s, the dreaded block! I hate when this happens and all it does is make me frustrated and put away my writing notebook. (which I nicknamed “Scribbles” because my handwriting is a train wreck on paper..shh!) Any tips?
- One Rebel

Sometimes writers block happens because you’ve gotten in a rut and the air has gotten stale. A good way to get your brain and the creative muse moving again is to get moving yourself. But you don’t want to just put on your jacket and walk out the door. Follow a simple writers plan to make the exercise productive.

While this doesn’t require a lot of preparation, you want to make sure you have a few things with you. Remember, this time is for regenerating your writing juices and getting the words flowing.

Location: public bus, subway or similar mass transit vehicle

Essential equipment: notebook of some kind, pen or pencil, map of the routes and schedule, and (most importantly) the writer’s eye.

Plan on spending at least 2-3 hours riding the bus (or subway or whatever). Check out the routes a little in advance so you don’t get stuck out in west podunk for two hours between runs. You’ll also want to sit near the back of the bus so you can see everyone who gets on or off.

Once you get on the bus you have two options.

Option One

You can simply make notes on your fellow passengers as character sketches. This includes descriptions of them, their clothing, and their cell phone conversations. It’s also fun if you try to figure out what they do for a living and what their personal story is. Imagine what is going on in their mind right now and where they just came from and where they’re going when they get off the bus. Do this for as many people on the bus as you can.

Option Two

Pretend you are one of the characters in your current story. So while you’re writing about the other people riding the bus, you can write about why your character is on the bus and what she notices about some of her fellow passengers. Her attitude, likes, dislikes, feeling about who sits next to her and how she takes the experiences are useful to note. This is especially effective if you’re not sure what to do next in the story. At that point, make your character ride mass transit and write about the experience. Something is bound to turn up.

When you get back, consider subjecting each of your characters to the same bus ride and see it from each point of view. How would they describe the same passengers your initial character saw? How would they feel about riding the bus and rubbing shoulders with some of the same people?

After a few hours you will have something in writing and more than a few character sketches, descriptions and other goodies that you can weave into a story. Not a bad way to get taken for a ride, now is it?


- Kieran Mckendrick