TARDISrider sat at

Chatterbox: Inkwell

TARDISrider sat at

TARDISrider sat at the computer, fingers hovering over her keyboard. She typed a few hesitant lines before dropping her hands again, sending a line of gibberish scurrying across the page as her hands crashed the keyboard. Oh, the agony. It was even worse than last time.

Inspiration. That was all she needed, and that was all she lacked. Just a flash, a spark, a tiny, minitaure flicker! But no. There was nothing. She stared sullenly at the window, halfway hoping somebody wearing a big 'INSPIRATION' t-shirt would pop up and offer to sell her some for half'-off. The only thing that popped up was a squirrel.

"Haven't got any inspiration for half-price, have you?" TARDISrider suggested. The squirrel flicked its tail and skittered away. TARDISrider sighed and leaned back. She needed a big forum of writers who could talk to each other on a daily basis without any trouble. Her eyes lit up.

"The Chatterbox!" she gasped eagerly. "I could even write it in the form of a book. At least I'd feel like I ws getting something done." So TARDISrider saved her pages of script and opened up the CB. She proceeded to the Inkwell and typed a new thread. At the bottom of this thread, she wrote a question, a single question. It was a question that philosopher sat for hours over, pondering until their heads exploded. It was a question yet to be answered, even more evasive than the name of the Doctor. It was the question, dear CBers, that had plagued writers for centuries, asking about the cursed deisease known to all, scriptwriters, comic book writers, novelists, even the innocent ten year old entering for a Cricket contest. It was, CBers, the question that far too few knew the answers to. It was the question killing TARDISrider:

CBERS, HOW DO YOU BEAT WRITER'S BLOCK? 

submitted by TARDISrider, age 982, Gallifray
(February 17, 2016 - 8:01 pm)

Is this a story or just a question? BTW, TARDISrider u are a great writer! :D

If u want to know the answer, here it is:

you can't.

You can help dissolve it, though. Try reading what you have already a few times. And the block usually happens when you're tired or don't wanna write. So yeah.

Sorry if I messed up your story; it feels like I did. 

submitted by The Novelist, The Secret Forest
(February 17, 2016 - 9:30 pm)

Scylla responded to TARDISrider's plea immediately. As soon as she saw TARDISrider's desperate thread, she clicked on it, and her fingers expertly, swiftly slid across her tablet, forming the words she needed to help TARDISrider. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, thinking. She referred to all the times she had had writer's block, and what had helped her through it. These memories swirled in her mind, fueling her swirling fingers as she typed, "TARDISrider, what you need is a good book and a CAPTCHA. Good books are good for inspiration, and CAPTCHAs are good for character name development and roots. And come to the CB! We're always here to help you through. . . Through whatever's bothering you." She paused, then continued. "Just give us a charrie sheet, or a general idea, or just read through old threads! By the way, I love the novel format you're using!" Even as she typed the exclamation point, Scylla's face remained stony. She racked her mind for more solutions, then finished the post. "If I come up with any more solutions to writer's block, you can count on me to tell you." Job finished, Scylla submitted the post and closed the tablet's violet case. She glanced out the window, half expecting to see a CBer go walking by. . . .

submitted by Scylla
(February 17, 2016 - 9:37 pm)

TARDISrider sat at the computer, smiling at all the advice. 

"Thank you, everybody, for all your help." She typed. "I guess I just needed to come here in the first place." She smiled and typed one more line. "Thank you for being my INSPIRATION salespeople."

She submitted the comment and picked up Fablehaven. A good book on a lazy day was just the rest she needed. . .  

submitted by TARDISrider, age 982, Gallifray
(February 18, 2016 - 8:42 pm)

Yeeeeeeees I love Fablehaven!!!!!!! Especially the last book!!

submitted by Elena P.
(February 20, 2016 - 8:19 pm)

*Fangirls*YEEEEEEEEEES!!!! FELLOW FABLEHAVEN. . . person? *gasp* Fablehaven faans don't have an official name! Fellow. . . Caretaker! Maybee. . . sure. 

But, anyways, FELLOW FAN OF FABLEHAVEN!!!!!!!!! 

submitted by TARDISrider, age 982, Gallifray
(February 22, 2016 - 7:03 pm)

I want to join the Fablehaven fanclub too! I read all five books and they were awesome! Was it five, four, or six? I can't remember...

submitted by Scylla
(February 22, 2016 - 8:05 pm)

It's fve :)

Scylla! I had no idea you're your a Fablehaven fan! This is awesome! :):):) 

submitted by TARDISrider, age 982, Gallifray
(February 23, 2016 - 10:07 pm)

YAY I'VE ONLY EVER MET 1 OTHER FABLEHAVEN FAN. I'M REREADING THE SERIES FOR THE FOURTH TIME!!!

submitted by Elena P., Here
(February 25, 2016 - 5:57 pm)

Relax, listen to music, go take a walk. Or just read a book. Take a break.

submitted by Shadow Dragon
(February 19, 2016 - 11:20 am)

After listening intently for the sounds of footsteps, Owlgirl quickly opened up Cricket Inkwell and glanced at the wall of posts like she had done so many times before. One caught here eye. "TARDISrider sat at..." Owlgirl wasn't sure what to expect. Curious, she clicked on it.

