17 Cures for Writer's Block

Sometimes the words flow from our fingertips; other times, we have to strain our mental limits to coax out that creative muse. When faced with the dreaded writer’s block, it’s better to take action than to wait for inspiration.
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+ "Keeper of the Forest"
+ "Voyage to Nowhere"
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Tip number six involved summarizing the events of a particular scene as if it were a movie, though with additional descriptions of the character’s emotions. In my hypothetical scenario, the general idea for a scene/chapter was that the protagonist accidentally eavesdrops on his best friend and discovers that he’s in cahoots with the villain. Here’s how I might flesh out that eavesdropping example into a visual summary:
“The chapter opens with a roguish knight named Taj sneaking through the halls of the castle, whistling casually as he slips down the corridor to his best friend’s chambers. Now, his best friend is also a knight and has refused to lend his awesome sword to Taj for a tournament, so Taj has taken it upon himself to ‘borrow’ said sword while his friend is out of the castle. He gets to the room with no problem and is awfully proud of himself, but then he can’t find the damn sword. Taj tries to brainstorm places his friend might hide a valuable item. Under the bed, he finds some questionable reading material, but no sword. There’s also an unspeakably disgusting smell coming from the bottom dresser drawer that he really doesn’t want to know the origins of, but he checks anyway. Still no sword. Just as Taj is about to leave, he steps over a dragonskin rug and notices a peculiar creak in the floorboard, one that he had heard when he walked in but paid no mind. He moves the rug to find a trapdoor, and thinks, ‘How cliché.’ He pops open the trapdoor and voilà, there’s the sword. Then two voices echo down the hall, one of which belongs to Taj’s friend and the other to a stranger. Taj knows he has to either hide or get caught stealing, so he jumps into the pit and closes the trapdoor above him.”
Most of the details came to me on the fly, which is what makes this kind of “discovery writing” so valuable. By forcing myself to convert a nebulous mental image into something concrete that another reader could visualize, the scene became much clearer in my own mind. If I were to translate this into a scene, I’d come up with specific details to describe the type of “questionable reading material” and the horrible smell. I’d ensure that Taj’s smugness came through in his movements and the narrative voice. This scene outline allows me to not only see the big-picture path from Point A to Point B, but also pinpoints places where interesting sensory details and humor could be added.
Introduction (0:00)
1. Read Other People's Stuff (0:40)
2. Read Your Own Stuff (1:54)
3. Imitate Your Heroes (2:32)
4. Write in Pieces (2:56)
5. Make a List (4:20)
6. Summarize (5:03)
7. Surprise Yourself (5:49)
8. Talk to Other Writers About Your Writing (7:02)
9. Get Organized (7:43)
10. Research Relevant Topics (8:13)
11. Reflect (9:07)
12. Change Your Environment (10:08)
13. Start a New Project (11:01)
14. Use Music to Set the Mood (11:29)
15. Refresh (12:04)
16. Live Life (12:41)
17. Consume Writing Advice (13:15)

[@QuotidianWriter]

*This video is a reupload for quality assurance purposes. I rerecorded the audio and replaced about half of the visuals, but the script is mostly the same. Side note: Right now, it can be hard to “go out and do things,” but someday soon we will all be able to explore the world again. In the meantime, I hope you can find new adventures from the comfort of your home and local parks. You can read an adapted text version of this article on Medium: quotidianwriter.medium.com/17-cures-for-writers-block-77191c0b39b7 My seventeen cures for writer’s block: 1. READ OTHER PEOPLE’S STUFF: favorite books, terrible books, nonfiction 2. READ YOUR OWN STUFF: past short stories and novels 3. IMITATE YOUR HEROES: try my “echo exercise” 4. WRITE IN PIECES: create scenes out of order 5. MAKE A LIST: brainstorm what could or couldn’t happen next 6. SUMMARIZE: tell yourself the story without flair 7. SURPRISE YOURSELF: change the characters or setting 8. TALK TO OTHER WRITERS ABOUT YOUR WRITING: find critique partners! 9. GET ORGANIZED: sort and add to your story notes 10. RESEARCH RELEVANT TOPICS: write a scene based on targeted research 11. REFLECT: journal about the problem 12. CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT: write in a different place or font 13. START A NEW PROJECT: follow a new idea to its completion 14. USE MUSIC TO SET THE MOOD: a single song on a loop 15. REFRESH: exercise, shower, clean, meditate 16. LIVE LIFE: seek out new experiences 17. CONSUME WRITING ADVICE: videos, blogs, books, podcasts

[@margaretkiernan3253]

Yes, one day, soon.

