Screenwriting : Writers block by Rachel Odonnell

Usually I either move to another project, or I procrastinate until my inspiration comes back.

what do you mean a puzzel?

You might want to check out this S32 blog post :) https://www.stage32.com/blog/The-7-Step-Process-for-Busting-the-Myth-of-...

Give it time.

FOOL-PROOF SOLUTION: Ask yourself questions about the world within which you are writing. For example: 1) What does the antagonist want? What is his/her/their story? 2) Who are the protagonist's friends/family outside the story? 3) What would life be like for ordinary people within the world you've created? 4) What is the protagonist doing when he/she is not involved in the action of the story? 5) What are the side characters doing when THEY'RE not involved in the action of the story? 6) What are the protagonist's/antagonist's/side character's/love interest's favorite TV shows, movies, foods, sports, games, etc. etc. etc. When you start asking yourself random questions about the world and the characters, the story will write itself, guaranteed.

Exercise your mind by writing whatever. No matter how awful the writing or story is. Writing and sometimes reading, awaken your flare that has been dormant. Review and scribble down faint ideas as they come. You dont know where it will begin or what is your next big story.

Write.

Writer's block can mean you have a lack of passion for the current project. This could be your cue to tear it up and start fresh with something else.

I've never had a writer's block. I just keep on writing, even when I don't know where I am going with my story. Next day I will end up crossing out or rewriting everything. You'd hear me curse at myself for writing so much crap :), but it does bring me closer to my story, because at least I know what not to do anymore. And I get to know my characters better. That's how I overcome the writer's block. I hope you'll find your way. ;)

means you don't care or don't know your story. And that's okay. Writing is just a job. There will be great, good, average and crap jobs.

Workout, go for a run, watch a movie, open a bottle of wine, hang out with friends...Anything that relaxes and frees up the mind.

Just sit down and write crap. After a while, it'll stop being crap. (Jack London once put it more eloquently: "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.")

I switch projects and write something else

Do something else. Stop chasing the story and focus your energies on other aspects of life until the story comes back to you.

Sit down and write stream of consciousness. It can be shit shit shit crap crap crap but do not stop your pen or typewriter. A great book I read was "The Artist's Way" by Julie Cameron. I first read it fifteen years ago, it did wonders to open me up creatively. I also believe in what both Richard and Eric suggest. Work it! Happy writing!

Play "how would this be a movie?" with the days occurrences. That's always fun.

Drink. Haha no but seriously........... Actually a good exercise is to "cleanse your id". If you have writers block it's probably because you have some nagging thought or idea... just get it out. Write whatever comes to mind. It doesn't have to make sense, it doesn't have to be good, just purge yourself of thoughts so you can concentrate. And meditate. And drink.

I get in my car, plug my phone into the car auxiliary and then drive around LISTENING TO (not watching, safety first) great dialogue movies on Netflix. When you only listen to the words it helps you focus. Then I eventually get an idea and drive home to write.

I really dig Chuck Wendig's thoughts on this subject: "I do not believe in writer’s block. I believe it shares the same intellectual space as the bogeyman in your closet, as the serial killer under the bed. The more you fear it, the more it gains power." The full piece is worth a read: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2011/07/19/25-ways-to-defeat-the-dreaded...

Matt- ever wonder why there's only one "o" in bogeyman? Bogeyman sounds like a bad golfer. Why isn't it boogeyman? And boogieman would be KC of the sunshine band.

Depends, I often find quite usefull to just pace around, back and forth thinking and talking to myself about whatever. I was actually just doing that a few minutes ago!

Hit myself in the head with a hammer until it dislodges the block.

snack, pace, dance, do something to turn the brain off so whatever is going on up there can percolate and let you look at your piece with fresh eyes when inspiration hits or you sit down to write again. taking walk is up there too

You can exercise, brainstorm other possible projects, watch other movies/tv for ideas, do research on another project, try reading a screenwriting book, do some writing exercises or just attack that beast and start writing. Don't worry if you can't get it perfect, you can always edit and improve later on. Best wishes.

In my opinion, writers block is just fear talking. You have to push through it. I have a tendency to get "scared" when I'm close to finishing a script and will find a myriad of reasons to avoid working on it. The only solution is to force myself to sit down with it and plow on through. And since I have a freelance business, if I don't write I don't get paid. Deadlines are a good motivator.

Exercise, Change scenery, reevaluate outlines.To me, writer's block is my brain's way of saying 'you messed up in the outline/development phase- go back and try again'. By the time I get to actually writing the dialogue, the story should flow fairly well.

We had a good blog about this: https://www.stage32.com/blog/The-7-Step-Process-for-Busting-the-Myth-of-...

Saw a video recently how Hemmingway stood apart from this affliction. When he wrote he always left off with an idea for the next step in his bank. That’s is he never wrote mercilessly until his ideas were exhausted. Then when he picked upo his writing the next day he always had something to write and a place to go. I’ve used that and it does work.