Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Writer's Block - what the heck do you do about it?

I'm sure this has been asked before at some point, but.. so forgive me.

Let's say you got to the point in a story where you've introduced the main characters and even some of the bad guys, even started the plot, so many people would say that you're over the worst. But then, you get stuck. Badly.

On top of not knowing what the next scene should be, what dialogue to use etc., you *also* get stuck *writing*. As in writing *anything*.

So you get so frustrated that writing even one tiny paragraph is just as exhausting as having four kids under the age of five refusing to eat their dinner and whining about ice-cream instead, and drawing one more thought from your head is like drawing blood from a stone. Nothing seems to work.

Of course, you think you'll get over it, that it only lasts for a few days or a week and people have told you to leave it alone for a few days, but you're still very worried - so when you look in the mirror next day, you discover a gray hair and few more wrinkles. Great.

Therefore I was wondering what you guys do at times like these? Soak in the tub, start up a fight with your spouses (just to get some angsty dialogue flowing in your head), play the piano, paint the house, drink orange juice or something - in a certain order? So, to all authors out there, what's your secret? And, can I have it? What is that you *do*, besides admitting that "this happens to everyone, no matter who you are"?

So before I get ready to dye my hair and get a Botox-treatment, I'm anxiously waiting for any useful tips and revealing secrets.

Thanks in advance,
Pelican

edit - I know one thing to do is go back and read your old work. But since I don't have my computer these days, I can't.. I had to turn it in to get the system fixed. (So for those of you waiting for your trailers or fics, I'm so sorry about that, but I'll have them as soon as I get the computer back..)

Hi Pel,

Gee, you know I am kinda new around but I know what you´re going through. Just on the other day I had so many ideas.. I´ve posted so many vignettes, but today i´m having a porblem finish ESM.. the one you were revising. What to do? I don´t know... first time it happens to me. Well, I found it very helpful to read all the story again very concentrated so I could have it flowing again with the same pace on my mind...

Another thing is just to brainstorm something... imagine a situation or a point that you want to reach in your story and imagine a way how to get there. If this process is just giving you more wrinkles, then make the process shorter and achieve small goals little by little. Do not look back to the previous paragraph. Just keep writing till you are over objective after objective.

Whenever you finish a page, print it and read it. If you think it is not working, then work based on the adjustments you can make in the text already written, I am sure you will get more ideas because when you read a page, it is like you are reading someone else´s work and this way you will be able to give "suggestions" to the "person´s" work.

what do you think?

If you try that, tell me if it worked for you. It worked for me.

I hope I´ve helped.

MDL.

Honestly, just put down the fic slowly and walk away. The beautiful thing about hard drives is that if they actually stay in-tact (unlike mine), you can leave a story be for a while without it disappearing. And sometimes that while turns into days, weeks, or months. I haven't written anything in a while, but I'll use my paintings as my visual aid here. The longer I look at my work when I'm blocked, the more I hate it. Sometimes you just have to hide it from yourself, and then maybe look at it sometime later. You might get a fresh perspective on it. And in the meantime, I usually start working on another painting, just to keep the creative juices flowing. When you try to work on somthing that you're just absolutely blocked on, for me, it doesn't become enjoyable anymore. So I move onto something else enjoyable and come back to the item in question at a later date.

That's how I deal with my blocks
JD

First, Pel, I just had to comment:

(you know...that it's gotten longer).

So, Pel, since you're not able to work on trailers right now, I'll let you work on this story of yours. But seriously, if you have enough to post a little at a time, it might help to light a fire under you.

)

Sara (who wants to clarify that not all school work done at the last minute was high quality...or quality at all )

One thing I like to try is taking a break from writing and instead reading -- not your own stuff, but someone else's hard work. Preferably a book, so you're *not* thinking about L&C. I think of it as re-charging my creativity bank. Romances, mysteries, sci-fi, whatever you love to read.

OTOH, this year so far I've not written *nearly* as much as I'd have liked to, so maybe I'm the wrong person to ask...