[@JohnInTheShelter]

I think the root of all blocks is fear.

[@naomiuchiha0906]

You're very right

[@eduardmanecuta5350]

Can you detail?

[@perymachado6374]

"Whatever you do, keep writing." Gets me feeling feelings every time.... Also, great tips and suggestions! When I get stuck on a scene or passage, I go for a walk and talk to myself (sometimes out loud) about what I should do.

[@jackhammer4499]

What tends to help me is to usually think "OK, I know where I want the story to go. What needs to happen to reach that ending?" I sorta think backwards. Doesn't always work, but it's fun.

[@abubakarjamro5713]

It is a good day when the Quotidian writer uploads.

[@enby_author1201]

Often when I'm stuck, and can't generate anything, it helps to revise earlier parts of the story, which gets me into a creative mode, sets the tone for the story, and means I have slightly less to polish when editing

[@beggo1989]

I related to this one a lot; Yesterday I highlighted almost two whole chapters of my story and then pressed "delete". It was both scary and a relief... I found out that my writers-block was due to that I was forcing my characters through a specific scene/event but when I realized it, it just didn't work for the story I was released. I deleted 2500 words but was able to write 5000 in their stead... :)

[@drew1768]

This was well needed. I suffered from this for months

[@TheReadingWerewolf]

My writing has been going like a plow through concrete the past few days. I think these tips will really help! Thanks a bunch!

[@berryXjerry216]

The fact you found 17 ways for curing writer's block makes me so happy! I couldn't even find one.

[@chadsimmons4496]

I am definitely going to try 4 - write in pieces. Actually, I think I’ve already begun in thought, without knowing it, so it never went pen to paper. You have put it into frame for me. Thank you so much.

[@diip-ali1228]

"Go for a run or a hike" *laughs in quarantine*

[@anavonrebeur6121]

I passed my quarantine climbing the stairs of my building up down up.down.... impossible Is nothing

[@kentjennifernelson685]

Something I started doing that's helping: Each Saturday I list 7 things, one for each day Sunday through Saturday. These can be a short story I have started, thought of or just have an idea, or scenes. I do this fresh each week. If any morning I'm stuck I look at the list and make myself work on that. (Kent)

[@naomiuchiha0906]

I'm gonna try this

[@JohnInTheShelter]

Favorite writer's block solution, courtesy of the late, great writer Gene Wolfe: Deprive yourself not only of writing, but books, TV, music, art of any kind, social media, reading of ANY kind. Clean the house, work your garden, mow the lawn, exercise, talk to people, but NOTHING connected to storytelling. Might take a day or longer (or maybe just an hour), but soon you'll be unstuck. Another fine video. I'd send these to any young person starting to write professionally--wish I had them way back then.

[@ff38lg19]

I'm in a 2-years writer's block... Last weekend the memory of my stories came back to the back of my mind, and in the same weekend this video was posted. Maybe this is a sign for me to come back and give my story another chance (again).

[@Digitalpulse12]

Your videos are some of the best content on writing out there. Always incredibly informative and well put together. Thank you for doing what you do!

[@galaxylucia1898]

I love that this randomly appeared in my recommendations...😲 Hint: it wasn’t random. I’ve been actively avoiding my novel for two weeks now...😭

[@imammurrahsstudent8905]

Damn this channel is great and really UNDERRATED

[@JB-hs5cs]

I just want to say, you're an excellent source of advice, up there with some of the best literary advice/essayists on KZbin and it is shocking to me that you are not more highly subscribed and watched than you are. Keep producing content and I'm sure it will come. Personally, I'll be spamming your links amongst the writing communities I am part of. Keep up the hustle! Good luck.

