Post by The Second Evil on Apr 16, 2006 17:08:02 GMT -5
Hey all! It’s come to my attention that lately, many of our best fanfiction writers have been suffering from the dreaded writers block, so I’ve decided to put together a collection of my favorite and most sucessful tips that have been useful to me in the past. And as a result, mean I have been able to keep episodes flowing pretty continously for a long period of time, which for the most part, have been pretty good. However, To do this I have to write pretty regularly, but I, like everyone else, run into writer’s block every so often.
So here are a few of my top tips that I’ve thrown together to help you:
First of all, Make lists. Sketch out the characters, plot, emotional tone, key sentences, create a list of scenes and so forth, so that you have a definitive and cohesive list that you can work down at your own pace without having to worry about structure. It means you can concentrate wholeheartedly on quality rather than writing with trepidation as to where everything is leading to.
Secondly - Take a break- do you 'have' to be writing right now? Everyone has their off days, and if you're not working to a deadline, walk away from the computer or the pen and paper for a few hours or days. You might need to distance yourself from the story in order to come back at it with a fresh perspective.
Thirdly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. We all have moments where we can’t for the life of ourselves think of a character’s backstory or how something will tie in with the series’ arc ect. If you are genuinely starved of ideas, then just ask a friend, or even myself, who’ll be happy to help you with your problem. Sometimes, all you need is a small idea from someone else in order to spark off a chain reaction of thoughts and reactions in your head to help you along and out of your block.
Next, Read the work of your favorite writer, be it a fan fiction series that you’re regular to or never even read before. Even watch a movie. New, old, humorous or sad… there is nothing like an inspired, well-composed piece of literature or film to make you want to pick up a pen and just write.
Make sure you record all your ideas. Note down any idea that you’ve got, as soon as you get it. Keep a list or an archive of these notes. You can then go back to them and mine them for ideas when you can’t think of anything else to write about at a later date.
Start with the title. This is a huge help to me, especially with some of my more emotionally charged fan fiction episodes, I get the title first and it sets the stage for the rest of the episode.
Next, think of your project as a pizza - eat one piece at a time. It is overwhelming for any writer to see a big project as a "whole" immediately. Start with one small section. When you finish that piece, you will feel encouraged to move on to the next.
Most importantly: come back later and re-read, then re-write. No way should your fanfiction piece be perfect first time around. Write it as best you can, then go back later and edit what you've written. Most likely, you'll end up being relieved that you remembered to do so in the long run.
Lastly: Take a nap - sleep is vital to your motor skills as well as concentration, a lack of it halts the flow of creativity as well as making it difficult to type or write. It’s your own work, so don’t feel pressured at all to finish it right away.
But most of all: Best of luck and don't panick!
I hope you found these as useful as I did. All I can say is: Happy writing! 
So here are a few of my top tips that I’ve thrown together to help you:
First of all, Make lists. Sketch out the characters, plot, emotional tone, key sentences, create a list of scenes and so forth, so that you have a definitive and cohesive list that you can work down at your own pace without having to worry about structure. It means you can concentrate wholeheartedly on quality rather than writing with trepidation as to where everything is leading to.
Secondly - Take a break- do you 'have' to be writing right now? Everyone has their off days, and if you're not working to a deadline, walk away from the computer or the pen and paper for a few hours or days. You might need to distance yourself from the story in order to come back at it with a fresh perspective.
Thirdly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. We all have moments where we can’t for the life of ourselves think of a character’s backstory or how something will tie in with the series’ arc ect. If you are genuinely starved of ideas, then just ask a friend, or even myself, who’ll be happy to help you with your problem. Sometimes, all you need is a small idea from someone else in order to spark off a chain reaction of thoughts and reactions in your head to help you along and out of your block.
Next, Read the work of your favorite writer, be it a fan fiction series that you’re regular to or never even read before. Even watch a movie. New, old, humorous or sad… there is nothing like an inspired, well-composed piece of literature or film to make you want to pick up a pen and just write.
Make sure you record all your ideas. Note down any idea that you’ve got, as soon as you get it. Keep a list or an archive of these notes. You can then go back to them and mine them for ideas when you can’t think of anything else to write about at a later date.
Start with the title. This is a huge help to me, especially with some of my more emotionally charged fan fiction episodes, I get the title first and it sets the stage for the rest of the episode.
Next, think of your project as a pizza - eat one piece at a time. It is overwhelming for any writer to see a big project as a "whole" immediately. Start with one small section. When you finish that piece, you will feel encouraged to move on to the next.
Most importantly: come back later and re-read, then re-write. No way should your fanfiction piece be perfect first time around. Write it as best you can, then go back later and edit what you've written. Most likely, you'll end up being relieved that you remembered to do so in the long run.
Lastly: Take a nap - sleep is vital to your motor skills as well as concentration, a lack of it halts the flow of creativity as well as making it difficult to type or write. It’s your own work, so don’t feel pressured at all to finish it right away.
But most of all: Best of luck and don't panick!
I hope you found these as useful as I did. All I can say is: Happy writing! 
