There, I said it.
I believe writers stop writing their story for the same reason they stop reading a story: boredom.
- They're bored with where the story is going.
- They're bored with the characters.
- They know where point B is but all the routes are well travelled.
(1) Cut the cliches!
(2) Cut boring characters! Perhaps one problem is you added a character and a subplot that at first seemed interesting but has petered out too quickly. Can you do without him/her?
(3) Cut unneeded scenes! Unless it forwards the plot, you don't need it.
(1) Shed light on your characters. Perhaps there's a secret just waiting to come out. Does a character have a crazy side?
(2) Hand the lamp to a new character for a change in the POV.
(3) Perhaps a VITAL flashback can be illuminated.
(1) Find two characters who can't be in the same room and place them in that situation. Tie them up if you have to. Make your characters squirm.
(2) Explore setting or culture and values. You may need to climb a tree and spy on the natives.
38 comments:
Clarissa - What a great perspective! We always write better when we truly enjoy what we're writing. And if we're bored with our stories, what do we think our readers will feel? No doubt at all, we sometimes have to turn a laser eye on what we're writing...
Thanks, Margot. I appreciate your remarks.
Hey that looks just like my machete.
I'm trying to cut the boredom with my current MS. I'm changing the POV!! Eeeek, hard times ahead.
Or throw everything but the kitchen sink into the story and watch chaos ensue!
A machete! That's what I was missing! ;)
I think you've read an earlier version of my WIP :)
All those things. Every one of them. The sucker is finally shaping up, but it took a while.
Great post. I'm bookmarking it.
That's is very enlightening! Sometimes though, it's just impossible to concentrate (or most of the time for me).
I agree that boredom is a major problem and causes a lot of what people call 'writer's block'. But I disagree with your belief that there's no such thing as writers block.
Jai
This always seems to happen to me. I start off with a good idea and a good story, fun characters and for some reason all the excitement fizzles out when I hit a snag. Thanks for these great tools to overcome that.
I couldn't agree with you more. I don't suffer from writer's block, but there are periods when I do not write. Could be that I really am bored with what I'm doing.
Like that bit about spying on the natives. I need to get some of that going on as with my current story, I have comments that people want to see more of the landscape.
Ah, someone is in the mood for cutting today :)
haha fantastic post...and so true!
Great post, Clarissa. I'm off to apply the lamp to my WIP! Hopefully it will sort out my problem.
Great tips for carving out a new path! I think as writers we get stuck (and bored), but I don't think we need to let it block us. It's a great place for new exploration!
Off I go to get my rope, machete and lamp!! Yay!!!! From now on I shall attempt to be Indiana "Old Kitty" Jones when faced with a blank word doc page!! Yay!! take care
x
Hi Clarissa - just tried to get to your post re:commenting forms and it told me you didn't exist... eek! hope blogger isn't playing silly sausageses!
Lx
I love the analogies! I suffer more from I know what needs to happen but I'm not sure what angle to write it from syndrome.
I agree about writers block... I can usually think of something to write... it's just that I get distracted.
I'm totally with you on this. "Writer's Block" is just your muse's way of saying you're on the wrong track.
I'm amazed at how many books and articles are spent on this subject. So many of us have the opposite problem--so many ideas and so little time.
"Blocked" writers should also consider the possibility they're in the wrong medium. I had a "blocked writer" friend who got so frustrated, she went took a painting class. She turned out to be a much better painter than writer--and she's selling her work all over the place.
I totally agree with you - if I ever stop writing a story, it's not because my creativity has died... it's because I'm bored. :D
Great post! It's so true that the feeling of boredom overtakes me when writing. Usually, it's when I'm a mere 2,000 words from my goal. I think I have "parting" issues. :P
I have three projects suffering writers boredom; and two of those are just short stories.
I need lots of light . .
..........dhole
Great metaphors. :)
I can't say whether I believe in Writer's Block or not. But the things you've pointed out are a great way to make any MS better.
FANTASTIC POST, C! I love it. I especially like the part about tying two characters together who don't care for each other... I"m SO going to do that next time I sit down... LOVE it! :D
P.S.
I totally agree. Writers block = writer's boredom~ <3
ok! I'll try some of those
Great advice, writing's too hard to waste it on a project you don't love. Will employ a machete for my next piece :)
Wagging Tales - Blog for Writers
I don't quite agree.
Occasionally I have had moments when nothing came.
And I write books from multi-perspectives and at least somewhat non-linear. So bored with my writing is not something I've ever experienced.
I agree. There is so much to write about. Move to another character. Or perform research on something. Even outline a new story, then come back to the WIP.
Given the pictures I see I can tell that someone writes mysteries!
I think you're right about boredom--that's why I work on at least 3 projects at once.
LOVE this post. I don't believe in writer's block, either, but I probably couldn't write the post as eloquently as you!
Hi, I really enjoy reading your blog and would like to pass along The Lovely Blog Award.
Cordially,
Bella Vida by Letty
Yes, I think boredom is a much better word to describe things than block. I am having a mild case of the boredoms these days. Time to do something different.
Boring characters are, well, boring. Make them greedy. Do dastardly things to other characters. Then kill them off. That's my motto.
hi miss clarissa! wow! thats a cool post for sure. its like dont just sit there looking at your ms. do something! and you got a lot of good somethings we could do to get it going again.
...hugs from lenny
all excellent tips, Clarissa. Thanks: this offers new perspective on writing in general.
I agree with you. I know I stop writing and painting because I get bored with it; and only really come back to it when I know it needs to be finished and it's crunch-time. Sometimes, I get struggling to pin-point a way to start, but not half-way through! And what do they say? A writer's best friend is a distraction. Time to cut it out, but not with the machete :)
I really like the ideas with the lamp! Especially about handing the light to a new character for a fresh or different POV. I'm going to try that, thanks!
-Jen
Interesting I like your theory of why you don't believe that their is a writer's block... I am a painter, wonder if that is the same reason I get blocked on my painting.
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