[@QuotidianWriter]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I truly appreciate your support. Keep writing. :)

[@Friendship1nmillion]

@@QuotidianWriter There's so many tips here in this video I'll { likely } have to come back to this video . My problem I'm currently facing is with writing the story is where & how to start { within the story } . Once that's solved i hope the story will just flow from my brain to the " canvas " . With in regards to your tip 15 : Refresh , I've done most of what you suggest as taking a break from writing { sometimes in my life ideas have come out of nowhere when doing other things } however it's with no expectation of an idea befalling me & not lately worked the way you described. My biggest fear is I'll do what you suggest in that chapter of this video & go swimming in a place identical to video point 12:37 and then then THE MOST AMAZING SCENE / IDEA will come to me & i won't be able to write it down anywhere { and possibly forget it by the time i can write again } . 😓🇦🇺🇳🇴♑✍

[@spacedoutorca4550]

You’re probably the best channel when it comes to writing and novelists. Keep up the amazing work! I’m just about to reach the midpoint of my first draft (around 40,000 words) and I’m having some trouble. The closer I get the more I’ve been slowing down and getting self conscious. I feel like it’s not going to be good enough to hold up the rest of the story or that what I’ve written is boring. Also, being a sci fi novel, I’ve been struggling with how to explain the intricate details of my world and feel like if I do too little exposition nobody will care or understand what’s happening and if I do too much it’ll drag and be boring. Any tips for nearing the midpoint? Thanks!

[@QuotidianWriter]

Thank you for your kind words about my channel! Congratulations on reaching the midpoint of your first draft. As far as feeling self-conscious, that's totally normal with first drafts, and it's important to keep pushing through and remind yourself that the first draft is never the final draft. Getting everything on paper will allow you to see the big picture so you can revise the story in a holistic way and note which parts still feel "boring." Sometimes the story will surprise you and be better than you originally thought while writing it. The same goes for exposition in first drafts; I actually recommend putting any relevant world-building into the first draft, just so you can see what information the reader needs to know. Then you can scale it back during your revisions or find a sneakier way to show those world-building elements. Also remember that the characters are the most important aspect in making readers care, so filter the world-building through their experiences and struggles whenever possible. I'm a big fan of midpoint reversals, where a big twist or obstacle appears that changes the protagonist's trajectory. It could be a betrayal, a death, a massive failure, the arrival of a new character, or a mysterious setting. I talk more about the midpoint in my "4 Plotting Pitfalls" video, but creating a big, conflict-rich event can make you excited about where the story is headed. Keep writing! :)

[@spacedoutorca4550]

@@QuotidianWriter Thank you for the great advice! I think the biggest problem I’ve been facing is over thinking. I spent like almost 90% of my writing time yesterday obsessing over what I would be writing- what should happen- rather than just writing. So when I actually do start writing it feels like I’m not doing it in the best possible way, and I’m paralysed by the question of how to use what I thought up and spent all that time thinking over to the best possible use, how to best connect it all... if any of that makes sense.

[@QuotidianWriter]

@@spacedoutorca4550 That makes a lot of sense. It's hard to incorporate your ideas into the story in a way that does them justice. Still, I feel it's better to put that idea on paper in any form, even if it doesn't work, than to not write anything at all. An idea can never be wasted or ruined because you can always rewrite it, restructure it, or even revisit it in an entirely different story. I've recycled ideas from novels into short stories and vice versa, and I know many writers who have done the same, including Ray Bradbury, who explores similar plot elements, character types, and themes across different stories. So, I hope you'll be able to push past that feeling and become more comfortable with saving your agony for revision!

[@jfalveo]

This is an extraordinary video. Well produced. And helps a lot. I don't see videos like this so often.

[@anishawoods1029]

I'm trying to write a book, possibly a series, that I began in 1977 or so. It has gone through multiple evolutions and has been rewritten at least five times. Each time I'm not satisfied with what the story is saying. So I put it on a shelf and eventually start another version and repeat the process. I have finally figured out what point I'm trying to make and I'm thinking, AGAIN? I also work on art on the side and have created covers for various novels I have begun. The writer's group in this small town broke up years ago and since I'm pretty much a loner, getting feed back is nigh unto impossible. And since I am retired and on Social Security finding $$ to begin a relationship with an editor (?) Is out of the question, especially since my novel is in pieces and may be offensive to some. Anyway, the short answer is, I'm discouraged and your videos are helpful to me. Thanks for making them. 😊

[@PianoMan-hx3ev]

Just write, edit, publish. You’re seriously overthinking the process.

