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Topic: I Must Be Going Insane

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LadyLioncourt avatar
Subject: I Must Be Going Insane
Date Posted: 9/6/2007 1:51 PM ET
Member Since: 8/15/2007
Posts: 454
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I am having a problem. I have been suffering from Writer's Block for about a few weeks now, and the problem isn't that I don't have a single idea, it's that I have too many!!! And every time I write something down I think, "Who wants to read that crap?" and toss it. I cannot seem to get my ideas out onto paper, and it's driving me crazy!!!

VeganFreak avatar
Date Posted: 9/15/2007 1:24 PM ET
Member Since: 4/8/2006
Posts: 3,392
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Write a few lines to summarize each idea and see which one you are most excited about.

Write that story, but before you get started, tell yourself that you are writing a rough draft and you are not going to edit it. Then actually do that.

When you are done writing it, put it in a drawer, or a computer folder named 'crap', and leave it there for a week or two. When your fit of artistic temperment has passed, go back to it and edit it when you have had a little time away from it.

Rinse, repeat.



Last Edited on: 9/15/07 1:25 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
LadyLioncourt avatar
Date Posted: 9/18/2007 6:57 PM ET
Member Since: 8/15/2007
Posts: 454
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Thanks for the tips, I'll give em' a go! :)

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 10/30/2007 2:52 AM ET
Member Since: 10/23/2007
Posts: 1
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I've been there.  My solution is Flash Fiction.  When I get a little out of my system, I can think straight again.

Generic Profile avatar
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Date Posted: 10/30/2007 8:07 AM ET
Member Since: 8/9/2005
Posts: 20,024
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DONT THROW IT AWAY! File it away but dont get rid of it. Throwing it away is bad. You might not like it now but that would be cause your in a mood (I get those moods often) Just write them all down (or type them) and come back to them later.

BrokenWing avatar
Limited Member medal
Date Posted: 3/11/2008 10:56 AM ET
Member Since: 1/11/2007
Posts: 1,693
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Why don't you write down a few of your ideas and save them to look at later when you're less frazzled?

Generic Profile avatar
Subject: Inner editor
Date Posted: 7/18/2008 1:16 AM ET
Member Since: 2/15/2008
Posts: 3
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Tell your inner editor to go on vacation and just write

xengab avatar
Date Posted: 7/18/2008 1:10 PM ET
Member Since: 10/13/2007
Posts: 36,445
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LOL, good way to stop this is to do a 50,000 word challenge. I started off writing short stories and would try to edit it while I was writing it, got annoying and I too have wayyyy to many ideas that I wish to write about..

So the first year I did the National Novel Writing Challenge NaNO wrimo, I could not edit it and write it at the same time as it would take to long. Though now writing that much in one month is not much of a challenge so I usually do two..LOL

Plus I have found things I thought crap, useful as parts of that story can be used or even just the plot can be used again. 

Also if you like challenges sometimes doing short story challenges help to get things done, for example, there is a challenge I do that you have to write and edit a 2,000 word short story in one weekend.  Its easy and because you know you will be editing right away, most just write the whole thing in one sitting.

Generic Profile avatar
Subject: I know exactly how you feel...
Date Posted: 10/30/2008 11:59 AM ET
Member Since: 4/16/2008
Posts: 7
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Lately that line from Gladiator keeps repeating itself in my brain (which is not a good thing, given that it's spoken by psycho character played by Joaquin Phoenix): "All my ambitions are hurting my head."

Seriously!

My brain spins with ideas, scenes, characters, dialogue. I have five stories running at once and am constantly getting ideas for more. Sometimes I do feel like you do -- like I must be going crazy, because does anyone else think like this? And who knows? Maybe we are crazy. Maybe you have to be crazy to do what we do. But who says that's a bad thing?

Keep writing. Keep a small notebook with you and when an idea pops into your head, write down what you need to in the notebook, then make yourself put it on hold till you're finished with what you're working on at the moment. Let your subconscious work it over and over again in the meantime, so that when you finally do get to it you'll have more ideas for it than you realized. But keep paper with you at all times! that way you can get it out and get it down and let your brain relax.