The New Intimacy

#Eden Lit Club Meeting - Writer's Block! February 11, 2013 at 4pm EST

Skip to last post
Set alerts
Updates
Forum search
Contributor: Lickable Lollie Lickable Lollie
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
I always advise people who ask about how to write longer works that having a clear outline of what you want to say, when you want to say it and how the flow might look allows you to write in non-chronological order easily. I have a background in ... more
I'm always afraid to do that. I'm too afraid that I won't make any sense if I write in a different order than the way it's intended to read.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
For me it's the latter (ill received). The things I like to write about are extremely abstract and aren't based on the observations of scientists but more of what I feel in my own soul in regards to why we're here, what we're doing, ... more
Then again it also allows the widest possible range of people to find and take away something individual from your work. Look at our story starts, each of us looks at a set of words and takes something totally different from it all.

The flying zombie giraffes, for example, Some authors took a sense of hope and wove it in to the story...I took it totally dark and ended on a note that left it to be assumed that the character was changing and becoming part of this new world. It totally shocked Sigel, intrigued Arch and showed that I DO have the ability to write truly gothic horror!
02/11/2013
Contributor: Rayne Millaray Rayne Millaray
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
I always advise people who ask about how to write longer works that having a clear outline of what you want to say, when you want to say it and how the flow might look allows you to write in non-chronological order easily. I have a background in ... more
I never get around to finishing stories I start with an outline when we're talking about fiction. I rarely ever write anything start to finish. Like SneakersandPearls, some crazy dialogue will pop into my head, and I'll build the story around that. Or I'll find some great location with M, and start imagining neat pretend back-stories.
02/11/2013
Contributor: SneakersAndPearls SneakersAndPearls
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
Then again it also allows the widest possible range of people to find and take away something individual from your work. Look at our story starts, each of us looks at a set of words and takes something totally different from it all.

The flying ... more
And angry squirrels. Don't forget the angry squirrels.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Rayne Millaray
M does technical writing and was completely blocked a week or so ago because he was petrified that it wouldn't be what the customer was looking for, or wouldn't be good enough. I think that has a lot to do with it. Fear of not being ... more
That is a good point as well. Some people need to be stress free or maybe they convince themselves that this is the case? Sort of a body memory of how "easy" the ideas seemed to flow when they were stress free? It's a thought, right?

"The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair."
~Mary Heaton Vorse

Do you agree or disagree? Could it be as simple as just sitting down and writing?
02/11/2013
Contributor: SneakersAndPearls SneakersAndPearls
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
That is a good point as well. Some people need to be stress free or maybe they convince themselves that this is the case? Sort of a body memory of how "easy" the ideas seemed to flow when they were stress free? It's a thought, ... more
It depends on whether or not your issue is procrastination, which from my understanding, is a chronic illness with authors.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Lickable Lollie Lickable Lollie
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
That is a good point as well. Some people need to be stress free or maybe they convince themselves that this is the case? Sort of a body memory of how "easy" the ideas seemed to flow when they were stress free? It's a thought, ... more
Sometimes it's that simple for me...but not always. Usually, if I can sit myself down in a room by myself with no distractions, I can write and write until I don't want to anymore. Then I usually don't write again for a few months. Lol
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Rayne Millaray
Yes, definitely. With SexIs, I've found that the more I coddle a writer, the less I get from them. On the flip side, though, being too tough can run them off. Like pretty much everything, you've gotta find middle ground.
Some authors cannot take criticism no matter how well intentioned or gently given....hell's bells some of them see criticism even when you are giving praise! I think sometimes you have to simply check your ego at the door when you turn loose of a piece of writing. It's super hard though, I still get all butt hurt when someone tells me my reviews are only "somewhat" useful. I haz terrible big ego!
02/11/2013
Contributor: Rayne Millaray Rayne Millaray
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
That is a good point as well. Some people need to be stress free or maybe they convince themselves that this is the case? Sort of a body memory of how "easy" the ideas seemed to flow when they were stress free? It's a thought, ... more
LOL! In some cases, it is totally about just sitting down and writing. There have been plenty of times I've wandered the house doing chores, freaking out about what I could possibly turn in, only to find all I had to do was put my hands on the keyboard.
02/11/2013
Contributor: SneakersAndPearls SneakersAndPearls
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
Some authors cannot take criticism no matter how well intentioned or gently given....hell's bells some of them see criticism even when you are giving praise! I think sometimes you have to simply check your ego at the door when you turn loose of a ... more
I don't know what you're talking about.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Rayne Millaray Rayne Millaray
Quote:
Originally posted by SneakersAndPearls
It depends on whether or not your issue is procrastination, which from my understanding, is a chronic illness with authors.
I don't know what you're talking about. I never procrastinate.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by SneakersAndPearls
Sometimes just some really great dialog will pop in my head and I'll build a whole store around a few sentences that are too good to lose.
Oh ya I do this constantly....or a single word will pop into my head and in the process of doing the whole, "WTF!!???!!!" process a story will build itself. Gun shot residue was one of those times. I was like, "HUH??" and then a werewolf hunt scenario began to wind it's way down on the page. Isn't it funny how that happens?
02/11/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
Then again it also allows the widest possible range of people to find and take away something individual from your work. Look at our story starts, each of us looks at a set of words and takes something totally different from it all.

