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Post by DocQuantum on May 26, 2020 19:56:02 GMT
Does anyone have any tips or tricks on getting over writer’s block? I haven’t been able to write much at all for months.
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Post by Dave B on May 27, 2020 1:23:56 GMT
No because I've been stuck as well. I know where I want the stories I have been working on to go, but am having a hard time getting there
Dave
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Post by johnreiter902 on May 27, 2020 13:38:55 GMT
likewise. I'm dying to write, but I can make it come. I think I need to put aside the two stories I am writing write now, and start something else,
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Post by dans on May 30, 2020 12:36:09 GMT
I was thinking perhaps we could have some kind of writer group that meets regularly. Everyone is responsible for bringing at least a paragraph that they have written since the last meeting, and everyone reviews the new offerings and makes comments, and then we go away and make edits - and write another new, different submission for the next meeting. The writer could specify what kind of feedback would be most appreciated (such as: proofing and copy edit, editorial changes to the submission to make it more impactful, or suggestions where to go next). And maybe between meetings, those who choose to modify an earlier submission could post the revised product alongside the original.
Also, a section of the meeting could be reserved to discuss new story ideas, either that a writer is thinking about, or is throwing out for anyone to take a shot at.
With a strong suggestion (but not a rule) that if you want to attend a specific meeting, you should prepare a submission and post before that meeting.
We could open a thread in the writers' forum for the next meeting and encourage people to post something there, and not schedule the next meeting until we have at least a minimum number of posts to review.
Not sure about this one, but we could open the submissions to any kind of writing, or limit it to something that would be suitable for posting here.
We could probably meet on a zoom and everyone have the forum meeting space for that meeting open during the meeting for real time edits and comments. This would provide:
a chance to pick up a good story idea, and maybe some help with plotting
peer pressure to write something, anything, for each meeting you planned to attend instant feedback (to me, this is what I want most from this forum!) a chance to improve our writing, and a chance to help others improve their writing a chance to show off a little a chance to bask in the praise of others for our wonderful work
I'm sure there would be other benefits. Maybe more stories posted here. Relief from social distancing.
Dan
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Post by dans on May 31, 2020 13:29:13 GMT
Not having much success with my posts recently, so total change in direction... I've found some of these to be helpful: - reading stories related in some way or other to the ones I want to write
- writing about something else
- taking long bike rides and making a point of thinking about the current story occasionally during the rid
- talking to my subconscious before I go to sleep and suggesting that tomorrow the plot will be clear in my head.
- sharing what I've already managed to write and asking for feedback
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Post by lee on Jun 14, 2020 21:28:07 GMT
Way back in the day, I used to cut a piece of cardboard out of a box that would fit in my back pocket and pull it out when I wanted to write; I wrote many stories on pieces of cardboard. Recently, I did this at work after several years and I have started writing more on a daily basis. I said that to say this; look at writing habits you used to have but don't any longer.
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Post by DocQuantum on Jun 14, 2020 22:13:34 GMT
Yeah, I did something similar. I had a notepad that I would use to jot down ideas for stories, and ended up collecting so many pieces of paper that I had to spend a day organizing them and transcribing them digitally so I could start using them. Unfortunately, while I still come up with occasional ideas, I find the actual writing part painfully difficult often.
I think I need to think a bit about the scene that I want to write, and perhaps do some research, in order to get the creative juices flowing.
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Post by starskyhutch76 on Jun 15, 2020 2:49:02 GMT
Maybe we need to start chats again. It seems like my most productive days were when we still did those.
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Post by dans on Jun 17, 2020 2:19:30 GMT
How about some of kind of showcase and social marketing campaign, and a shared place to post stories that don't have to be 5earths related?
A new short story, not necessarily 5 earths related, gets posted in some sort of showcase magazine site and we all use our social media contacts for a week to spread the URL to our social media friends, and then another new story gets posted on the showcase site and we all hype it for a week, etc?
We'd need some kind of showcase site which doesn't have to be specifically related to 5 Earths. simplesite.com has free hosting and pretty easy to use templates, see jmfanfic.simplesite.com/446197184, this took me a couple of hours to put together.
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Post by lawrenceliberty on Jun 26, 2020 18:13:53 GMT
I've always enjoyed the challenges where a writer asks another writer to try a particular type of story. I'd propose a DCCP or B & B challenge where we ask for team up stories featuring Superman with someone OR Batman with someone. I'll start in case anyone is interested.
I'd like to see a story in which Batman teams up with Nubia.
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Post by johnreiter902 on Jun 27, 2020 13:13:02 GMT
If anyone wants to work on one of the story ideas I listed, they are welcome to. It will take me a while to work through them, and I'd be happy to see a talented writer take them up.
For example, I'd really like to see my idea where Johnny Witts forms a teams custom-designed to defeat the JLA in print. I carefully picked out the perfect villain in the pre-crisis comics to neutralize each of the original 10 Leaguers (although, for continuity sake, the plot might have to be modified)
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Post by DocQuantum on Jul 13, 2020 18:39:19 GMT
So I figured out a trick that works for me to start writing again. I stopped following news and politics, and got off social media. I also started rereading some of our stories, which gave me some ideas. Seems to work so far!
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Post by johnreiter902 on Jul 14, 2020 12:50:30 GMT
One think I have found is, I need to write what I'm interested in. Trying to make myself work on stories I no longer care about doesn't work.
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Post by DocQuantum on Jul 14, 2020 15:19:48 GMT
One think I have found is, I need to write what I'm interested in. Trying to make myself work on stories I no longer care about doesn't work. Yeah, I have been in that situation a lot. The only way I found to continue a story like that was to make it interesting to myself again by throwing in an unexpected twist or something. |
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Post by redsycorax on Jul 18, 2020 3:29:17 GMT
Try a crossover and try to find inspiration from your local environment and context. Given the universality of Covid-19, I started watching the first episode of Stephen King's "The Stand" and started to wonder what would have if I merged that universe with the JLA's one. It doesn't have to be that one. Let your inspiration take over and then get started. Or try song lyrics, anything that gets your urges reactivated.
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