snowflake challenge #3

[svgurl]

In your own space, Scream Into the Void. Get it all out.

Okay, I'm actually bad at this, at least online, because I always feel the need to correct myself at the end or be all "but it's not that bad" because I'm doing the whole "in the grand scheme of things", comparing it to what I feel are real problems. With other people, I will definitely be like "just because other people have it worse doesn't mean your problems are less valid" but somehow the brain doesn't really let you extend that kind of sympathy to yourself. Funny how that works.

Since I'm avoiding real life/politics talk and *gestures to the state of the world* all that, my gripe is currently my inability to write. I want to write fic, I have to write fic with the deadlines I have (both real and self imposed), but somehow, when I stare at a word document, I'm getting nothing! It's not like I don't know what to write either. I even have ideas on what I want to do or where I want to go with my stories, but the scenes that sound so great in my head will just not come out. I barely wrote in December and I have nothing so far this month. It's just extremely frustrating to want to want to do something yet not be able to.

I thought maybe stepping back for a few days and not thinking about it would help, but it's just a few more days that I'm not writing and it's not any easier. I may just have to go back into writing sprints and force it out but I wish it could come more naturally. I miss when it came more naturally.

If anyone has any advice on what they do in similar situations, please feel free to share!

Comments

[mx_vertiginous]

This is the worst! Or when you have ideas in your head when you're driving or half asleep or in another situation where you can't write and then they're gone by the time you open a word doc.

One thing I find helpful is to go for a walk and let myself think about the story, fully conscious and undistracted, but unable to write. So I just gotta think about what's going on with the characters, how they feel, what they're thinking. It helps me get over a hump when I'm stuck in the middle of a story.... but it never really helps to get something started when I'm not sure where to start.

[svgurl]

That's totally it. I will have these clear ideas when I'm anywhere else and I'm hyping myself up for the moment when I get back in front of a screen and nothing happens when I actually do.

Thank you for the advice! I definitely have some stories that I'm in the middle of that could use some nudging.

but it never really helps to get something started when I'm not sure where to start.
Fair. I usually just have to force myself to start and then let it go from there. Beginnings and endings have never not been a struggle.

[vriddy]

This is tough. I don't have much advice beyond what you already tried and sprints with friends (to keep them fun!). Maybe trying to write a different, short, no pressure project to see if that gets the writing juices flowing again? Wishing you well and good luck.

[svgurl]

Thank you! I might have to give the short no pressure project a shot - just some drabble or ficlet that isn't for anything and thus (hopefully) removes the pressure. I appreciate the suggestions and luck! :D

[wearing_tearing]

It's really tough when that happens :(

I usually deal with that by setting ridiculous writing goals for myself like: today I need to open one of my docs and write 2 words. I can delete them tomorrow if I want to, but I have to get them down. This usually gives me a sense of accomplishment and like I'm making progress? Because before I had no words and, by doing this, I now have 2 \o/ And then that motivates me to add another 5 words or 10 or a full paragraph to my story :D

[demigodscum]

This is a really cool trick for some easy dopamine. I'm definitely going to integrate it into my other unblocking practices. Thanks for sharing! :)

[wearing_tearing]

I hope it works for you! :D

[svgurl]

Weirdly enough letting it out made me feel better and clear my mind a bit lol

Thank you for the advice! I think that's a great strategy and something I will try out. I think I always try to reach too high and then just let myself down. Setting more reasonable expectations might help me accomplish and then maybe exceed them. :D

[wearing_tearing]

That's great! And I definitely relate to trying to reach too high. Hence the ridiculous writing goal of 2 words I know I can achieve XD

[svgurl]

Right? It always seems reasonable at first and then when you get to it, it's like "oh it's this or nothing" and nothing just wins. But your approach is a good one. Something that is supposed to be a fun hobby doesn't need huge goals to be a success.

[peaked]

It sounds like you're pressuring yourself and that pressure is blocking you. I definitely find sprints helpful (although, lately my idea of sprints is "Just sit down from 5.30pm and write until 6pm, and if you're over it by then, you can go play your game"). I find having a dedicated small block of time to write helps relieve the pressure for me.

When I feel this blocked, I set a time to sit down, open the document, and write whatever comes to my head. I can delete those garbage words because they're only serving the function of unblocking me. Sometimes I will legit write "Wanda walked to the park and this is so fucking stupid sdjfksjklfdfs" and do that a few times before I finally relax, maybe delete it, and start over and write.

