Rest in peace creativity, you died so young.

[Whisky in Babylon]

Pretty much what the title says. Its so hard to paint, and write all at the same time, creaitivity can only be spread so much, I often find myself having writers block. listening to music is a great way to get the juices flowing again, but lately even that has been doing nothing.

 

I feel so apathetic and generally un-creative. So its time to share! What helps get your juices flowing? any methods? special little tricks? I'll stand upside down and sing mrs marry mack 12 times before drinking suger water.

 

So where is the slayer of writers block, cause I need a knight in shinning armor!

[Mynx]

Sadly I have no knight to perform your slaying duties, as I have my own writers' block. But there are some tricks I have found to get little works out...

 

Watch/read/listen to something you're not used to experiencing. The change might inspire something, be it an expression of newfound love of opera music or a tirade on the idiocy of the latest book you picked up.

 

Or try experiencing something you know, but in a difference surrounding.

I watched a music video the other day to a song I'd heard many many times and the resulting imagry managed to knock some prose loose.

 

I find it's useful to always keep a notebook and pen handy. I get the strangest thoughts while in classes or at work...

[Ayshela]

sometimes, the only thing that works for me is to force myself to go write that e-mail I'd been putting off because I couldn't find the words, or pop open my journal and start writing - anything, nothing, whatEVER random bits of scattered thoughts run through my head, including writing about how I can't write. Putting myself at the keyboard and pushing something through the frustration, where there isn't an expectation of having something I'd want to post anywhere (but maybe send to Mom because she "gets it" anyway) - for me, that eases up the frustration enough that sitting at the keyboard, or with pen and paper, doesn't *hurt* from frustration anymore.

 

It seems kind of like the trickle of water theory, for me. If I run a little bit through, even though it's not "creative" (because I'm not necessarily creating something I'll want to keep), it's still going through the same types of motions and becoming comfortable with it again. It seems like it cuts a channel through where thoughts can find their way out again.

 

And I second keeping pen and paper handy! For that matter, I have several text messages sent to Ozy that I've kept because there was the germ of an idea in there that I wanted to work with. However it works to record ideas, make sure the means are available!

[Appy]

*nodnodnods at all the good advice*

 

Thirded on always having pen and paper with you. You get some rather strange looks when you suddenly stand still in the middle of the shopping street and start scribbling in a little book, but hey, you can even write about THAT as well then

 

It's different for everyone and for myself I haven't found any solution yet apart from having some life-experience (like that new-found love), but even that only sparked my creativity for a short time. I think Ayshela's idea would work best still.. just DO it.

 

Rambling is a great way to clear the path for the real stuff again .. I should try it as well

[reverie]

1. Write about having writer's block, or writing in general.

 

2. Read anything or watch movies (if on a deadline, read literature whether cannon or contemporary).

 

3. Go out and do something. Live life, that sort of thing.

 

4. Critique other people's work, it's a good way to get ideas.

[Wyvern]

"Nonsssense!"

 

Wyvern dashes into the Cabaret Room with a claw posed dramatically in the air, holding what appears to be a small wooden block with writing on it. The overgrown lizard screeches to an unstable halt between Whisky in Babylon and Mynx, then lowers the square box and points towards it with his other claw.

 

"Fight Writer's Block with a different kinda writer's block." Wyvern winks and dusts off the top of the block-like box, revealing an all-too-familiar product name. "Almost Dragonic Brand Ogre Alphabet Ouija Boards™ - now stamped with the Akashan Library Seal of Illiteracy! This little product provides a GUHreat jump-off point for inssspiration, an UGHressive way to get yourself writing again, and a GHUide book for oHGUre vocabulary. Plus, if you string fifty of'em together, you've got a short story of sortsss right there! You could even submit it to a goblin trade house, I'm sure they'd publish it (last I checked, they ssstill don't read). But don't take my word for it... see what Lady LilacFlame had to say about this product."

 

Wyvern grins and pulls a glowing crystal ball from his tunic. The crowds of creative mourners gather around the ball as it begins replaying a scene from LilacFlame's acceptance in the Recruiter's Office. LilacFlame smiles as she speaks:

 

"Wyvern, I promise to heed what you asked [Cue Wyvern Overbud] and purchase the Almost Dragonic Brand Ogre Alphabet Ouija Board™ today [/End Wyvern Overdub]."

 

Wyvern waves a claw over the crystal ball, pausing it for a moment.

 

"But isss it reliable, you ask?" Wyvern snickers to himself, tapping on the crystal ball. "Lady LilacFlame?"

 

The image of LilacFlame springs back to life, speaking from a few seconds earlier in the scene.

 

"Thanks again Lord Wyvern, you will not be disappointed, I vow."

 

;-p

[Ozymandias]

An interesting one from the movie Finding Forrester: Rewrite someone else's piece; any work you chose, from beginning to end in your own words. Not publishable, of course, but still very useful in circumstances where you alreayd have an idea, but no idea how to say it.

 

My own: Any movie, poem, song, story, any written work (or piece of that written work) that really impressed you with its catchiness in sound, word, message or some mixture of the three to the point that it's one of those things you love to quote, or replay, or rewatch, etc. still with no signs of its appeal wearing out. Just make yourself comfy, and reread/rewatch/repeat/ponder/whatever until you get an idea. Then run with it, no matter how weird or silly it may seem.

 

For best results, reflect on two or more works at the same time. Works best for me when I have NO idea what to write whatsoever.

[The Portrait of Zool]

An excellent book is 'The Artist's Way', by Julia Cameron.

[GeldrinHor]

If all these things don't help (as well as they should, at least) perhaps it is time for the most drastic of measure.

 

Watch "The Music Man" and try to get ALL the words to 76 Trombones!

 

Watching any Gilbert and Sullivan or Rodgers and Hart musicals should help too.

 

Oh...and if it's any consolation....I really don't care for musicals....Lil LOVES em, but I could do without em pretty easily....

 

Oh....I got Lil hooked on "24": last night when I finally got her to sit down and watch the first 4 episodes from Season 1.....now she is like "can we go and get the next two disks?" it was 12:20 am when she uttered these words....LOL.

 

Hey...MAYBE that would work...yeah....get the full Season 1 "24" show and watch ALL the episodes over a two to three day period. VERY distracting and a great mood buster.

 

 

Just doing my part to shatter the great beast, Writer's Block!

 

Your Knight in faded silk, as his armor is too rusty to wear now!

[Merelas]

I've found that the best cure for me personally (while all of the above is great advice) is to re-read some of my old works. Go through all the poetry and prose and history--even old academic essays. If you get an urge, correct some of the errors you find there (for me a work will never ever be finished. No piece will, even when the story is "tied up").

 

And then, once you've gone through all of your old things, read a book.

 

I never desire to converse with a man who has written more than he has read.

–Samuel Johnson.