This is one of a couple upcoming guest posts, from the great @ReynardCity! Check him out, and check out the Reynard City comic! I'll be posting over there some time soon, too!
Breaking Writer’s Block
In some
ways I blame movies. Usually movies depict writers furiously staring at
typewriters or with waste paper baskets full of rejected prose. They then have
some kind of moment of inspiration, usually from a moment of pain or joy that
occurs in their personal life.
This is
understandable, as essentially stories tend to be about drama and conflict.
However we don’t tend to think of this with other jobs. If you’re a carpenter
nobody thinks you build tables in a moment of furious creativity. As boring as
it is, working on your “craft” is not just something people say in interviews.
I don’t
want to say blocks don’t exist. They do exist and they often come in distinct
categories. I will go over common problems and offer possible solutions. Like
studying for an exam, it’s up to you to find something that works for you, but
most of these will work at some point…
“I want to write but I don’t know what to
write”
Strangely
enough this is probably the one I’ve least come across. Most people have ideas
it’s just they’re not always sure what to do with them. If you are at this
point, think about the things you like. If you like comedy, then write comedy.
If you want to write about your life, write about your life.
I think the
mistake people sometimes make is taking “Write what you know” too literally.
You can take elements of real life and apply them to fiction. I don’t want to
be too indulgent or self referential but there are moments of my life or
elements of people I know in Reynard City.
One of the
key things is to have something to note ideas down wherever you are. It could
be a simple “What if?” or even a sentence. Generally I find the best ones will
keep coming back and won’t go out of your head.
A good
exercise for this is a brain storm. Put a word in the middle of a spider
diagram (eg “sitcom”) and branch out words associated with it (eg “family”,
“misunderstanding” etc) Don’t worry if you think the words aren’t “relevant”.
It’s all part of the process.
“I want to write a novel/poem/sketch and it’s
not working”
This is
almost the opposite of not having an idea. This is where you love a concept but
you immediately decide it needs to be a certain thing. However ideas are not
always concrete.
If your
novel isn’t working, consider trying it as a short story, a comedy sketch or a
monologue. Ideas can change form over time, sometimes fusing with other ideas.
In other cases, sometimes they need to be separated. For example I recently
made two sketches separated from one that I wrote because the two halves had
such ludicrous contrast (one was about a husband and wife, the other about a
henchwoman reporting to a villain)
“I want to write but I can’t get started/don’t
want to/am tired”
As boring
as it is, the solution to this one is often routine. There are so many
distractions to writing that it can be easy to forget what you were meant to be
doing. This is why you need to establish what you do in a day.
I’m lucky
because a number of family members are self employed. This means there is no
boss telling you what to do so you need to do it for yourself. Essentially you
need to create a working day.
You may say
“I’ll write a chapter a day/3000 words etc”. If that works for you, then good
for you! However in my experience if I get started on something I want to keep
going and personally there is nothing wrong with that.
It is also
equally important to put relaxation into the routine. This may sound
contradictory but I find it means you have points in the day where you can
switch off and not worry. Ironically this is often the time when ideas start
happening.
“How do I know if it’s any good? What if the
person I send it to steals my idea?”
My personal
advice is complete a first draft done as soon as you can. That initial rush is
not something to be afraid of, it tends to be the most fun! However the real
test is what you do after that initial rush.
If you
don’t have anyone around to give feedback then a good trick is to stop writing
for a couple of days. You can then reread your work in a less biased way. It is
important to be as neutral as possible. Always think what you are trying to say
and how the story is constructed and whether it works or not. At this point
“good” or “bad” is irrelevant. It is purely construction.
This is
when you do the next draft. If you are happy with it, now is the time to offer
feedback. With collaborative projects like the comedy society and the comic I
am lucky because I NEED to work with these people, as they will be making these
words come to life, either via art or speech. This is when you know if it
doesn’t work as they’ll usually ask questions.
Don’t be
afraid to ask for feedback. If you are worried about copyright, put a printed
copy of your manuscript in a sealed envelope and sign the date. Post it back to
yourself via recorded delivery so there is evidence of the date (keep hold of
the receipt as well).
Another
good method is to read your work out loud or get someone else to do it. Don’t
make the mistake George Lucas made (“You can type this sh** George but you
can’t say it” moaned Harrison Ford. Then again his sh** made multiple millions,
so it’s your call.)
I don’t
want to sound preachy or that my way is the only way. Some elements will work
better than others. Some people will need snacks and coffee to hand, while
others will keep working until their break time for their sugar/coffee/alcohol
hit. Some people like music in the background, others find it distracting and
want to focus.
What I will
say is don’t let the routine overshadow the work. To do lists are good,
arranging your work into categories and using a fancy highlighter to indicate
what is shopping, work break and writing less so.
Some days
will be harder than others, I won’t lie. On those days this is when you should
go for a walk, read a newspaper, watch a film. If possible read a newspaper you
don’t always buy, watch a film from a genre you wouldn’t normally choose, find
somewhere out of the way that you don’t usually walk to.
There are
also a number of excellent books that help provide you with ideas and
structure. Ones that I have found useful include Writing Down The Bones by
Natalie Goldberg (especially creative exercises), Comedy Writing Secrets (I’m
sorry I forgot the name of the author and lent the copy to my bro, I would look
it up but I have other writing work to do, got to practise what I preach!),
Story by Robert McKee (brilliant for screenwriting structure, especially the
case studies using scenes from classics such as Chinatown and Casablanca) and
The Hero’s Journey by Christopher Vogler (Perfect for character and story
structure).
When
reading these books don’t look for a “formula”. They should be an aid to your
writing, not a crutch. If you include them as part of your routine eventually
you will be able to do your own exercises and will gradually find working
practises that allow you to work at your own pace.
It is also
equally possible (and I include myself in this) that you have work in the day
or night. This is not an excuse. I have worked 50 hours a week in a pub and still
found time for creative work. I have known people who work nights on long
factory shifts so they can raise money to work on creative projects.
In short,
creative writing, art or anything of that nature is not easy. However if you
can find a routine you should be able to get the most from your ideas in the
long term. Good luck!