Don't think about the fact that you haven't written much last month or this month. Focus on the fact you've sat down, pick a story or a character/prompt, and just let your brain stretch a little. If you write 80 words, that's good! If you write 1000, that's good! Writing 1 is even better.

[svgurl]

Yeah, that's definitely what is happening. I feel I need to write and can't concentrate on anything except the need to write so it doesn't get done.

Thank you for the suggestions! Just writing without thinking about it is definitely something I need to try. One word is better than zero words!

[peaked]

If you need to, I can be the Tommy Lee Jones to your Steve Rogers circa short stick era and tell you you must go write one word and report back or else I won't speak to you. Accountability buddies! (Except I'm a dictator.)

[svgurl]

Haha I would appreciate that actually! Having a dictator accountability buddy is probably what I need lol :D

[demigodscum]

Ah, I've been in the exact same boat with regard to writing for a couple of months now. It's the whole reason I started vidding.

City Lights did a virtual session last year with adrienne maree brown and Alexis Pauline Gumbs, whose work I enjoy deeply, in which they talked a little about following Octavia Butler's (brown and Gumbs are both Butler scholars) philosophy. Basically, the advice is "Trust habits, don't wait for inspiration. Make yourself available to the work and take responsibility for it." So now I try to practice that. I'm not very good at it yet, but I'm slowly getting more consistent, I think. It helps to start by building routine — every evening, even if I know I'm not going to write, I open Scrivener and re-read bits of my wip or whatever. I also really like the advice wearing_tearing gives above, and I think it could work well in combination with this habit thing. I'm certainly going to give it a go.

Best of luck! May we all write all the words in our head soon.

[svgurl]

Vidding is one of those things that I would love to but don't have the patience/dedication. And my laptop is super old so I doubt it can handle anything lol

I will keep that in mind. Thank you! Building good habits is important and I can see how something like writing can be a routine. If I wait until I have inspiration, I can just keep putting it off and I do procrastinate. I will give this a shot too. :d

Thank you! Fingers crossed for us both!

[senmut]

Wanting to write and not being able to is a source of frequent frustration.

I have two methods to combat - ask for one word prompts and characters to do STRICT drabbles for. (this... doesn't work for writers who do long form only)

Or pick up a quick hobby/game/craft that I can do over a couple of days in the time I would usually write. That usually makes the muses come back from the fishing hole begging to get on with words.

[svgurl]

Too true! I imagine it's a relatable experience.

I love asking for prompts but also don't because I'm afraid it will just be more things I'm not writing. I am not the best at drabbles but I will have to give a shot though. I think I can pull off ficlets! Keep it under 500 words. Maybe.

Also good advice! Maybe an activity that isn't on a screen will be good for me.

Thank you!

[silveradept]

I'm reminded of the bit in Check Please! where Jack gets Bitty to write his thesis by poking him in the arguments and then letting Bitty blow up his phone with texts about how wrong he is about all of it. It may not be a perfect match for you, but if you have a friend who you can complain in long form at about all the things you want to write but we're having trouble with and have them ask prodding questions in return, maybe all you'll have to do is save your chat log and then polish it up?

[svgurl]

Thank you for the suggestion! That is good advice and back in my first run in fandom, I did used to have a beta I did this with, or at least went through story ideas and talked about the fic with but unfortunately, not as much these days.

[silveradept]

Ah, that's unfortunate. Perhaps you can find a writing partner somewhere to do sprints with.

There's been plenty of other good advice around as well about writing first and editing later, but if you are someone with dice around, a prominent, prolific, and published author once shared that if you have a die, you can use it as a word tracker. Every hundred words, turn the die so that the next number is up. Then you can see progress. (And double sixes is 3600 words, even if it didn't feel like it.) Or you can use some of the tools like Written? Kitten! to give you adorable imagery while you put down words.

[svgurl]

It is one of the downsides your main fandom being semi dead. I do have some friends who are still in it and thankfully I'm apart of some Discord servers that run sprints which helps. :D

Thank you for the suggestions! The word counter is a good idea and I haven't read of Written? Kitten! but it sounds adorable so I will definitely check it out. :D

[fairyniamh]

This has happened to me often. I am part of an LJ community where I do a monthly pledge to write 100 words a day. It's not many and even writing lists count.