She scrolled through TARDISrider's post. Wow, I like how she put it in novel form. Maybe I should do that more often. Then she remembered that lately, about 75% of her posts had been posted when she had not been supposed to be doing anything on Inkwell. Like when she was supposed to do homework, or read an AR book EVEN THOUGH SHE'D ALREADY READ ALL HER AR BOOKS.

She glanced at the clock. Maybe I have time.

She began rapidly typing. "TARDISrider, good question. I've been thinking about that too. I 

 

Footsteps. Shoot, her mom was home. Owlgirl quickly types a good-bye not minding her terrile typing mistakes. "Gtg," she typed. Then she opened up ehr math textbookfd. 

submitted by Owlgirl
(February 22, 2016 - 8:21 pm)

Amber lazily flipped through the Cricket tabs. After finshing math, she was perusing the Inkwell, looking for fun new tabs. The one at the top snatched her attention, drawing her eyes to it. "TARDISrider sat at..." she murmured. Hey, why not? She pressed it read down it. "How interesting!" she exclaimed out loud. No one looked up but her dog, who flopped down again with a sigh. 

"Sorry, pup," she smiled. Then she turned her attention back to the screen. Reading it, she realized this was a perfect opprtunity for some help. Opening her story, she thought about the ways some other CBers on Chatterbox could help her toil her way out of being stuck. Spinning around in her chair, she hummed a quiet tune, a slight smile on her lips. This will be when I finally finish Spread Your Wings! I'm sure CB will help me!

Will you? I'm writing a story called Spread Your Wings. It's sci-fi and somewhat fantasy. I'm at a serious rut and lost for words. Any ideas how to get out? 

submitted by Amber
(February 22, 2016 - 11:10 pm)

Everyones working on math homework! I don't feel alone anymore O.o

----

I sigh and make an attempt to get onto my iPad so I can check the beloved Chatterbox, filled with creative kids who like me, are aspiring writers, trying to change the world with their brilliant writing skills (not counting me).

I click on my tablet, but as I try to tap on the bookmark, I hear my mother's voice. She wants me to do some schoolwork, for I haven't done any in a few days (that's whatcha get for being homeschooled).

I groan and drag my tablet onto the dining room table; I will multitask, like many kids do in public school. As I open my science textbook and read a short paragraph about thermodynamics, I check if there are any new Inkwell threads.

There's something about TARDISrider. Never failing to click on a new Inkwell thingy, I do, and read her problem.  

What advice can I give? I'm terrible at this stuff. :( I sigh and type in my answer, using my thumbs as if I were texting a dear friend.

And then I check back on it a few days later, and see Amber's post. I will attempt to yet again give some advice I know is vague.

Amber, I think it'd help to read some sci-fi novels! Also, reread what you already have. And make a list of phrases that would go good after your last one. That's what I do when I don't know how to word something.

Also, try picturing your story as if it were a movie. What would be their next move, how would they act? Would aliens riding unicorns abduct them?

 

Sorry if that last sentence sounded weird. 

submitted by The Novelist, The Secret Forest
(February 23, 2016 - 12:17 am)

Thanks!

submitted by Amber
(February 23, 2016 - 9:04 pm)

A girl looks up from her math homework and sighs, pushing her maroon glasses up on the bridge of her nose. The page of equations seems to stretch like rubber, getting longer and longer as she stares at it, taunting her with the necessity to finish them. She decides to take a break, flipping closed her notebook and unzipping the bright pink of her computer case. Lifting the lid, her eager fingers click on the long-bookmarked location of a website called the Chatterbox.

Settling onto the fluffy pillows of her armchair, the girl browses the Inkwell, reading through roleplays and commenting here and there. A thread catches her attention, written by a user called TARDISrider. Checking to make sure that her dad is not padding up the stairs to catch her in the act of procrastinating, she clicks the link and reads the post, interested.

The girl pauses, thinking. Writer's block. The very menace that she had encountered many times in her own stories. The girl begins typing, slowly at first. 

I suggest you read a bit, or take a break. Sometimes just doing other things while thinking about your ideas can really get things going! I hope this helps.

------

AAAAAAAA! Ookz says wbok! Writer's block! AAAAAAAAA! What. In. The. World. 

submitted by Abigail S., age 11, Nose In a Book
(February 23, 2016 - 9:43 pm)

I am new to the Inkwell, so if I am doing something wrong please tell me.  I don't want to be embarrassed in the future. 

Finally, no one else was home to bother me.  I sat down at my computer and opened it.  "Time to go to the Inkwell," I thought.  Before I had scrolled down very far, I saw the word TARDIS.

-It's actually an acronym.

-but "I saw the acronym TARDIS" doesn't sound as good

-Correctness is more important.

-poetic license, please

-I will reluctantly allow one piece of misinformation.

-thank you 

This is a very beautiful collection of letters, so any string containing it must be worth reading.  I clicked.  After reading about TARDISrider's terrible predicament, I also dutifully read all the posts.  I saw that many kind souls had given TARDISrider some great advice about how to deal with writer's block.  "What do I do when I have writer's block?"  I wondered.  I then proceeded to stare at the shelves of cookbooks in my kitchen (which is obviously the best thing to do when confronted with a difficult question) and tried to come up with an answer.  Amazingly, I could not. I guess I must have a terrible memory.

If whoever is bothering to read this is expecting a satisfying ending, they will be severely dissapointed.  I only have one question to ask.

TARDISrider, do you like Gallifray?

submitted by A. V. Silver, Trenzalore
(February 26, 2016 - 4:47 pm)