[@PianoMan-hx3ev]

Look up the 3-9-27 plotting strategy and GET WRITING TODAY!! 😀

[@anishawoods1029]

@@PianoMan-hx3ev I'm sorry but what is the 3 9 27 thing? I agree. Someone told me if they ask me the time, I build them a clock. 😁

[@PianoMan-hx3ev]

Anisha Woods Here’s the information(free, of course) which I’ll change your writing life. Ex: You write an 81,000 word novel, divide it by 27 and you get...3,000 words per unit. (You’ll see when you watch the short video. Btw, I found this system a couple of years ago and LOVE it.)...Let me know what you think...kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2WpXmaQa6h9gNk

[@anishawoods1029]

@@PianoMan-hx3ev you are right! This is brilliant! I can see where each of my story parts fit! Thank you!

[@autumncosandaffect9735]

Glorioski! Love, love, love. Just what I needed to hear. Really, you have been so great for my writing anxiety - Thank you so much!

[@mrplatink]

You somehow got into my head about ALL of these! I would not get my little victories without the help of your videos. Thank you for the little victories.

[@marlynhebert9728]

My husband does not have writer's block, he has they never taught him how to read in grammar school block. He uses his cell phone to help him spell words. English is a high wall he is always trying to climb. However, for some reason, he keeps at it, that never give up attitude. He tells me that he can see how he is getting better. I hope so.

[@MustafaKulle]

Thank you for this video. It came at a time when I needed it.

[@rexy_mirror1225]

Music can either be good or bad depending on the situation. In brainstorming, definitely good. In actually writing things down, it might distract especially if it has lyrics.

[@mrnnhnz]

Another great episode Diane, thanks for sharing. For some reason, I often have great ideas for my stories when I'm in the shower. Also, I'm notorious for coming up with great ideas and then forgetting them. Put these two things together, and the solution is: keep a pad and a pencil on the vanity while you're showering (not a pen - the ink will run.) Don't try to get ideas in there, just enjoy your shower. But if a brilliant idea does pop up, quickly grab your pad and pen, and write it down before it disappears. Then, when you're sitting down to write, grab that pad, and spend some time just writing with it (without dissecting it.) Later, read the idea again, and what you wrote. Reflect on how you can build the idea in in an even better way. Do it! Also, stick and carrot! Stick: donate money or time to a charity or political party you don't really care for if you don't meet your writing goals (start them out leniently, then increase the difficulty,) and deny yourself your little treats that may not mean that much in the grand scheme of things, but which you care about (a certain cut of meat, an expensive brand of ice-cream, give yourself a few extra chores that you'd perhaps rather not (maybe walking the dog, cleaning all the window-sills...), do fun-time ideas others in the family would like to do but you'd rather not (not a board-game fan, but they are? Play with them! Watch the kids playing football or doing karate, though you'd rather your partner do that...) Put a couple of bucks in your incentive jar. Carrot: each day you meet your writing goals, give yourself a tick on your tick-chart. When you get 5 ticks in a week (make it more or less tough - whatever you feel is appropriate,) allow yourself a little treat (like in the description above.) Go and see a movie with your family, and you get to choose the movie (they have to agree to this concept!) Take a wad of cash out of your incentive jar for a treat you can choose. Get that bit-more-than-I'd-normally-spend meat/ice-cream/bread item. Have a colouring-in book, and colour-in a few spaces, looking forward to how great it'll be when the whole page is coloured-in...

[@diockogandega1993]

Thank you, I can now continue my current story

[@hansbengtsson9942]

I think the idea of writers block is one of the main causes of writers block. But I agree to many of the ideas to get inspiration in your writing.

[@arina6153]

I often use this technic of jigsaw. I like it. But there is a big risk to write pieces which are not fit to the whole picture. I think it is necessary to create a plan - to build some paddock in the mind at first and only then the imagination may be allowed to play freely in this place.

[@artzerial]

Thanks a bunch!!

[@joeldrummond6058]

Two videos in one month? Christmas came early!

[@jakkil8373]

Another great video! I'm completely addicted your youtube channel. Thanks for allt he great content!

[@jackikelly3495]

Thank you. I needed to hear this. Tomorrow I’m going to write.

[@fleningmagny4506]

This is so incredibly helpful.

