Does anyone else have those weeks, not days, where writing seems to be less of a hobby and more of an obstacle? I can't seem to write up to 1,000 words anymore much less my standard 2,000 and during the writing process, I scan the letters on the screen, read the words, and delete them all in frustration because they don't make sense anymore, and the constant yellow punctuation alert from Grammarly that keeps popping up every 1-2 paragraphs dissuade me from going further because I know that someone's going to read my chapter and need to re-read it five times just to understand what's happening. How do you live through this? I hardly call this Writer's Block anymore and I doubt I ever had Imposter Syndrome to begin with (this is me of course, calling my works great and inspiring literature which is very far from the truth.)
The "I can't write" stuff SUCKS. I know how it feels, and it's frustrating as hell, because you look at what you have done, and you know you CAN write... Course, this is the point at which I have both my english professors and my drama professors yelling in my ear "THIS IS MATERIAL! FRUSTRATION IS AN EMOTION! USE IT!" I read out loud, edit and try to work out what's frustrating me. Which is why my villain is currently stymied by paperwork and forced to sit through ridiculous speeches by idiots who are just wasting his time. Played for laughs of course. I'm with ya. I know it sucks, and I know it's rough to get through. Things that work for me are just having a SET time to write, not spell or grammar checking until I read it out loud, which helps a lot with flow as well, and overall just taking a look at what makes me happy about writing. So... I know how you're feeling. I've had months where I didn't write a thing because of it. Try not to let it get to you, but if you need to take a break, there's a reason sabbaticals used to be a thing for creative people.
Yeah. The pandemic especially has seen me take a hit to my creativity. Generally once I get into it a scene I can churn out something, but it's not gold. That being said, what you might need is a change as much as a break. Try writing something completely different, or reading an author you haven't read before. Some really prolific writers like to take time off by delving into history or mythology...go on a wikiwalk. "Fill the well," so to speak, and see if any of that stuff sparks your creativity. It won't be automatic, but you might find a change of pace useful.
With the dichotomy of being locked down while simultaneously drowning in work (I work admin within the medical field) my creativity is taking a massive hit. Not nearly enough writing or playing the violin/guitar.
Bend over and I'll get my boots on. No really, try to remember we do this for fun. No point getting stressed about it - thats what the real world is for. Sometimes I sit down and think I don't have anything else to say tonight, I'll just read someone else's stuff instead. Might be worth ditching grammarly if its sapping your confidence though.
When I'm stuck for ideas or inspiration, I find it helps to walk away and clear your head. Do other things and those story ideas can gestate in the back of you head while you're concentrating on something else, then all of a sudden something kinky pops up in your head that you want to write about. Also... having a theme or suggestion helps. It gets you thinking about a particular scenario and gives you something to build from. It could be something as vague as a rainy day and you could end up writing a story about someone coming in from a downpour... maybe a couple of strangers are stranded during a hike and take shelter in an abandoned cabin until the rain lets up. The rains are so heavy that they take out the hiking path and the two are stranded for a while. They have to spend the night together and their clothes are soaking wet... well, you can see where this is leading to I hope. Sasquatch comes in and scares the squatters away. Ok, went on a tangent, but there's plenty of ways to go in a story.
I just want wires attached to my brain that can translate my mental plans into quality writing. I have lots of ideas, but I balk at the execution.
Yeah, there's nobody there to sit there and make you write. If you're really blocked, one thing to try is freewriting - don't try to write the chapter you need to write, just sit down and start typing away at whatever comes in your head - snatches of song, dialogue from a television program, describe an object within line of sight - and keep writing. The point isn't to write great prose or even a coherent narrative, it's just to start churning out a stream of words and maybe that gets you through the block of looking at that white space on the page and you start describing a sex scene, or some dialogue, or the description of a room and you go on from there. [/edit] You can see this in some chapters on Lois Lane's Night Out, where I'll start the page not mid-coitus, but some dream, memory, fantasy scenario, etc. which the person is having, and then I slowly bring that back down to the "now" in the narrative and the pace picks up again. Those little "breathers" are often my mental breather as I get myself in the right mood to write the actual sex or dialogue.
One of my biggest problems is that I don't live alone. When I get in "the mood" to write, then any distraction can pull me out of it and I'll completely lose my mojo for the night.
Try to get down 500 words in 15 minutes. Once you have that down, you expand or let it sit and take care of other things while the words can run through your head and you generate more ideas for them. Start small and work from there and it won't feel as daunting as having to write a whole chapter in one sitting.