PJ

Fishing works too...sort of...sometimes, if you don't get addicted to it and decide to do that instead of writing...oh look! A walleye!!!


HEEEHEEE

Heya Sara, please tell me if you got my last email. I'm never too busy for you I swear!

TEEEEEJ

Elisabeth recently had a bout of writer's block and to she decided to just write something that struck her fancy.

Basically, just take any scene from LnC or another favorite TV show and fix it/skew it/destroy it, whatever.

Elisabeth did this and these two threads on another board were the result.

EDITED
OK, I didn't realize that you had to be a member to see the links.

so, I will post the stories. Both examples are for the TV show, Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye

Tank Endings, a charming vice to cure writer's block

Writer's block has visited my home for the last several weeks. While I did get up at midnight to write one section, for the most part, inspiration has not struck. I have filled my time with editing: searching out typos, clarifying, and making earlier sections agree with the changes I made as I went along. With limited access to a computer, my time is easily filled with the busywork of preparing posts.

And yet, when I sit with pen in hand... Nothing.

Everyone knows, the only solution to writer's block is writing. And so, I have written some Tank Endings.

What, you may ask, is a Tank Ending?

Let me answer by introducing Tank. Way back in the days when I had steady access to a computer, I used to spend my time on the Lois and Clark: New Adventures of Superman boards. There I met a prolific fanfic author by the name of Tank Wilson. (What kind of labor does a mother go through that makes her decide to name her son Tank? I shudder at the thought.)

Tank was well known for 4 things: his talent as a writer; his hatred for Jimmy Olsen; his love of Lois Lane with short, feathered, red hair; and his skill at writing Tank Endings. I do not know if he went by the name of Tank because he was so good at writing Tank Endings or if the name Tank Endings was coined in honor of his skill. All I do know is that Tank Endings and Tank Wilson seemed to go hand in hand.

All well and good, you say, but what is a Tank Ending? A Tank Ending as a chipper little farce tacked onto a story wherein utter devastation reigns. Sometimes everyone dies. Sometimes Jimmy Olsen dies in a flame of glory. Sometimes the forces of evil take over the world. Sometimes relationships are skewed beyond repair. Whatever form it takes, it simply ruins the story.

Just a few points to remember. 1) Keep it light--no one enjoys a Mr. Grumpy Pants, particularly not when he's armed to the teeth. 2) When killing "on-camera", please, include a Tank Ending (TE) spoiler for those who would rather skip this particular vice.

And now, for my own little salute to writer's block:

Dirty Bomb--The Tank Ending

"You're too late," Khayyat bragged. "You'll never find it in time."

"Alright. We'll see." Jack had a plan. You could see it in the slow boil of anger that flashed in his eyes. "But if we don't you'll get a close-up view of your work."

With the skillfulness born of expertise, Jack handcuffed the bomb-maker to the handrail before the man had time to resist.

He turned to Sue before he turned to leave. "Let's go."

"Where are you going?" Khayyat demanded to know.

"As far away as we can get," Jack assured him.

"You're bluffing!" The bomb-maker wanted to believe it was all a bluff, but the fear in his eyes betrayed his worries.

"Look, if this place goes up, it'll be a pile of rubble. And with the radioactive fallout, no one's going to come anywhere near this place for years. Who's going to know?"

"Jack!"

"What?"

"You can't." Sue was the voice of his conscience.

"Yes, I can," Jack insisted. "If he wants to die, I'm happy to grant him his wish." He turned to the worried terrorist. "That's my cell phone number." He dialed a few numbers before leaving his cell phone within reach. "If you change your mind, hit 'send.'"

Jack started down the stairs two at a time. Sue raced to keep up with him.

"Bobby, clear everybody out of that building now!" Jack directed over the radio as he raced from the tower.

As they emerged from the building, Sue flashed Jack a wary smile. "Well, you're getting pretty good at that good cop-bad cop thing."