[@janman1110333]

Love your videos, they are brilliant and help alot. At least for newbies like myself :)

[@nazifa.d2117]

I wasn't impressed with my work at some point so I wanted to just quit... Instead I started watching videos on KZbin and then I discovered all writers went through the phase that I was going through...what I did was to learn writing tips and things like that (which brought me to your channel), after that I started reading the draft from the first chapter...I did some editing too. I also read other books similar to what I am working on... At the end I realised my work isn't as bad as I think it is, now I'm almost done with it

[@billyalarie929]

the jigsaw thing is absolutely the way i always imagine this should go. yet i never let myself do it, because i always convince myself that's just too stupid. sigh.

[@TheLegendaryFolklore]

Movies help me. I can see the acts ending and beginning, the crises, the PNR, the character arcs (if any) etc etc

[@animitasaha2245]

Thanks for the video. It inspired me.

[@nazmul9609]

Many many many many many thanks. You solved my problem and i also find new ways of writing.

[@edenmckinley3472]

That "lovers meeting in a cemetery" idea really inspired me! It had nothing to do with the book I'm currently working on, but I could feel the plot of a romance/murder mystery/urban fantasy coming together. The boyfriend calls his girlfriend at work and explains that his crazy parents dropped in for a surprise visit over the weekend, and they'll have to postpone that romantic evening they had planned. Her work schedule is super busy and this is one of the rare times she has off, so she says they can just have it in another place. The trouble is, she is living in a group hostile at the moment because her lease ran out and she was in the process of moving into a new apartment. Looking out the window, the boyfriend sees the cemetery on the hill across town and has the crazy idea to meet there instead. So they meet up at the cemetery just after nightfall, because no one will be there. It starts off romantic, but then their evening is interrupted by a man digging a grave. They move to a different part of the cemetery, but there is an old man weeping over his wife's grave. At last, they go to the most decrepit, most abandoned part of the entire area. At this point, I'm not sure if they find a dead body or get attacked by a newly made vampire that is ripping through the wall of a crypt. Anyways, when filing the police report, they are asked what they were doing there, and the boyfriend calmly replies, "My girlfriend is a tombstone enthusiast." Later, she asks him why he couldn't have been the tombstone enthusiast since it seems like something he would be. If it were urban fantasy, I would make it so that the vampire would come back later for their help, saying that he had been murdered before he was turned and he wanted to find out who. The human couple are the only ones who believe he exists, so that's why he goes to them. Thanks Diane! Your videos always make my brain shape up.

[@QuotidianWriter]

That sounds like a fun story set-up! I'm so glad that one detail could inspire a whole story, haha. Keep writing! :)

[@nathsevakrajugavali9]

Thank you so much for helping me come out from writers block I really needed this type of Guidance.

[@jpaige009]

When I get stuck, I just write. Even if it sucks. I consider it a placeholder. Usually the process of writing leads to good writing, eventually. Drip by drip it creates a flow. First drafts aren’t seen by anyone else anyway.

[@AndRuff8]

I find watching films or television programs that I enjoy can jump-start creativity. I normally take one of those scenes and make it better or interpret it my way. I also do this with the stories I read. With writes, -Andy Ruffett

[@metalmike5880]

Thanks for the advice I change a character from happy to sad and depressed with the mere mention of having another character just passing away.

[@faridatamer6415]

My process has been in stagnation for AGES. This might help. Thank you.

[@saintstorm7]

Hey thank you for doing this. Been in a really dark place not being able to write these past few years

[@QuotidianWriter]

I hope you find that creative spark again soon!

[@immoralnight9895]

Honestly when it comes to writes block, I try and give myself a treat in the sense of what I want to happen in the story. I usually run into the problem where I need to write a scene seriously and dramatically, but I'm far more interested in the characters having sex or cracking jokes. So I'll write a scene where these characters tell these jokes or have these encounters and the lead the story into them. The meaning and drama of the former scenes are critically important to me, but they are hard to write when I have nothing personally on the line. I want these characters to love or hate each other and I'm willing to not even include the scene at all if I feel nothing for them. So I sit there and stare at these characters and try to figure out how the conversation will go. I had this problem yesterday and I wrote in how a commander disciplined soldiers for being negligent in a humorous way so that the scene about how they talk about destroying a village has more weight in their unwillingness to do so.

