Screenwriting : Writer’s block by Allison Caldwell

The easy answer is to write every day even if you don't feel like it.

If you don't feel like writing, edit. You'd be amazed that once you start doing that the creative locomotive gathers steam :)

Allison Caldwell Reading a novel or watching a good film always gets me going. And then, there's chocolate :-).

Allison Caldwell If I ever get writer's block, I switch projects, rest, or free write (writing random scenes). I like writing. That's what motivates me to write every day.

Allison, Sometimes writers block is nothing more than not having a clear goal of what needs to be done in your story. if that feels like the case for you then step back and set one or two goals. Is the structure sound? Perhaps you need to do some research.

Writing down my thoughts helps or watching a movie or a show that I find motivating (it's within the same genre as my film, has good dialogue, etc...), or simply just take a break and trust that time will bring better ideas.

Thanks everyone! Your suggestions are great as well as appreciated! Robin… I love the chocolate suggestion! :)

It all depends on where you are in your story and what's the piece that's blocking you. You know basically how the story plays out so if you're blocked in the middle, work back from the end to see how your characters wind up where they are. Draw diagrams like a game board with different options as to how to win the game. Meditate and picture your story being played out as a movie. What needs to come next and what did you put in your story that serves no purpose? Writer's block is a puzzle that just needs to be solved and you have your entire universe at your disposal to figure it out.

You're welcome, Allison Caldwell.

In your imagination, become a character in that moment in your story. See what (s)he does

I find that re-reading what I've written, especially things I've worked on recently, triggers my imagination. There's something about getting back into the flow.

Interestingly, there is a simple and easy fix to writer's block. The mind---hand connection works in both directions. If the right words are not flying or flowing from your mind to your keystroking hands, simply begin writing or typing any sentences and pay no attention to whether they are right or story-perfect. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain for a moment and just move the control knobs randomly. Doodling works also. It need not be specific.The energy charge will move upward and innervate your mind, and before you know it, you will be back on track.

9.2.2023 Hey AC, taking a 'real' break, going out for a walk and taking in the fresh air clears the way for me. Then I sit back down with a great mood and read the last 2 pages of what I was writing. It draws me right back in and suddenly I am HOME as if I never left! :--)) Cheers mate! Happy Writing! Always Sir Nicholas

You guys rock! I wasn’t expecting this many answers! Big thanks! :)

I do free writing, where I make a commitment with myself to write twenty minutes a day, every day. It doesn't matter what I write. It doesn't matter the quality. It doesn't matter if I delete it when I'm done. So this takes the pressure off, and more often than not the twenty minutes turns into two or three hours.

Writers block is what happens when you haven't plotted, structured your story. When it's all laid out before you (outline, index cards) then you won't have any writers block. So jump back in your story and figure out what's missing, causing the block. Are the characters doing what they're supposed to do? Is there conflict between a number of characters that keeps the story moving forward?

Let it go and come back to it with fresh eyes after a few hours, days or weeks.

I'm a firm believer that writer's block does not actually exist. I think what people refer to as writer's block is always one or more of the following in disguise:

1) Perfectionism - not wanting anything on the page that isn't just the perfect thing to have. It's not that you don't know what to write, it's that you're putting up walls and keeping your current ideas away in hopes "the perfect" idea comes. Screw that! Write what you've got right now. If something better comes along later on you can change it.

2) Laziness - you just don't feel like writing. Other activities sound more fun (like right now I'm typing this out instead of working on a rewrite). Gotta decide to either do the fun thing and forget writing, or bite the bullet and be a writer!

3) Lack of pre-planning - This one is usually for the "pantsers" of the world. If you outline first, it will help so much in seeing a) "the big picture" and b) "what happens next". Do you need to stick 100% to your outline? Of course not. But having one in play as a map is always super-helpful so you don't go off the rails too far into no-man's-land.

4) Too many ideas - Got too many ideas and just can't figure out which one is best? This is the kissing cousin of #1 (Perfectionism). My suggestion here is a) consider each option and do a mini-outline (going back to #3 here) to see what direction each idea takes you in, b) compare and contrast each idea to see what's in line with why you wanted to write this story to begin with, c) if all else fails, just eenie-meanie-miney-moe and go with whichever one. You can always go back and redo things later if another idea was better (again, like #1).

Drink?

I always just do a writing sprint and write whatever comes to mind so I can try to push through it.

Allison Caldwell You bet!

When I did this crap for money I had 90 days to complete a First Draft and two weeks for a rewrite so I didn't have time for writer's block. So once someone knows how to write a screenplay maybe they might think about putting a time limit on themselves to complete a First Draft. You can always fix it during the rewrites.

If you don't want to work on one piece of writing, work on one that is strictly for fun: Write a thoughtful email to your Grandma. Make a list of former lovers. Copy out your favorite song lyrics. Sometimes it's better to outflank the writing before it can mess with your head

Travis Seppala That's a great way of looking at it too. It might just come off as an excuse to avoid writing your story or whatever else you have going on.