Position:Home>Books & Authors> Writer's Block!! Halp!!! Whaddo I do?

I'm always amazed when people say they have writer's block only because I have so many ideas I can't write fast enough!. On average I have about ten to fifteen story ideas that I'm working!. One will always stand out from the others, a second will emerge when I get slightly tired of a genre and I want to have a real flight of fancy!. I have one urban fiction manuscript that I'm not thrilled with, it isn't a genre of reading I'm particularly fond of and it isn't a genre of writing I'm good at, but I had convinced myself it was such rubbish as far as art that I could imitate it with no problem!. Well just like trying to go out and be a banker or a garbage man I wasn't really all that good at something I really know nothing about!. However I managed to get through because my characters had a story they passionately wanted me to tell even if I wasn't all that good, I was all they had!.
Similarly I like to write fantasy now that I've met authors who do it, problem is I didn't want to do what everyone one else was doing so someone complaining about all the Vampire books said they'd like to read something different and tossed me an idea!. I ran with it doing all the research I could and using that to fill in the conversation and dictate the characters actions!.
I did a Sci-fantasy one as well, just to see if I could world build and my author friends loved it!. It's only about fifty pages before I abandoned it, not because I got stuck but because I had so much story I had to back off before I ruined it with overkill!. I finally settled on a much less crowded story and ended up using the unused elements to create another fantasy novel!.
I am forced to simplify where other authors are trapped and stuck!. Listening to your plot I immediately thought of Drew Barrymore in 'Firestarter', (Stephen King)!. I feel like nothing is new under the sun so I always see a picture of something or recall something I've read!. I also think my writing is somewhat fanfic!. I start out wanting to mimic a character I've seen or read and then I add a bunch of elements that I think no one has added to that particular character then I pick a cool 'J' name (my name starts with J)!. Then I make her rough, tough and kick ***!. Later I trim all that off or down or whatever but I start off with a real witch!.
I pull story from my life, that of my friends, television, movies, commercials and other books I've read!. Ideally it is what my imagination does to them that makes them mine!.
When you say starting how long has she known!? Does she feel the heat coursing through her body!? Does her temperature rise and fall and does her skin get hot to the touch, or change color, does it only come out of her hands or can you see flames dancing in her eyes!? Is she like a phoneix where she is all these beautiful hues of red, gold, and sienna!? Is there someone who sets her off and she has to run and dump her hands under cool water!? Does she get an itch under her palms!? Can she focus enough to snap a light on her finger tips!? Can she mesmerize kids by passing her hand over a lighter and the flame engulfs her hand then she backs it down!?
I mean I see her walking across the lot and all that but if I had the power of fire I doubt I'd be an outcast for long!. I'd search for some real weird kids, they tend to be open about acceptence or even checking out the geek squad they'd love me in science!. Then there's the option of meeting three additional characters, Earth, Wind, Sea!. Or the bad guy who wants to turn her in to the authorities for experimentation or just someone who wants to use her power for evil!.
From those few words this was what I came up with!. So again, I can't see you're plight, I love words and writing way too much to be blocked!. And if I think I'm blocked I find myself emersed in another piece of reading that inspires another type of writing and suddenly my mind is on the run again!. (One of the reasons I answer questions on answers) And even when I don't like something I wrote (which doesn't mean no one else will, because I have found an audience for my urban) I set out to make sure the next thing I do, I love!.

J!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Whenever the WBs hit me, I like to revisit points in the story where either there is room for further explanation or an all together neglected story element!. I try to see if I can extend the story just a little through that retrospective, and from that retrospective gain a new direction for the story as a whole!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Outline your plot!.Then write enough to get your characters from one part of the outline to the next, then go back and flesh out more of it until you have it the way you want it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I found a wonderful article a little while back about writer's block!. Perhaps it will help you as well!. (See link below!.)

Good luck! :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I too have suffered from this malady from time to time!. Most ‘regular’ people will never understand the devastation this inflicts on the mind of the writer, so I feel your pain!.

What to do!? Never stop writing!. Back off your current story for even a short time and write in a journal, or join a writing forum!. You could also work on a short story, just to take your mind from your novel for a while and again try joining a writing forum!. Yes I said it twice, but I cannot begin to explain the benefits of a writing forum!. First, you will meet other like-minded individuals who love to write …and who have also faced writer’s block right along with you!.

You will get the opportunity to read and share new ideas!. You will be able to get unbiased peer reviews of your work should you desire it and will have the opportunity to review written work by others…thus learning from their mistakes and tightening up your own work in the process!. In the mean time…Don’t stop writing!.

This is the writing forum I go to, but you can Google ‘creative writing’ and find many more!. Good luck!.

http://www!.writingforums!.org/
Www@QuestionHome@Com

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One word of advice I have is to fix up the second sentence!. Try something like: 'I didn't bother taking off my coat, considering that I would probably have heat stroke if I put it back on!.'

In terms of not knowing where to go with it!.!.!.I would say it depends what kind of book you want to make this!. Do you want there to be other people with such abilities!? In which case maybe she should meet someone else who realises she can do this and they teach her about it!. also, introduce some kind of conflict besides her just dealing with the power!. Are there people who don't like her because of this!? Is there someone trying to destroy people who can do this!? Is there a problem going on in the world or around her that she could help prevent or fight against!? You need to give more than just a character with an ability to make it into a full plot!.

Good luck! If you really need inspiration then go somewhere beautiful like a park or mountain or forest or beach (wherever you can get to) and just sit there and think!. It can often help to be somewhere quiet and inspiring to just let ideas appear!.
also, read lots!. Read books in a similar genre and really think about what they do!. What kind of plot devices do they use!? Where does the conflict come from, how does it progress!? Analyse and study anything you can and learn from others then use their ideas to create your own!.

Hope this helps!. Happy writing!Www@QuestionHome@Com

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