Any advice on curing Blank Page Syndrome?

[Willowwhip]

I used to write all the time as a teenager, but after stopping, going through life and four jobs, I can't seem to write anything. And if I do puke some words into a document, I hate them. They're too concise, and the idea i'm trying to convey is far too blunt. I never used to have this problem-- the opposite, in fact. How can I expedite the process of flexing my writing muscles?

[Wig_Powder]

My sympathies. I can find it hard to find the motivation to write sometimes as well. Generally I regain some enthusiasm once I start actually writing, but that doesn't always happen to everyone. As for advice, these suggestions won't work for everyone, but here's what I've got;

*Do some reading. Everyone says that a writer should also be a reader. Read some stories--original, fanfic, sneezefic, whatever--and maybe they'll inspire you. Maybe look for things that are covering material you're trying to write about, and see how they handle it.

*Listen to music. Not only might the mood or lyrics give you ideas to write about, but if you listen to music while writing (like energetic, dramatic music while working on a fight scene), the energy might help carry you along.

*Try to silence your "inner editor" as the people at the National Novel Writing Month site say. Concentrate on getting the words on the paper first, and then you can go back and edit the words to fit what you're going for.

*Write what you're feeling enthusiastic about, instead of feeling compelled to write from start to finish. On my bigger projects, I often jump around between scenes I'm in the mood to write, and then go back and add connective tissue later.

I hope those are good starting points. Best of luck!

[•.*°•☆. Q .☆•°*.•]

hi, willowwhip! welcome to the forum. here are a couple of resources that i turn to again and again when i'm struggling with my writing. 

http://sevenscribes.com/writing-begins-with-forgiveness-why-one-of-the-most-common-pieces-of-writing-advice-is-wrong/

https://nanowrimo.org/pep-talks/neil-gaiman

 

Another thing is i just try to remember that no one is gonna see my first draft! it's not for other people. the purpose of a first draft isn't to create something good, it's just to get the ideas out of my head and fill space on the page. i can edit it and make better drafts of it later to make it good! but you can't fix something that isn't on paper yet. 

another helpful tip, building on that idea, is not to fuss too hard over word choice or names in the first draft. you can put [NAME HERE] or [ANOTHER WORD FOR HEAVY, BUT MORE URGENT] in where you need a word or a name that isn't coming to you. it saves time and keeps your writing flow in the zone.

my last piece of advice is don't delete ANYTHING!! you never know when you'll  be in the middle of a future draft and think "oh heck, i actually liked it better how i said it before" and you're gonna want to be able to go back and copy that over into the new version.

there's also this, which is something that i learned as an artist but which absolutely applies to writing or any other creative endeavor, too

good luck!!! <333

edit to add: i almost completely forgot! but a white noise generator really helps me stay focused and immersed in the world of my writing. here's my favorite one: http://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/cafeRestaurantNoiseGenerator.php

it comes in other settings besides "coffee shop" but that's the one i go to most. you can select other options on the site for background noise that you like best.

Edited June 10, 2019 by •.*°•☆. Q .☆•°*.•

[facet]

.

Edited November 1, 2019 by facet
Removed by user.

[murphy dee]

Something that helped me once was writing something that I knew my younger self would enjoy. I told myself no one else would ever see it, this is just a love letter to 16-year-old me, and I started writing, and I filled it with all the characters and cliches and dramas that would've made my mouth water in high school, and I had a blast.

Also, you should definitely join National Novel Writing Month. It takes place in November, but there is a small version of it ("Camp NaNoWriMo") in July.

Edited June 10, 2019 by murphy dee

[March Hare]

It can't be cured, but it can be worked around pretty effectively.

On 6/10/2019 at 6:45 AM, facet said:

My advice is try writing something that you know is bad- really put some effort into making it as hokey as you like.

This is solid advice. Embrace the badness. Treat writing as a guilty pleasure.

The most important thing is to let go of the idea that you're supposed to write for the eyes of the world. That's the most paralysing way of putting the cart before the horse.

[Heathcliff]

I know very little about writing, but the one tip I read which made sense is this.

If you're writing an ongoing thing, which you're writing day to day, when you stop for the day it's good to stop partway through something. Don't finish the chapter- stop in the middle of the chapter somewhere. That way, when you pick it up again, you don't start 'cold'- you're in the middle of something and it's easier getting into the flow again.

I'm not much of a writer, but I write computer code for a living and this tip works well there too.