@Everyone in my

Chatterbox: Blab About Books

Writer's Block
@Everyone in my...

@Everyone in my ski-lodge:

I have writer's block.

Now, it's not that kind of writers block where you're writing a story and you need some inspiration. Oh no. This is the kind of writer's block where you can't write anything at all. It's horrible. I hate it. Trying to post stories under my real CB name and failing miserably, attempting to write another part with no avail...

Sigh...

My own advice won't make this writer's block budge. Not at all. So please, give me advice. Inspiration. Anything will do. I need writing help. And lots of it. 

submitted by The House Owner, age 32, Paris, France
(September 24, 2016 - 7:08 pm)

back to the Blab about Books

Oh no! It sounds like you need some help! Well, I'm not too good at overcoming writer's block myself, but my best advice is to maybe take a break from writing for a little, like a couple days, or a week. If you don't want to take a break, remember to do other things instead of just staring at your computer screen waiting for an idea. Maybe you could read some, listen to The Phantom of the Opera or eat some marshmallows, it's up to you. As for inspiration (I don't know if this counts), but I found a story map on the NaNoWriMo website. It's actually pretty cool (and funny!) Anyway, House Owner, good luck with overcoming your writer's block! We'll keep your ski lodge topped for you in the meantime! 

 

I'm sorry, September, but we're not allowed to post an image from another website.

Admin

submitted by September
(September 24, 2016 - 8:44 pm)
submitted by TOP!!!
(September 24, 2016 - 10:41 pm)

Two things:

One- My writer's block isn't as bad as it seems. I can think up stories related to things in my imagination, but aside from that, I can't write anything.

Two- Thank you, September! 

submitted by The House Owner, age 32, Paris, France
(September 25, 2016 - 1:50 pm)

I too am running a ski lodge, my dear House Owner, but it has not yet started. I have, however, read through your story so far and greatly enjoyed it. What a cool premise! And the Phantom of the Opera is made even better with... felines!

Writing inspiration often comes to me in the shower or while taking a walk. Just relax and think about your story. Or sit down and force yourself to write down a dozen ideas of what happens next, stupid or no.

Here are some random ideas for what you could do next:

- Have a day where no one is killed and the CBers start to relax.

- The Feline himself is a cool side plot. Maybe you could reveal more of his backstory?

- Drop more hints about the murderer/s and have people in the story try to figure out what is going. Which you are already doing, but maybe the CBers could have an official meeting to discuss what's happening or something?

- Have some "red herrings"-- make people look suspicious when they really aren't involved in the murders.

- Have everyone eat chocolate bars and dance the tango on the backs of elephants under a cloud raining purple confetti. Or maybe not.

Those are rather boring and you've probably already thought of most, but hope it helps!

submitted by Ophelia Grimscraw, The Sierra Nevadas
(September 26, 2016 - 10:17 am)

Thank you for the suggestions, Miss Ophelia. I do happen to have a secret for The Feline, and it will be revealed in the next part.

submitted by The House Owner, age 32, Paris, France
(September 28, 2016 - 7:01 am)

Sometimes when I have writers block, I take a dictionary or a big book, open it up at random with my eyes closed, and stab my finger blindly at a word. I open my eyes to see what it is, and sometimes the random word gives me ideas! One of the books that I'm writing was invented using this. I was bored, so I opened my dictionary at random and my fingers pointed to "story" and "straightaway". Obviously the dictionary wanted me to write a story straightaway! I started writing...

submitted by Kate-the-Great
(September 28, 2016 - 10:37 pm)

Have you read Spilling Ink by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter?

submitted by crookshanks, age 12, hogsmeade
(October 2, 2016 - 8:22 pm)

Uh, no. But I believe I've heard of it. Is it good?

submitted by The House Owner, age 32, Paris, France
(October 3, 2016 - 7:01 am)

It is what made the differencebetween hating writing assignments and putting them off as long as possible, to doing them first. You should be able to get it from the library(but you'll probably want to own it.)

submitted by crookshanks, age 12, hogsmeade
(October 6, 2016 - 1:30 pm)

Try just making a sentence. any sentence, any way. Every single thing I write starts with one sentence. This sentence doesn't even come at the beginning, mostly at the end or middle. One example:

"What can man do against such evils?"

I made this into a whole fantasy novel about a prince and a castle and a big battle etc. It's not as generic as it sounds...

submitted by Strider, age 13, Earth, Inner Solar System
(October 7, 2016 - 7:21 pm)

It's back again.

My writer's block has snuck back into my mind.

I know what to write, but I don't know how.

I need your help. Suggestions are accepted. Thank you for understanding.

*bows* 

submitted by The House Owner, age 32, Paris, France
(October 13, 2016 - 4:15 pm)