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How do you deal with writer's block?

twilitfalchion

and thus comes the end of an era
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This has been on my mind recently since I haven't really been able to think of a way to get around it. It's a simple question, really, but writers of ZD, how do you typically overcome writer's block? Is there something specific that you do that helps, or do you just do something else until inspiration comes, etc.?
 

Echolight

❤️ love yourself ❤️
ZD Champion
I struggle with writers block as well. I’m not very good at overcoming it, most of the time I’ll wait long enough until I get a spurt of inspiration and write for a few hours. But it’s random. If I want inspiration immediately, sometimes I’ll play a scene from whatever I’m writing currently in my head and write down what I thought. Or I’ll write an outline of a scene, and then my inspiration gets flowing, so I then write it more detailed. While you wait for your inspiration, you can deepen your characters’ personalities and backstories, that might even get you itching to start writing.

If I want to come up with a story to write that’s fresh and new, I use a word generator. I, myself, use an adjective generator specifically. Take a few words and come up with a story that combines them all successfully. The stories don’t have to be long, it can be only a couple pages even. It’s a good way to get my inspiration flowing for me. It’s also a great writing workout.

That’s pretty much it for me. I hope you can find your inspiration soon! I know it sucks. Your writing is great, by the way. <3
 
If I'm finding it difficult to write I usually put the idea of writing out of my head entirely. I find dwelling on it makes it way worse and the you end up trying to force something and it comes out bad.

I just try to unwind, I find reading helps because it gets your brain focusing on words and you bring your own emotion to them as you read them. Hearing the words in my head gets the narrator flow going in my head and it usually sorts my block out.
 

GrooseIsLoose

Slickest pompadour in town
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Aug 16, 2019
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Skyloft
As a person not having English as primary language, I get that a lot. Sometimes my writing seems that like that of 5 year olds'. Not only that, I find it difficult to write about a given theme in a given time.

I do have a solution, or rather a suggestion. Try to write about what you admire the most. Everyone admires themselves the most. Try writing about yourself or a story that features you as the mc. Or correlate a fictional character that's similar to you and try writing a fanfic about them.
 

Spiritual Mask Salesman

CHIMer Dragonborn
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I write. For me writer's block restricts me from writing anything at all because I feel like nothing I'm writing is good enough. The best way to combat that is to do what I feel like I can't do well enough in that moment: write. Usually doing a free write gets me into a writing state of mind, and even if I won't be sharing what I wrote, I at least wrote something which is a victory in of itself.

Another tactic I use is walking away from the piece if I've made progress but can't seem to continue on from what I already wrote. Step away for a few hours, do stuff to get your mind off it, and return with a freash mind, and new perspectives. Usually that helps me find a way to progress, because I'm making new connections that I wouldn't have made if I'd stayed glued to the piece for all that time.
 
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I found pacing around a room helps me concentrate better then anything. I find it easiest when I'm at work waiting for a customer to show up and I can just pace around all day thinking about all sorts of ideas for my story.
 

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