Writing Inspiration

[maeve_of_winter]

 Combating writer's block at the moment. When you're trying to write a certain scene but it's just not working, what do you do?

Comments

[batman]

I plot out what's going to happen with brackets so my stories tend to be littered with [THIS GOES HERE] and then [AND THEN THESE THINGS HAPPEN IT IS AWESOME] and then I go and fill in each square bracket with prose once I work out what's going there. I also don't write sequentially, so I can jump from scene to scene if necessary. That said, if it's the last scene I either do something else or I power through on the basis that even if it's terrible, it's easier to fix terrible than it is to fix non-existent.

[meridian_rose]

Yes, that's good advice. I'm also a non linear writer and I often have scenes I have to write last :) I've heard the [BRACKETS] method before and I've found when I'm in full flow and can't think of the right word/phrase it does help to write the "wrong" word in ALL CAPS or mark a phrase in bold to fix later.

[maeve_of_winter]

I admire people who can make the brackets method work for them! I've tried it a few times, but having the brackets there distracts me so much that I really can't concentrate on writing.

Writing sequentially ends up boxing me in sometimes. I get stuck in this mindset that I "have to" write scenes in order, and it's always miraculous revelation for me to realize that actually, no I don't. I think sequence might be what's causing my problem at the moment; I'm finding myself bogged down by introductory exposition, and I want to get away from it for a while.

Thanks for the great advice! :)