The flying ... more
I suppose this is true. Most of the time it ends up in pitchforks and torches.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Lickable Lollie
I'm always afraid to do that. I'm too afraid that I won't make any sense if I write in a different order than the way it's intended to read.
Well honestly, it will take you to a place that you may not have seen at first but will be miles better than what you had envisioned. Sort of like when you meticulously choose a color to paint your walls but the person mixing the color isn't 100% on board. Sometimes it works to make a better look and sometimes it's a disaster. Still, you will be WRITING which is the ultimate goal!
02/11/2013
Contributor: Lickable Lollie Lickable Lollie
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
Well honestly, it will take you to a place that you may not have seen at first but will be miles better than what you had envisioned. Sort of like when you meticulously choose a color to paint your walls but the person mixing the color isn't 100% ... more
I suppose it's productive in the sense that it gets the juices flowing, whether you use the material or not.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Rayne Millaray
I never get around to finishing stories I start with an outline when we're talking about fiction. I rarely ever write anything start to finish. Like SneakersandPearls, some crazy dialogue will pop into my head, and I'll build the story around ... more
LOTS of novels actually start as side steps to the original idea....Stephen King is famous for that! Piers Anthony is another author that constantly has ideas for the next story and the next...
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by SneakersAndPearls
And angry squirrels. Don't forget the angry squirrels.
Angry criminally insane squirrels....and those are in THIS world! LOL
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by SneakersAndPearls
It depends on whether or not your issue is procrastination, which from my understanding, is a chronic illness with authors.
It is certainly epic in proportions!
02/11/2013
Contributor: Rayne Millaray Rayne Millaray
Quote:
Originally posted by Lickable Lollie
I suppose it's productive in the sense that it gets the juices flowing, whether you use the material or not.
There are tons of authors that have turned out some best sellers from things they started and never finished. It's why I regret losing my old notebooks to fire. There could have been gold there!
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Lickable Lollie
Sometimes it's that simple for me...but not always. Usually, if I can sit myself down in a room by myself with no distractions, I can write and write until I don't want to anymore. Then I usually don't write again for a few months. Lol
Never stop writing because you have run out of ideas. Fill the lacunae of inspiration by tidily copying out what is already written."
~Walter Benjamin

LOL I know he's right but like you I tend to write in fits and bursts.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
I suppose this is true. Most of the time it ends up in pitchforks and torches.
Only if you create a religious leader or a monster....or both in one story. Hmmm there's an idea somewhere in there.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
Only if you create a religious leader or a monster....or both in one story. Hmmm there's an idea somewhere in there.
Wait..those terms aren't interchangeable?
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Lickable Lollie
I suppose it's productive in the sense that it gets the juices flowing, whether you use the material or not.
EXACTLY!! Did you know that even Maya Angelou struggles with this problem?
"What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks ‘the cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat.’ And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I’m writing, I write. And then it’s as if the muse is convinced that I’m serious and says, 'Okay. Okay. I’ll come."
~Maya Angelou

Somehow you kind of get the image that only brilliance comes from some people, ya know? Still if we fill our world with snippits and sentences eventually it's bound to wind itself back to a story.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Rayne Millaray
There are tons of authors that have turned out some best sellers from things they started and never finished. It's why I regret losing my old notebooks to fire. There could have been gold there!
~nods...it's why people love diaries. They offer such a wealth of information about the sort of trivialities that make up most stellar novels.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
Wait..those terms aren't interchangeable?
Very often are it would seem....we are a stunning mix of darkness and light as humans.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
"You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence."
~Octavia Butler

So what happens when you believe that what you are writing is crap? How do you handle how truly awful your writing is? I have a young friend who writes the most god awful poetry on the surface of the pieces but the weird thing is as you read her simple and childish rhymes you begin to see a world of depth and amazing imagery just below the surface. How would you handle that if this was describing you?
02/11/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
Very often are it would seem....we are a stunning mix of darkness and light as humans.
So true. It's just one of those "things" in life. Eh, I've been in deep thoughts enough this month, you'd think I could have pulled something out of my hat by now. I spend a good portion of my time drafting forum posts, writing for pleasure has been a distant memory for awhile now.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Airen Wolf
"You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence."
~Octavia ... more
Well...you see I believe it's more about where the reader is in their life. Which is what ends up blocking me the most. It's like how you love the Ann Rice Sleeping Beauty series and I think it's utter crap and wholly inaccurate. But, as we've discussed before, it has everything to do with who we were at the time we read the works.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
So true. It's just one of those "things" in life. Eh, I've been in deep thoughts enough this month, you'd think I could have pulled something out of my hat by now. I spend a good portion of my time drafting forum posts, writing ... more
Might be time to just sit down and let it all pour out! ...and let me read it...cause I am impossibly nosey.
02/11/2013
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
Well...you see I believe it's more about where the reader is in their life. Which is what ends up blocking me the most. It's like how you love the Ann Rice Sleeping Beauty series and I think it's utter crap and wholly inaccurate. But, as ... more
Oh the series is utter crap but it's like junk food for the eyes....
02/11/2013