[@dougarnold7955]

Thanks. This is a great vid. 👍

[@me0wAnna]

Thankyou so much you have no idea how much it had helped me. : )

[@Renaultforum]

I am about to write a children´s book, I have droves of ideas and really good characters, but I´m an illustrator, not a writer, although I consider myself a good non-fiction writer. I have listened and watched your many videos and I want to complement you on the good advice you give, and your really skillful staged videos you present. The only other KZbin writer´s good advice I have discovered is from Jerry Jenkins. Although without turning him down, you have so beautiful imagery supporting your text. There must be a lot of effort and research behind your videos. Thank you for your good inspirational thoughts!

[@jakobw135]

Great suggestions! Thanks for these 😉

[@TTLhamo]

Dear Diane, You inspired me to write more. Actually I love to write but due to my poor writing. I just quit my writing. But now after following your channel I realized that I really wanted to improve my English writing. But I don't know how? Should I read more books or should I start with English basic writing? Please help! Thank you in advance.

[@QuotidianWriter]

I'm so glad to have inspired you to write more, and I hope you won't give up! I think it can help to do a little bit of everything: read widely, practice writing, and take some free online grammar quizzes. I recommend trying your hand at short stories first and then getting feedback on your line-level skills before diving into a longer project. Reading shorter books in English might increase your motivation, too. Even now, I read a lot of fiction written for children, with one of my favorites being _The Giver_ by Lois Lowry. Grammar Bytes has some good online lessons and exercises for the technical side of things (chompchomp.com/exercises.htm). Keep writing! :)

[@_twinklesprinkle]

One way I work around my writer's block is to ask myself questions. Not just any question, like "what is _'s favorite color?" I ask myself questions that might be able to help me fill in blanks of my story. For example, I'm planning out a story that revolves around two main characters and their development both as friends and individuals. I asked myself the question of "how do these two feel about each other as their friendship deepens? I was able to write a lot just from asking that question! Of course, this method won't always work, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming if you ask too many questions, but it might be something to try if you're struggling with writer's block! :)

[@debasishpadhi9632]

Let me say, YOU ARE THE BEST

[@eduardmanecuta5350]

Thank you.

[@RebeccasStudio]

I get through writers block by filming myself acting out different scenes I'm stuck on. That way I'm not hung up on grammar or spelling. Just pure creating. Sometimes I'll have music playing in the background to when I watch it back, I know what I was thinking in the moment.

[@nikkireigns]

Great video, thanks! I write "dangling scenes", too, it keeps things fun and exciting. As for critique partners, people make it seem so easy but I'm finding it difficult to find good ones. Could you do/have you done a video on that?

[@QuotidianWriter]

I haven't done a video on that topic yet, but I've found critique partners via Reddit (r/fantasywriters and r/destructivereaders, but r/writing is the most popular one), Twitter (#writingcommunity), and OWW (sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com, for fantasy/sci-fi/horror only). I've met other critique partners through the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) mentorship program and being part of SCBWI, a professional organization for writers of children's fiction. I'm also in the TL;DR Press writing group, which has a semi-private Slack and Discord channel; I found them via a submission call for short stories on Twitter. Seek out online writing events, and see if you can network with the other attendees! :)

[@nikkireigns]

@@QuotidianWriter Thanks so much for the reply. I will definitely be checking those out

[@jessejohnson9647]

If you don’t know why your characters did something, just keep writing. You’ll think of something and then you can insert the explanation through narration or dialogue. I just did that and I came up with a pretty good line of reasoning.

[@christianburgos2736]

When you realized you have to re-write a whole chapter... :'{

[@The_OG_Twilight_Princess]

You sound just like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. And your video really helps.

[@archanakankani4655]

I am amateur so should I start with writing a scene or a short story

[@RiverJ16]

Maybe start with a scene or a quick story on two pages. Gives you some instant gratification that will help you keep writing.

[@artiejoe]

14.20: "Focus on generating ideas not judging them"

[@rajveersinhrajput83]

👌👌👌👌👌

[@STClife]

I love you 💕

[@Ksmoothvol1]

I watch movies and or read books with similar games to my story.I analyze the story that they're trying to tell and look for similarities or key points that I'm also trying to convey myself

[@YamiBlake]

I'm having trouble writing because my very first and by now only book I've written wasn't good enough to be published... I see now why, I've become better since and I wanted to make and write the story better But it kinda hurts to know I've already written this exact story and it wasn't good enough, also it's draining to be stuck with the same story lines, but it's just the story I want to tell and to write a second book about..

