Shaula Evans at 2013-02-28 20:04:32:
1. Take care of my physical health. Body first, brain second. 2. Address distractions. If I'm stressed about something I can deal with it and go away, my mental function rockets up. Likewise, if other areas of my life are competing for my time, and I get organized and address them, I have a lot more mental energy for writing. 3. Feed my brain. My brain is happy with a lot of input. Watching great films and reading great scripts is the obvious start, but I find any kind of quality writing (especially edited writing, which is becoming harder to find) makes my brain very happy, whether it's fiction or non-fiction, general or specialist, technical or non-technical. And interacting with the world is good input, too. One trip to the farmer's market, for example, and my brain is buzzing for days. 4. Write notes for friends. It tricks my brain into shifting into "screenwriting gear" without any perilous ego investment. Plus I know some brilliant writers so reading what they're doing is always exciting and motivating. 5. If I'm stuck on a specific project, most of the time the problem lies in Prep. If I go back and check I've skipped something in the prep stage that's causing me trouble in Pages. So I go back to Prep, make sure I've covered my bases, fill in any gaps, and voila: unlocked writer. 6. Hang out with brilliant people. I don't get to do this in "real life" very much, but I find hanging out with brilliant writers, even in online spaces, is really motivating and energizing for me. That's why I love the comments here at GITS and why I'm so grateful to the participants at the GOYOQ Forums (where you are very welcome, btw). Hearing about other people's travails makes me feel less alone, hearing about their successes makes me feel like writing is possible, and helping to troubleshoot their immediate writing problems and challenges makes me feel like I have something to contribute and tricks my brain into screenwriting gear, too.
matthewlaunder at 2013-02-28 20:20:28:
Ah, the timeless scribe-haunt of writer's block. It comes to us in the form of blank and/or crappy pages. Firstly, I apologize this is so long, but I feel it's a great method to overcome the emotional disconnect and lack of productivity when it comes to writing. As far as I know, there is no cure-all remedy for a loss in creative energy. So what I've done in the past is identified which type of block I'm experiencing. And if my methods help even one fellow writer who's reading this, I've bettered the world today. Here are my diagnoses and remedies: 1. "Blank Page Block" -- We've all been there, staring at the lonely blinking cursor on what seems like an infinite sea of white. If you're struggling with how to start/continue your story or script, read remedy "A". (If you're struggling with something else, proceed to #2.) A) I remember a story conference with Pixar Director Andrew Stanton where he said, "I want to fail as quickly as possible." In the same conference, Brad Bird tells an anecdote about Gower Champion, the theatre and film director of the 1930s, who walked into a theatre to see the cast just standing around on the stage, and the choreographer sitting in the second row with his head in his hands. Gower walks up and asks, “What’s going on?” “I just don’t know what to do next”, the choreographer hopelessly replies. Gower immediately barked, “Well do something, so we can change it!”. Sometimes you just have do something, so you can change it. 2. "Distraction Block" -- In a world of Twitter, blogs, news, cellphones, and endless OnDemand content, it's never been easier for writers to find distractions, thus blocking us from actually writing. If physical distractions are keeping you from writing, you need to honestly ask yourself if it's because of the distraction or because you aren't motivated and invested in your story. If physical distractions (ie: Facebook, Twitter, internet, the kitchen, etc.) are what's blocking you, read remedy "B". (If you're seeking out distractions because you're not invested, read #3.) B) Screenwriter Jordon Roberts said that he "can only write in hotel surroundings. I like isolation, I like loneliness, and there's nothing lonelier than a hotel. When I'm lonely, I write more intimately. I need to be away from everything, including family and friends, so that I'm so desperate I will actually bother to write." If I'm not mistaken, I believe John August has said that he prefers hotels for writing, too. Find your "hotel". It might be a hike, it might be a drive, a walk, a cafe, etc. 3. "Emotional Block" -- This one can be touchy, because I feel like it's criticizing someone's child. If you've got an idea, story, or outline, whether you're on page two or one hundred, and you can't seem to get through it, or you hate it, then maybe you're not invested. And in all honesty, you might just have to shelve it and come up with a story that means something to you or that you can write. I was eighty pages into an idea and script I really, really love -- and will still finish -- but there was another story that was eating away at me, so I hit "File", "New". If you're madly in love with your story but stuck, read remedy "C". C) I believe that Joe Eszterhas and Aaron Sorkin both say that if they're stuck somewhere in the script, it's because something isn't working; and they delete it all and start over from the beginning. I personally love this method because if page 60 isn't working, it's because something was wrong on pages 1-59. And rewriting the whole thing is a little like calibrating the Millennium Falcon for the jump to hyperspace -- get the setup and the calculations right so you don't crash into a star system somewhere down the line. 4. "The Writer's Block" -- Sometimes there's just nothing we can do. ***From Joe Eszterhas's book, "The Devil's Guide to Hollwood", he writes that his wife bought him a heavy rock at an art fair that had the words "Writer's Block" on it, and he kept it on his writing desk. One day, while blocked on a script, he slammed his fist onto his desk and knocked the Writer's Block off -- it landed on his big toe and broke it. After a trip to the doctor's office, he hobbled back to his desk, sat down, and was miraculously unblocked. I don't have a remedy for that one... "Nobody knows anything." -- William Goldman
matthewlaunder at 2013-02-28 20:27:24:
Well said, Shaula!
Shaula Evans at 2013-02-28 20:30:38:
Likewise, Matthew. I'm bookmarking your comment. :)
Désirée N at 2013-03-01 04:42:46:
I think every creative person gets dips - or pits - in their creativity from time to time. First of all I think it is important to keep the confidence up and know that the urge to write will return. Know that this dip does not make you a worse writer. Then I belive it is important to be creative in some way anyway. If you don't feel like writing, write anyway for good measure, but also try something else, learn something new. I learned to make my own paper and create note books with them once. Think of it as a field in lay-land, left to rest and let what ever sprout grow. Thrive in some direction that makes you grow and feel better. One day, you will be back writing better than ever.
Aarthi Ramanathan at 2013-03-01 04:47:02:
actually that writer's table interview on the blog is a good reference for this. What they recommended in simple terms was, if you are not feeling it: 1. Go take a shower 2. Distraction! Watch a movie/read a screenplay 3. Remember, it is a job! Your job! People with jobs take breaks, but ultimately you just have to keep going. 4. wake up really early in the morning. Note: I am able to easily quote all these because I have been trying all of these - and so far it works really well and I have seen improvement in my own writing methods. Especially if I am stuck on anything, I wake up fairly early and usually I have a solution. Good luck!
Aarthi Ramanathan at 2013-03-01 05:21:06:
and forgot to add: this is something I have been doing for the last month or so: 5. Have multiple projects going. So that if you are stuck on one, say, you distract yourself prepping another one. Eventually it becomes like clockwork. Tearing yourself away from that project will ultimately help you find your way back.
Romeo at 2013-03-01 08:06:46:
(1) What works for others may not be effective for you. (2) As you heed the various suggestions, use this moment to LEARN something about your own psychological makeup. (3) PAY ATTENTION to what helps and what doesn't. (4) This is how we humans grow..."know thyself" should probably be changed to "knowING thyself".!