I know that I have my personal favorite approaches for combating this thing (writing stream of consciousness-style, running as far away from my computer as I can for a sec, throwing a solid dance party for one), but I'm always on the lookout for more ideas.
What are your go-tos for getting rid of your Writer's Block?
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I love to write in new and even odd places. Not just coffee shops (though I love my haunts) but places I can people watch. I live in Vegas, and many of my scripts take place here so it's like instant inspiration! My favorite place is in the mock St. Mark's square courtyard in the Venetian Shoppes, but I've written in parks, the lobby of the Cosmopolitan, even the airport!
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Stop writing. Talk to people, watch a film, visit someone, do something to give me life to use. Then start writing anything. New script, new treatment.
Boom. idea jumps up in front of me.
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I stock ideas. Let's say I'm working on something right now, but I already have an treatment ready for the next project and an idea cooking in my head for the third one...so by the time I reach to write that idea that's cooking, there will be a couple more in my head....so I never run out of it....basically I work slow.
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I just start writing, without expecting it to be any good. Sometimes it turns into something, other times not, but simply putting words to paper helps. Lately I have also been playing with taking short stories and writing them up as scripts. It seems a good exercise, and frees you from coming up with a plot and characters.
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One of the things that a 'staff' writer soon learns is that you and your muse show up at 8:00 am sharp and start writing. If you don't, there's no paycheck which means that you can't pay the rent or eat. It's the same for every spec (self employed) writer. Enough motivation?
This is all great! Thanks, y'all! And Doug, I feel like that would be far more "motivation" for me to straight up panic as opposed to writing something remotely decent. I admire the heck out of staff writers, Man.
Joanna Penn, one of my favorite writing gurus and the host of The Creative Penn podcast, mentioned in one of her episodes that she keeps a piece of paper tacked up near her computer that says: TRUST EMERGENCE. I love this idea and I've started saying it like a mantra when I feel stuck on a project. It helps me to remember that not all writing happens in front of the computer -- and that sometimes giving your mind time and space to work on the story without your (conscious) interference is not always a bad thing! :)
This is actually harder than it sounds, music isnt just the notes, its also the nothing between the notes. Force yourself to NOT write and wallow in the nothings. Sounds weird but it helped me.
I'm a writers' coach dealing mostly with writer's block situations. Message me and we can chat. I also have free videos coming out soon.
Snowflake method
Never look at a blank page.
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Sometimes writing a random improvised scene with the characters just for fun can bring up some interesting ideas and relax the idea that a scene has to be perfect. Also, music for the screenplay and music my characters listen to to enter their world again. Let your characters surprise you!
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I take a long walk. And always have a notebook with me, because during these walks ideas, plot points, dialogues, scenery come to mind in a very clear way.
But writer’s block is not my biggest problem. It’s the ideas galore I have every time I set a writing goal! So on my phone I have an app dedicated to ideas stacking.
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I've heard adding a layer to a character or looking at one of their traits helps. I never really think about religion for my characters but if I'm stuck I might figure out their religion or a hobby and add a scene. Maybe they love basketball so throw in a pick up game and they learn something from another player that advances the story or maybe they head to church because they hadn't been in a while and have a realization there.
Barry John Terblanche Yes, Snowflake method. Mostly used in novel writing as I know. I don't know if it's said for screenwriting but that's one of my approach to handle writer's block and I think it's known to many writers.. I think every screenwriter know about it. If not they can check it out.
https://www.nownovel.com/blog/understanding-snowflake-method/
I have that approach but with a twist. I see stories like mosaic kr jigsaw puzzle joining or shapes around me in nature. Some are based on Aristotle drama and I try to write snippet of what fits where on a notepad. For example 3 act structure is nothing but Pity Fear and Catharsis in 3 different shapes like Russian doll. Now Pity is a dip shape where we have to write something which makes audience feel empathetic to the character or event or the time. And I write Fear as another shape which is high tide something which fits that Pity and what one liner can it define to counter the already set mood.. And catharsis like another shape of joining the two inside of it which safeguard both moods and sort of hides them
So similarly I got many shapes I draw before really sitting to write down as full script outline. Till then for me its all jigsaw puzzle I am creating which comes to my thoughts intermittently as I write it down in a Snowflake method. I can show my drawing of Story pics but I think. Everyone have their own approach and surely they will figure it out their own style . I think trying to figure out their own keeps their writing unique and effective