How do you break out of writer's block?

[Indylady]

I'm having serious writer's block! Suggestions please?

 

[Autumnovember]

Usually when I have writer's block, I put on music. It inspires me and gives me ideas!

 

[doodle]

Stream of consciousness works for me sometimes--just grab a pen and make yourself write whatever pops into your head for a few minutes. I've also figured out that my best ideas ALWAYS come to me at inconvenient times--my roommate in college thought I was insane for keeping dry erase markers in the bathroom, but I always get ideas while in the shower then forget them before I'm done, so I started writing notes on the tile, haha! A glass of wine has always helped me out, too.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Well I wasn't really trying to combat writer's block as much as to nudge my mind to write down things already in it that I knew I wanted to write about, so I took a book mostly relevant to what I was writing about to a restaurant - one of those trite compilations of "anecdotes, each one dumbed down to accommodate the duration of an average bowel movement" (I love sheldon!) Anyway, I had a pad of paper and every time I thought of a subject that really interested me (and didn't necessarily have anything to do with what I was reading) I would write it down. Like I was reading about pascal's wager and I jotted down 'religion: cultural inheritance vs chosen philosophy'. A couple days later I took my list and wrote for about 3 hours just rough outlines expanding on the ideas or thoughts I'd jotted down. I have to go back over all of it and expand upon almost everything. It's pretty rough and freeform still, but it's way more expanded than it was last week still in my head!

Anyway, thought that might help with writer's block too!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Stream of consciousness works for me sometimes--just grab a pen and make yourself write whatever pops into your head for a few minutes. I've also figured out that my best ideas ALWAYS come to me at inconvenient times--my roommate in college thought I was insane for keeping dry erase markers in the bathroom, but I always get ideas while in the shower then forget them before I'm done, so I started writing notes on the tile, haha! A glass of wine has always helped me out, too.

oh that's awesome!!! I get mine at awkward times too, which is why I needed something to jog them out! So many get lost... grrr

 

[monarch64]

Depends on what you're writing, I think. Indy, are you writing a paper, fiction, what?

When I encountered WB in college my best remedy was either a stiff drink or a trip to the 24 hr. Super Wal-Mart or Target to clear my head. Or, I'd re-read something interesting I had gathered from my previous research. Phone a friend and ask them a random question about the topic about which you're writing, maybe?

Creatively, I used to do searches on quotes based on whatever part of the story had me stumped. Quotes on love, fear, integrity, things like that. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of inspiration from a well-respected author.

ETA: Cehra's response was close to what I was thinking with my "creatively" paragraph!

 

[Indylady]

I'm writing a proposal, so its a paper, but a little bit more creative (or so it feels to me). I know what my intent is, what my feelings are, etc. but its been difficult for me to put it on paper.

Thank you Autumn, Doodle, Cehra, and Monnie! I'm getting up early tomorrow so I can write, and I will be putting all of your ideas into effect. Its funny, but I actually have had a few quotes inspire me that I've noted on my paper just to keep me on track and serve as a reminder for me. I've been on "GAH!" mode for a few weeks now..fingers crossed that I can snap out of it!

 

[zhuzhu]

I'm writing a proposal, so its a paper, but a little bit more creative (or so it feels to me). I know what my intent is, what my feelings are, etc. but its been difficult for me to put it on paper.

Thank you Autumn, Doodle, Cehra, and Monnie! I'm getting up early tomorrow so I can write, and I will be putting all of your ideas into effect. Its funny, but I actually have had a few quotes inspire me that I've noted on my paper just to keep me on track and serve as a reminder for me. I've been on "GAH!" mode for a few weeks now..fingers crossed that I can snap out of it!

If this is a research proposal you are working on, what helps me is to do the outlines first, write ideas pertinent to each outline category in paragraphs or sentences. Creating a "thought map" like that helps to keep my ideas on track.

 

[zipzapgirl]

I used to always get hung up on needing more and more research and put off the writing. I think at some point you need to pull the plug and promise you'll go back for research on the finer points if you need to and have time afterwards. Usually by the time I have written the text i have way too much anyway, so I was over-researching to begin with.

I try and make the outline first. Then if the text just isn't coming to me, I pick the thing I know the most about and start writing anything relevant, even if I feel like it might be really bad writing. You can always edit it out later, but just putting the thoughts to paper in any form is a start.