Screenwriting : Writer's block by Adrian-Asia Petty

Adrian-Asia Petty

Writer's block

In another group, someone asked what to do if you have a case of "writer's block". I caused a bit of a ruckus in replying that if you can write garbage, then you will never have a case of "writer's block". Garbage can be edited and refined, a blank page cannot. To me, discipline is more important than inspiration.

Just interested in different perspectives.

Doug Nelson

Basically I agree with you that there is really such a thing as 'writer's block' - there are lots of self imposed notions than halt a writer's momentum. I prefer inspired determination and discipline. Just my pov.

Craig D Griffiths

I have several projects going at once. So I can jump between them. Yes writing anything can work. So can not writing. Some times you need to live life and refill the experience tank.

Martha Caprarotta

Agree with Barry John Terblanche . Make sure you have a valid story before you start writing. Then you won't be wasting your time. Start with a good logline and then synopsis and then possibly an outline as well. Then your initial "garbage" draft can be revised and shouldn't need a complete overhaul or to be tossed out.

Eoin O'Sullivan

No such thing as writers block (unless that's a type of SPF sunblock, just for writers?), just lack of a clear story outline

Craig D Griffiths

I have to disagree Eoin. I don’t think they are talking getting over a problem in anyone particular story. I think it is the inability to write anything, including the outline you mentioned. I haven’t suffered it. But my brother a brilliant writer, stopped writing for a few years. Didn’t perform (he was a stand up comedian) or doing anything. He got a job and stop creative work for years. Then one day he started again.

For the longest time he couldn’t see value in a single thing he thought or wrote. During that time he also nearly drank himself to death (who said men can’t multitask).

CJ Walley

Writers block (if you believe in it) is simply a failure within the process. It's the result of a writer creating their own obstacles and lacking the awareness on how to get around them. Any writer who's going into blank pages without a process is going to struggle, simply because of the amount of pressure they are putting on themselves.

Eoin O'Sullivan

Craig D Griffiths

Sorry to hear about your brother's issues, but, respectfully, you're conflating two separate issues, into one. If somebody is struggling with mental health, or any other issues that are unaddressed, then any task, be it writing, or any endeavor will seem impossible.

In relation to the notion of 'writer's block' - this is something that gets overly romanticised - the modern equivalent of someone sitting quill in hand, wistfully trying to come up with an idea, but unable to proceed. As CJ mentioned, it boils down to craft and process. If you have a story, understand the craft of getting that on the page, and have a process map to follow, the writing and creativity will follow. If you sit down to face a blank page or screen, under some misassumption that you can crank out pages at will, you'll run into all kinds of trouble; roadblocks, writer's block and driven around the block.

I've never heard of mathematians or physicists' block . .

Joleene DesRosiers

I don't know that I believe it in. Sure, I've had times where the scene "fizzles" out. In that case, I don't think I'm blocked. I just think it's time to go downstairs for a snack, or outside with the dog, or anything else that moves me away. When I come back to it, I've figured something out and I'm good.

Dan MaxXx

Writer's block is the same as pro athletes having performance slumps: Baseball players hitting below career averages, NBA players shooting below career percentages. These are professional jobs. Everyone goes through ups and downs.

Evelyne Gauthier

There are many causes to writer's block and in my opinion, there's several types of writer's blocks. And it is not so uncommon. In fact, some neurologists have studied the phenomenon. Most of the time, it comes from the writers themselves. It can be caused by the pressure we put on ourselves, but personal tragedy can also ruin your creativity. If your standards are pretty low and you "write garbage" as you say, maybe you won't experience it. But the fact that you don't have that problem doesn't necessarily mean that you are writing garbage. I have experienced it and I know many colleagues who did to. I believe you need to keep your goal in mind to keep being motivated.

CJ Walley

Look at Story Structure, Scene Structure, and Character Development to get you out of a hole. If you use a good development process, you should be wondering how you're going to pack so much into only 90-120pp. I've included some worksheets in those links that will help spark ideas.

Producers need writers who are overflowing with ideas and able to implement them fast. Like, we're shooting in 5mins fast. Bad ideas are fine. Reductive ideas are fine. Needing to think things out is fine. Being out of ideas and freezing while waiting for inspiration to materialise out of thin air is an issue.

This is all bolstered by living a life packed with creative inspiration which means consuming art and entertainment plus constantly trying new things.

Sorry if that sounds a little curt but the life of working artists is often projected in fiction as something much more romantic than it really is. Lots of moving to a remote cabin to spew out multiple butcher's rolls of inspired prose and perfectly timed eureka moments. I think it was Tony Gilroy who said in an interview that his "office" is usually a random hotel room. That said, the pace of speculative work is up to the individual.

Adrian-Asia Petty

Evelyne Gauthier: I do write garbage on the regular, in fact. I disagree that it means that "my standards are pretty low". It just means that I find it more important to keep the creative process flowing instead of complaining about it online while waiting for some magical muse to strike me with inspiration.

Often times, that "garbage" is not really garbage at all. Stephen King threw a story in the garbage that he hated and couldn't sell. His wife picked it out and helped him refine it. That story was "Carrie".

The actual garbage never sees the light of day. It's just a process to refine get to the good stuff. And even then, I will let much of that sit in favor of the excellent stuff. Quite honestly, I have pretty exacting and rigid standards that I set for myself. If one doesn't have high standards, then there's really no need to call yourself a writer or attempt to get in this business.

Adrian-Asia Petty

FYI: I'm really appreciating the flow of various perspectives, everyone. ;)

Evelyne Gauthier

Haaaaa... I misunderstood what you meant by "garbage". I totally agree. I think we should never throw away what we write, even when we are not satisfied. We never know how things will turn out. I also read that story about Stephen King. :) And you're right, that conversation is quite interesting.

Lori Jones

When I get writers block, I take time out to let the scene or dialog come to me. AKA something is not working so don't force it. What does work is running or hiking until the answers reveal themselves. I guess you could say, I let my subconscious do the rewriting so I'm more inspiration than discipline. And to everyone's point, I never delete anything I've written that doesn't end up working out. It goes in a dialog, scene or character folder.

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