"You picked that one up on the fly." Jack's tone was light, although his eyes were still intense.

"The question is," Sue worried, "are you really bluffing?"

"Save the tax-payers the cost of a lengthy trial," Jack rationalized. "He'll call," he reassured her.

"What if you're wrong?" Sue worried.

"I'm not. Martyrs don't use time bombs. If he really didn't care if he lived or died, he would've wired himself up and set it off."

Jack kept his tone light, despite the adrenaline that still rushed through his veins.

But Sue was still worried. "Did you remember to put in your new cell phone number?"

Jack's eyes widened, his mouth forming a silent "O" as he dashed back into the fray. He leapt up the steps, his legs burning with the effort.

But he was too late.

~*~

The gentleman knocked on the wall of the bunker as if it were an office door. Then, proceeded toward the desk.

"Mr. President, I have the preliminary reports for you."

The president waved for his chief of staff to sit while he reached for his reading glasses.

"Approximately, four thousand missing at the scene of the blast?" The president glanced up for confirmation.

"Very approximate, sir, but yes." He cleared his throat, trying to remain business-like. "We don't hold out much hope for survivors."

"It's only been a few hours," the President reminded him.

"Even if we're able to dig them out of the rubble, they've been subjected to a large amount of radioactive fallout. Their short-term chances are slim. Their long-term chances are virtually nonexistent."

The President returned to his report. "We expect the number of those injured to escalate over the next few days?"

"Yes," his chief of staff confirmed. "We've urged all within a seven-mile radius to seek medical attention within the next 24 hours. Those within a 15-mile radius are asked to seek medical attention in the next 48 hours. But still, we expect to see tens of thousands--maybe even hundreds of thousands of deaths just within the next few days and weeks. Not to mention chronic disease."

The President waved off further discussion as he turned back to the report.

"One suspect in custody and two still unaccounted for," the President muttered.

"That's right," his chief of staff confirmed. "The F.B.I. is fairly certain the list is complete."

"This is interesting," the President looked up over his reading glasses. "We had an F.B.I. team on the ground at the site before the explosion?"

"Yes, sir. Records indicate that they knew a general location of the dirty bomb, but were unable to pinpoint its precise location. They probably missed finding it by minutes... Or less."

"All members of the team were presumed dead." It wasn't a question. There was no way to survive at ground zero.

"All but one, sir. A canine survived."

"A bomb-sniffing dog?" The President wondered.

"No, an assistance dog. One of the F.B.I. team-members was deaf. Sue Thomas, sir. She's missing; presumed dead."

"She's dead, and the dog survived. That's a miracle!"

"No, sir. The dog was only living up to his name."

The President glanced quizzically over his reading glasses as he waited for further explanation.

"His name is Levi, the Wonder Dog."

-------------------------------
In the show Levi is often referred to by the above name.

and

-------------------------------
Or it could have happened like this..., Now it's time for silly scenes from Sue

And now it's time for silly scenes from Sue Thomas
--that special part of the board where we post a silly scene.

He Said/She Said
from The Kiss

Jack was obviously flustered, to everyone's delight. "We were...weren't making...we weren't making out," he stuttered.

"You want to go under oath and say that? We have a reliable witness," D reminded him.

"It was part of the undercover," Sue protested.

"So you were making out?" Lucy pressed.

Myles seemed rather curious as he walked by with files in tow.

"Yeah, we were making out," Sue confirmed. She glanced pointedly at Jack. "Be a man, and admit it!"

Myles turned on a dime to join the conversation. "Who was making out?"

"Jack and Sue! I want to hear every detail," Lucy gushed.

"Janice made it sound rather involved," Tara pointed out.

"It wasn't..." Jack started to protest. He was silenced with three glares. He held up both hands before his chest to show his surrender. The women proceeded as if he weren't there.

"Actually, he seemed rather distracted," Sue confessed.

"I wasn't distracted," Jack insisted. "We weren't making out!" His face took on an odd shade of red.

