|| Replies ||

User	shk | 2006-11-01 |
Subject	Think of a Word
Message	Think of one word and force yourself to build a story around it. I usually do that just as a warm up - or I write essays for other people. As for reading material, it depends on what you’re doing - once again. Lately I was writing my college essays, so I needed to be very direct and clear with my stories. I remembered Richard Wright’s "Black Boy" as a story that got across its message quite clearly but with a bit of eloquence as well. So I re-read some of the chapters that especially had descriptive, captivating narration. You never want to copy the exact words, for the obvious reasons and because it just won’t work for you the way it did for the author, but just reading stylistic writing will get you in that frame of mind. And what’s wrong with music? Elton John, baby! There are tons of artists with great lyrics, you just need to find what you like. I actually liked these lyrics from King Crimson’s "21st Century Schizoid Man": Cat’s foot iron claw Neuro-surgeons scream for more At paranoia’s poison door. Twenty first century schizoid man. Blood rack barbed wire Polititians’ funeral pyre Innocents raped with napalm fire Twenty first century schizoid man. Death seed blind man’s greed Poets’ starving children bleed Nothing he’s got he really needs Twenty first century schizoid man. ...but don’t take it as me saying blood and core lyrics are what you need to start being creative. It’s just an example of the last song whose lyrics I really liked.

User	BusterLILblock | 2006-10-15 |
Subject	untitled
Message	welll me too i dont really know why

User	HOGG4245 | 2006-10-15 |
Subject	untitled
Message	I think you need to do something out of the ordinary. Go somewhere you’ve never been or interact with people you don’t know. Just break the routine, jump on a bus and see where it takes you, start a random conversation with a complete stranger, whatever it takes. I think sometimes people get caught in a routine. How can new inspirations, feelings, and ideas come if you’re not exposed to anything new. Give it a shot.

User	siradrian | 2006-09-23 |
Subject	Running out of ideas
Message	Hi, I have struggled in the past but have found that there is no antidote better than sitting at the keyboard and writing something, anything. A newspaper headline, an image on TV, the spoken word on radio can all contribute. Often I just lift an idea, a couple of words, bang them down as my title and I get on with it rather like a workman setting off to build a wall - the tools are there, you are there, your mind is there, pick up the tools and get on with it, say "stuff you mate" to the block. Happy writing. Donald

User	Vastmark | 2006-09-21 |
Subject	untitled
Message	Hey, Sounds like you need a muse, however if you think you know the problem as you say get turning some pages again, most successfull writers read alot. A good idea I read was to read the book that first made you want to write, and stir some of those original inspirational juices. It could just be a dry spell and the fact that you’re writing less is bothering you which in turn is making the problem worse. It could also be that you’ve nothing that you feel strongly enough about to write on so don’t worry about it and something’ll pop up. There’s nothing more frustrating than forcing something and realising it’s utter dog poo. I’m going through a bit of a spell at the moment I tend to sit down with a pencil and paper in front of a movie or some music and doodle away let your mind wander, more often than not I come up with something worth working with. Hope this helps if only a little. TTFN V