[@abstractbybrian]

I can’t come up with ideas. Or if i do come up with an idea it’s hard for me to crank it out

[@QuotidianWriter]

Have you considered attempting a retelling of some kind? Sometimes borrowing from well-known stories can give you a "template" for the characters and plot structure, which makes it easier to write. Fairy tales, myths, legends, and Shakespeare plays can all form great foundations for stories. You can change up the genre, setting, or character roles to approach the story from a fresh angle. I also find that writing flash fiction (stories usually under 1,000 words and often as short as 250 words) has helped me explore an idea to its completion without feeling the pressure to dedicate an entire novel to it.

[@traviswilliams9595]

I used to write when I was 14 once i was inspired in school . I put things out in a different manner beyond my "age expected ability" I blew my uncle's mind at 3 am . I then moved away from my grandmother's my hermit lifestyle was over I then lost my origonal writings and I can't seem to get the ability back and if I try I come up with some super offensive stuff instead of a natural flow from innocent childhood . I would much appreciated for advice .

[@QuotidianWriter]

Perhaps there are stories or songs you experienced back then that could put you into that teenage mindset again? It might also help to journal about those life events right before you go into a fiction writing session. I hope that you're able to channel that ability again someday!

[@mango3077]

4:53 Martin McDonagh took that advice seriously

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

A big kiss to Sonia and her “friends”.

[@mlpsecrets7931]

"Writer's block doesn't exist it's not a word I'm supposed to use" -Faith

[@stickman3208]

Quotidian Writer | Alexa Donne | Vivien Reis All helping me write

[@lewisharwood3870]

I would love for you to read the story im currently writing the now. I'd love to recieve feedback.

[@jananiganesh94]

Well, I think I don't agree to one of the cures i.e. start a new project. Well, when I start a new project I totally forget the previous script and stuff. It's like ending the script in the middle and starting another and I do know that I won't return to my previous script if I start another. Please give me a solution for this

[@_twinklesprinkle]

True, but by starting a new project, you're allowing your mind to refresh. As you write your new project, your brain is redirecting its focus from the project that has you stumped to something that's got your brain excited to write. In fact, you might even come up with some great ideas for your first project while writing your new project. If that doesn't work for you, then it might help to look up prompts or tropes that could relate to your current project.

[@wallywest5804]

😂😂😂I never get writer's block I get hung up on one tiny detail like a sensory perception "vision obscura" in describing something occuring..my teachers use to say "swallow a dick choke on a hair"😂. usually I just back away from it or even better I act out the scene so I can understand what's happening...and when I do that particular thing acting it out...I realized I may need to work on technical skill...like being more observant or thorough..and that's usually the problem in "vision obscura" stuff and of course "never fall in love with your work"... maybe I don't need this whole scene at all..but in the struggle with myself I made myself a better writer..😂😂😂

[@rajveersinhrajput83]

2nd comment 👍🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

Access to everything that she wants to know about.

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

When I didn’t know how to write. That was a disaster.

[@striker8961]

4:54, JoJo Reference.

[@hankferris9408]

While all above strategies belong in the starter kit, the only way to break out of self-doubt and perfection paralysis is to have a morning glass of wine, or a spliff, or both. The Janus is easily drowned. When lit feels fresh it writes itself. While I don't see our channel's hero needing to channel Larkin or Hemingway or Burroughs, most memorable writers at least explore how a sentence opens up bio-chemically, new words fitting new sensations.

[@Nate1975]

The only cure is to write. That’s it

[@StripperPingvin23]

18. smoke weed.

[@thebookdoc.writing.and.editing]

Here is a cure for writer's block: it doesn't exist. At best you think you stink, and maybe it is time to take up guitar. At worst, you are giving yourself an excuse that doesn't exist to try and romanticize your failure. Just stop it and sit down and write. Or do the dishes.

[@thebookdoc.writing.and.editing]

The ideas are not bad for INSPIRATION. But this belief in "writer's block" is just an excuse.