| Author | Message | ||
| Mariah Wilson
New member Username: mariahwilson43 Post Number: 7 Registered: 11-2007 |
It is with great pains that I regret to inform all of you that I have suffered a block of some sort for quite a while now. I just haven't been able to write a single decent poem, or even a decent fragment of a poem in what seems like an eternity. If any of you can offer any suggestions what so ever on how I can get my creative buzz back then please do so. I will GREATLY apprecaite any suggestions. | ||
| veronique deshotels
Advanced Member Username: nude_shoes Post Number: 1167 Registered: 04-2007 |
oh, heartsweet delete this before Derf pounces | ||
| Matthew Silverman
New member Username: m_e_silverman Post Number: 41 Registered: 07-2007 |
What is a derf? ah, nevermind. try the writing exercises found on these sites. but if you are blocked, then it is for a reason. stop trying to force it, to "be" a writer. just write in a jounral-- don't worry about if it is poetic or some other genre. then write soemthing you know, something that happened to you, by you, in front of you, because of you, for you, etc. gl. | ||
| Fred Longworth
Senior Member Username: sandiegopoet Post Number: 2579 Registered: 05-2006 |
Probably the most important things that can release a writer's block are: (1) read a lot of other poets' work; (2) avail yourself of emotionally charged experiences; (3) set aside a chunk of writing time every day, and write whether you feel "inspired" or not; (4) be willing to revise old poems rather than generate new ones. There's a fifth thing. It's called "fear of getting the shit kicked out of you." And, to help you in this regard, I've dialed up Gino and Marcello, the infamous poetry goons. As I write this, they're on their way over to "have a little talk with you." Derf (Message edited by sandiegopoet on November 29, 2007) | ||
| Ron. Lavalette
Intermediate Member Username: dellfarmer Post Number: 389 Registered: 05-2007 |
Cook something. Eat it with your eyes closed. Think about something else while you're chewing. Take a big drink of water. Hold it in your mouth & sit on the stove til it boils. I don't know if any of this will help, but it'll take your mind off your imaginary writer's block, which doesn't exist, and you know it. Now, get back to work. --Ron. Eggs Over Tokyo | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 27277 Registered: 11-1998 |
Try taking a look at these, Mariah: WPF Weekly Creativity Challenges There are over 100 Challenges, or call them writing prompts, in there to get your creative juices flowing. You should be able to find at least one (if not dozens) that will appeal to you and inspire you! Also, check out the current Challenge in BALANCING QI (deadline is this Sunday): Current Challenge Best, M | ||
| judy thompson
Member Username: judyt54 Post Number: 81 Registered: 11-2007 |
ron, I agree. Everyone and i do mean everyone runs out of steam when they write. When it happens to me i dont force myself to write bad poetry every day (which can be a horrifying and discouraging exercise), I move back from it a bit and do other things. this is the important part, Mariah. Do other things. Everything you do while you're not writing becomes part of the poems that you will write, later on. It might be a month, or a year, or much longer, but the writing comes back, and when it does, you won't be able to get it on paper fast enough. One thing that helps me immensely is being in a place like this, among good writers. If i can't write, I can still read, and I can still critique. And now and then something slides out. Listen to Ron. He knows what he's talking about. in a way it's like the cure for the cold. If you drink lots of fluid and get bed rest and take vitamins, it will be gone in a week and two days. If you do nothing it will be gone in nine days. *g* | ||
| Emusing
Senior Member Username: emusing Post Number: 4987 Registered: 08-2003 |
When I Met My Muse When I met my muse I glanced at her and took my glasses off—they were still singing. They buzzed like a locust on the coffee table and then ceased. Her voice belled forth, and the sunlight bent. I felt the ceiling arch, and knew that nails up there took a new grip on whatever they touched. "I am your own way of looking at things," she said. "When you allow me to live with you, every glance at the world around you will be a sort of salvation." And I took her hand. —William Stafford ___________ Check out his essays on writing. He is wonderful. Can get your juices flowing in addition to the good advices given here. e www.wordwalkerpress.com | ||
| Bren
Moderator Username: bren Post Number: 1229 Registered: 12-2001 |
I'm with you Mariah...They call the wind Mariah Great advice above that I'll be checking out for myself. The only thing that keeps me going these days (and I don't always do well but try) are M's challenges. Oh and bipolar thoughts on becoming a Granny!  Bren | ||