If I can't fully think of anything to write, I will write random words... not always in English. If I find a foreign word I like (Schadenfreude: taking pleasure in someone's misfortune) I'll use that as a boost.

[svgurl]

I can imagine it is a common problem with writers, at some point in their life.

That is a good plan! 100 words a day, even if they aren't always in full sentences or in English, is a reasonable goal and I imagine the routine helps. Other people have said similar things and I will have to try it.

Thank you!

[apachefirecat]

Writing block BEYOND SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!! But the next time you feel the ideas coming for what you would WANT to write, try to grab some alone time and something to write with/on RIGHT AWAY. No matter how badly you dislike what you're typing, keep it. Don't delete it. And keep typing just whatever comes to mind. Hopefully this will lead you to actually being able to write again. It's worked for me in the past, no matter how much I didn't like my own stories! LOL Best of luck, dear!!

[svgurl]

It totally does! Thank you for the advice and the well wishes! I do overthink what I'm writing but letting it flow is a good plan. At least there will be words and maybe I can spark more consistent writing. :D

[apachefirecat]

I hope so! <3 I know all of us writers get how frustrating writer's block can be! Another little tidbit that the years have taught me is to NEVER argue with your bunnies! If you get the idea, write it, no matter how much you may not LIKE the idea yourself! I've had a few I tried to ignore over the years, and always ended up paying for it in spades! Best of luck!!

[svgurl]

Definitely! It's a problem we've all faced from time to time. And true- you do just have to let the muses lead you. I do try to write down my ideas at least and if I don't like them, I will ignore it later but I hate when I forget them. Or they just haunt you consistently lol Haha yes, definitely best to let them out!

Thank you! :D

[cmk418]

Writing sprints are generally good when you're trying to get the words out. During NaNo, we do something called "chain sprints" where you write for five minutes, pause for a minute, write for five more, pause for a minute, and then write for the last five minutes. With the breaks you get a little processing/refresher time that you wouldn't have if you force yourself to go for fifteen minutes straight. And usually even if you're stuttering through the first round, by the time you get to the last one, the words may be flowing.

I sometimes like to write a conversation between characters. It might not have anything to do with the story or assignment I'm supposed to be writing. Being able to hear their voices, to get their rhythms down, and insights as to what's making them tick are going to be important in the long run. You could even do it as an interview- "What do you think of X?" and then write what your character says.

Give yourself some grace. The words are there. Good luck!

[svgurl]

So true! I think that it helps me partly because I'm a little competitive so I feel the urge to keep going to make a reasonable word count, rather than just, scrolling IG or Tumblr or something. Those chain springs seem smart. I can see how small bursts will keep you focused.

Ooh, that's a good idea. I wouldn't have thought to do something like that but it definitely would put you a creative mood and in the right mindset.

Thank you so much for the advice/suggestions and the kind words. I appreciate it all. :D

[pianogurl330]

*HUGS* It's so frustrating when you get writer's block and it's not coming naturally! Or the ideas come at times when I can't write and then forget the idea/s. One idea a professor gave me once was to set a timer for 20-30 mins (or it could be shorter) and just write until the timer goes off. Don't worry about grammar or if it makes sense but just getting thoughts out. Sometimes that has worked for me, sometimes it hasn't. I hope you find something that can help! ♥

Good Luck!

[svgurl]

*hugs* Definitely! The will is both there and isn't there somehow. Oh, that is so annoying. You always feel like you will remember the idea and you just forget when it's time to use them. That is good advice! I got similar versions of that from other people and I will have to give it a shot. It's worth a try at least!

Thank you! :D

[tsuki_no_bara]

i feel this so hard. i think the only thing that really works for me is a hard deadline imposed by someone else, because my desire to not let someone down is stronger than my inability to put words on a page. of course then i look at those words and think "ugh, this is so flat...." but at least they're out.

[svgurl]

I imagine it's a common problem! I am definitely with you. I think that's a small part of the reason that I end up signing up for so many exchanges. It's helpful to have a deadline and know that someone is counting on me. When I'm just writing for me, it's easier to procrastinate.

of course then i look at those words and think "ugh, this is so flat...." but at least they're out.
I get that and have felt similarly. Sometimes I walk away and give it some space and when I return, I'm like "oh it wasn't as bad as I thought".