Writer's Block HELP

[prayergirl82]

Hi i'm new here and was wondering if anyone had advice or anything. I really love writing but tend to find I know what I want to write but can't seem to find the right words!
Blessings,
Julie

[Adudaewen]

Hey Prayergirl! Welcome to the forums!
Writer's block, ouch. Do I know how you feel. Its the most frustrating feeling in the world. What I try to do (and it helps most of the time) is I keep a pen and pad on my nightstand because a lot of my ideas for phrases and words come to me when I'm sleeping or just drifting off. that way I can just write them down and I won't forget them. Also get your hands on a really good thesaurus and a really good dictionary and become a connoisseur of words. Collect words and meanings, and a lot of times inspiration will come just from the words themselves. That way you can shape the words around your ideas or your ideas around a word. Hope that helps and good luck!!!

[prayergirl82]

Hi There,

Thanks for the message! This is something i've always struggled in. I've only ever written Children's Stories plus 1 poem. Any other thoughts or suggestions would be really great thanks!

Blessings,
Julie

[kiz_paws]

Yes, welcome to the Forums, prayergirl82 (I am pretty new myself, lol).

Anyhow, the advice Adudaewen gave is great, and I'd add to it just this: take a small notepad with you where ever you go. It is crazy that the best ideas come to me when I am not able to stop and elaborate on them.... but to have a little notepad handy to just jot down a couple of phrases that I can connect with later, when time allows, to finish the idea, you know? I find that that helps.

And as corny as it may seem to some, I actually do spend time perusing books on the craft of writing by published authors. I dare not name these here, but you can search that out at the library or local bookstore. Not all these "how to write" books are 100% for everyone, but I have found many a good idea from these folks who have made the time to talk about the craft. :)

[Countess]

Here's my suggestion: read what you want to write. If you want to write horror, pick up Poe or Lovecraft; if you want to write wit, pick up Wilde.
Use these authors as new inspiration.
In addition to pen and pad (which is often slow when things are forming) if you have an IPOD with a recording device, keep it on your person. When words come to you or ideas, record them on the IPOD.
The other day the only way certain ideas would come to me were in the form of dialogue (Question and Answer). It's too long /the wrong method to get through the material, but I wrote down the character discussion so later I could go back and track the concepts as I work out the ideas through another method (make sure all my points are covered.)

I haven't a clue if this will work however....

[optimisticnad]

The greatest advice I've got is just read. Read. Read! Writers do two things: they write and they read. Their are many people who say theyv always had this idea etc. they want to write etc. but they dont write. You've got to write. Even if its utter nonsense. And Read. Read anything. If your serious about wriitng then u have to read anything and everything, You want ideas and words at the tips of your fingers, so you need to read. Read not just novels etc. but non fiction stuff like travel, cookery etc. All this helps in your writing-it gives authenticity and versimilitude.

[prayergirl82]

Thanks so much everyone I've had a story idea building up inside for a while so gonna try and see if I can get it out