| LJ Cohen
Moderator Username: ljc Post Number: 8489 Registered: 07-2002 |
Writing is a discipline like any other and practice is crucial. Writing daily is the writer's equivalent of playing scales. A musician practices scales every day. It's not glorious music, but it is the basis for all the music he or she will ever play. One of the things that's crucial for a writer is to let go of the fear of writing something bad. I write bad stuff all the time. It doesn't matter. Something on the page is something you can edit. Nothing is still a blank page and there's nothing worse than a blank page. Others have already made suggestions to follow writing prompts and challenges, and Judy alluded to this in her response: Try to write something else. I move back and forth between poetry and prose. When I'm blocked on a story, I write poetry. When poetry isn't flowing, I work on the narrative, or offer critique, revise an old piece, or read the work of other poets. There are all sorts of tricks, but you will have to find the techniques that work best for you. best, ljc Once in a Blue Muse Blog LJCohen | ||
| judy thompson
Member Username: judyt54 Post Number: 85 Registered: 11-2007 |
actually I said 'try to DO something else.'. A major difference. when my writing stops, I pull away from it. For me, at least, forcing myself to sit at a table for an hour every day and write nothing but garbage is torture. i could be sewing, or gardening, or walking. I could be dancing. when the words don't come, the only thing worse is seeing junk on the page. and for me, at least, that's even more discouraging. My energy turns elsewhere--I make quilts, which can be very creative. I make bread. Work in the garden. Go out with a camera. Let the writing come back when it's time, and don't obsess about it. | ||
| Ann Metlay
Advanced Member Username: wordsrworthy Post Number: 1500 Registered: 08-2007 |
Mariah, I went through a four year block before I joined Wild. I just could not produce a single poetic image. I recycled old poems here for awhile. I learned about cinquains, a short form that can lead to something beautiful in only five lines. I did all the exercises in Balancing Qi where you don't have to be really poetic and you have a lot of fun. I did every challenge, whether I liked what I produced or not. And now I am able to produce a poem a day. Some still are a bit wanting, or perhaps fragments of larger poems, still to come. Use Wild. Read and comment on others' poems. As you read and comment, study what they did and maybe even try to do something similar. It really brought back my muse over three months and 1500 postings. Ann | ||
| S. Thomas Summers
Intermediate Member Username: s_thomas_summers Post Number: 712 Registered: 10-2006 |
just write......break through. read. we all go through it. visit me at http://www.freewebs.com/sthomassummers/ author of "Death settled well" and "Rather, It Should Shine" | ||
| Douglas Hill
Valued Member Username: riverwriter Post Number: 136 Registered: 04-2007 |
When I am blocked, it takes the form of not being able to get into that room in my head where the writing is. I broke through a serious block that lasted for several years by starting my blog, in which I publicly announced I would post at least one new poem every day. And except for July and August of this year, I have done so. Today's poem will be #616. I have always found that once I can pick the lock on that door, I can write. Whether it is a theatre review, a playscript, an essay, an article, a letter, a libretto, or a poem, I just have to tell someone (an editor, or a collaborator such as a dramaturg) that I am going to do it for such a date, and I do it. I think that writing for no particular audience can force a block to happen. | ||
| Kathleen
Valued Member Username: cass_vibbert Post Number: 135 Registered: 04-2005 |
me too. I've been trying to read. Been a crazy year and I've let other things steal my joy. I understand writer's block. I've learned not to worry about it. But I do understand what you are saying. | ||
| Anna Brown
New member Username: tissuetoyou Post Number: 38 Registered: 11-2007 |
I like to write books. That's where I'm at my best. I can write a novel in a month. Sometimes less. But the point is, after writing something that long in such a short amount of time, I'm pretty much creatively dead. I do a lot of math. I just do something else until it comes back. And when it comes back, it's a big BAM! and you won't be sorry that you didn't write for a while. | ||
| Mariah Wilson
New member Username: mariahwilson43 Post Number: 11 Registered: 11-2007 |
Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions and heartfelt empathy. I shall muscle through my imaginary block and be reborn once again. |
