Questions

I don’t know that it is actually writers block that i have, but i do need help i think. i am a good writer, so ive been told, and i can make myself cry with the stories that i write. however, i want to write a full-length book, and thus far i have only written snippets of stories. pieces of a tale that has no beginning or ending. the characters in the stories have no past or future; the stories themselves have no other state than that in which you find them. i do not know why i cannot go beyond a page or two with my stories, but they always seem complete, as if they would be ruined if i tried to add anything to them.

one of my stories opens with a man and his wife in their car, slowly sinking into a small river that they had crashed into. the story consists only of the dialogue between husband and wife; there is no explanation as to how they arrived at their dilemma, or how/if they escaped from the river. it is a touching story; i cried while writing it. everyone who reads it also cries while doing so. there doesn’t seem to be a need to build the characters or the storyline, and indeed it would seem to destroy the effect through wordiness.

if i were to try to make the transition from snippet to full-length book, how should i change my mindset? i have started countless books, but all have failed at some point or another. any suggestions from fellow writers would be greatly appreciated.
hey! that is a great idea! i never thought of compiling all of my short snippets into one collection. awesome!
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Down with writer’s block? Here are 7 transitions to help you overcome the vicious mental block:

1. “A good example would be”. Give examples on the point you’ve just stated. It not only helps your readers understand better, it also gives them a good idea on how they can apply what you’ve just said into their business, lives or studies.

2. “Above all”. Add another point to your article.

3. “Admittedly”. Leak a secret or two. This approach catches the attention of your reader because it suggests you’re giving away valuable information. Who else doesn’t like to know a little more secret?

4. “Don’t get me wrong”. Provide an alternative viewpoint. An good example would be, “Article writing is simple and easy but don’t get me wrong. There’s no shortcut to writing a good article except through constant improvisation on your writing style and a good track record of experience.”

5. “To get back to the point”. This transition works best when you’ve deviated from your subject topic by a little. It brings the attention of your readers back to your main topic. Most useful when you’re not willing to take out a few points you’ve just written that does not fit into your article a hundred percent.

6. “In summary”. Summarize what you’ve just said. It makes what you’ve just said much easier to understand. Call for your reader to take certain actions, say, to try out a tip or two from the 7 tips you’ve just shared with them.

7. “This is why”. Give reasons why a fact is such. Works best when used to explain statistics. “The thing people regret the most in life in their deathbed is not taking enough risks in their lives. And this is why you should just test out this approach to experience the level of success you deserve.”


- Dominic Anderson

Down with writer’s block? Here are 7 transitions to help you overcome the vicious mental block:

1. “A good example would be”. Give examples on the point you’ve just stated. It not only helps your readers understand better, it also gives them a good idea on how they can apply what you’ve just said into their business, lives or studies.

2. “Above all”. Add another point to your article.

3. “Admittedly”. Leak a secret or two. This approach catches the attention of your reader because it suggests you’re giving away valuable information. Who else doesn’t like to know a little more secret?

4. “Don’t get me wrong”. Provide an alternative viewpoint. An good example would be, “Article writing is simple and easy but don’t get me wrong. There’s no shortcut to writing a good article except through constant improvisation on your writing style and a good track record of experience.”

5. “To get back to the point”. This transition works best when you’ve deviated from your subject topic by a little. It brings the attention of your readers back to your main topic. Most useful when you’re not willing to take out a few points you’ve just written that does not fit into your article a hundred percent.

6. “In summary”. Summarize what you’ve just said. It makes what you’ve just said much easier to understand. Call for your reader to take certain actions, say, to try out a tip or two from the 7 tips you’ve just shared with them.

7. “This is why”. Give reasons why a fact is such. Works best when used to explain statistics. “The thing people regret the most in life in their deathbed is not taking enough risks in their lives. And this is why you should just test out this approach to experience the level of success you deserve.”


- Dominic Tay

I am usually a sort of dark, depressing writer of short stories and poetry. Unfortunately, depression usually is my sole inspiration. However, lately I have been unusually happy [IE: the past few months] and therefore haven’t been able to write. I do feel the need to write SOMETHING but am stuck with this horrid block. Any tips?
- rosesanplacebos