The others continued as if he hadn't spoken.

"He was waiting for Janice," theorized D. Bobby nodded his agreement.

Sue tilted her face up, glancing at nothing as she jogged her memory. "Actually," she conjectured," it was almost like he was taking notes." She shrugged and brought her attention back to the group. "But we were making out," she reiterated.

"Sue!" Jack protested.

"That's what Janice said," Tara backed her up. "That's why she was so surprised when she walked in on Jack and me."

"She was surprised? Imagine my surprise when I realized Jack was making the moves on me on Wednesday and you on Thursday."

"You know, at the time I thought it was just a friendly hug," Tara remembered, "but it could have been more."

"That's what I thought," Sue stated.

"Tara!"

Bobby slapped Jack on the shoulder. "That's what you get when women talk."

Tara glared at Bobby and Jack. "Come on, Sue. Let's get out of here. We need to find someplace more quiet to talk."

"I'm coming, too," Lucy declared.

"Uh uh," Tara decided. "This meeting is only for those who've embraced him." Her finger pointed at Jack served as both judge and jury. Guilty!

Jack took one look at Lucy's ambitious face and thrust a box of files in front of himself as a shield. "You keep your hands off me!" He kept a wary eye out as he exited stage left.

Lucy frowned as she watched him leave. But she wasn't so easily stymied. "I've kissed Myles! Doesn't that count for something?" She hurried after the ladies, pleading her case.

"They're one Y chromosome away from sanity, gentlemen," Myles reminded Bobby and D. "That's why I thank God every day that I'm a man."


-------------------------------

Both are hilarious, IMHO, and her writer's block is gone. As she says, just write, something is bound to come out that is usable.

James

My method is somewhat similar. That's why I'm posting 2 stories at the same time. When I get a little blocked, I write something else. In this case, when I run out of inspiration on Twins, I go to Wedding Consequences and vice versa. It seems to help quite a bit.

You may or may not have noticed, too, if you read my work, that I'll be in the middle of a long story, and suddenly I'll take a break and post another, shorter one. That is a form of the same technique, which helps re-energize my interest in the longer one.

Nan

Pam said:
Well, yikes! I try that, say reading a cute little romantic comedy book, and I can't get into it because I'm thinking *too much* about L&C. I keep thinking "Lois is NOT blonde so quit saying that she is!" and "Clark does not work on Wall Street!" But then again, I suppose I have problems. Oh well!

Sara (who did get TEEEJ's last email...and hopes that she was finally able to send part 5 sucessfully)

You know, it's very interesting that you posted on that subject. I just went to a workshop this morning at the Loft (a literary organization in Minneapolis) dealing with that very subject.

Some suggestions that came up are:

1. Keeping your creative self separate from your editing self by doing those tasks at different times.

2. Setting aside a certain time of day to write, and even making the appointment on your calendar if need be.

3. Doing stream of consciousness writing. We did a couple of exercises like that while listening to instrumental music. I surprised myself with the things I came up with.

4. Our instructor said that he likes to look at photographs or art and freewrite about them just as an exercise.

5. Doing something else creative, like cooking, just to get the juices flowing.

What I normally do when I'm having trouble is get up, stretch, and walk around. I usually take it as a sign that I've been sitting in front of my computer way too long.

Hey Pel, you know what I find is usually a fab way to get rid of that annoying disease known as writer's block? I usually do this very complicated thing where I get all the stuff from my fic together, open Outlook or Eudora or some similar email client, and - this is the tricky part, bear with me - send it all off to your long-suffering beta, who [if she's desperate enough] will drop everything - that's *everything*, ladies and gentlemen - to read it, comment on it, and send it back to you. Volia, instant inspiration.

Clever, huh?

Sara

There's another trick. Some writers leave a sentence unfinished when they save their file for the day.

For example: It was a dark and stormy

The editor in me really, really wants to finish it. But then when I start on the story the next day, I know I'll have to type the word night, if nothing else.