Thirteen Things I do when I have writer’s block
1. Go back through the synopsis and my notes to figure out if I mucked up somewhere and clogged the flow of the story.
2. Sit down and have a tete-a-tete with the main characters. Interview them. Try to locate any muckups.
If the first two fail, I…
3. Take a drive. I don’t know why but driving helps me think about my writing.
4. Take a walk, either outside or on the treadmill.
5. Call a friend who will brainstorm/talk plot with me.
6. Listen to music. I can’t listen to music while I’m writing. It has to be an independent activity.
7. Even better, listen to music while I clean the house. I hate to admit that cleaning the toilet jogs me free of writer’s block sometimes, but it does. Must be those scrubbing bubbles (or are those for showers? I forget)
8. Watch a movie. It makes my mind travel different roads.
9. Read a book. Same deal. I never read a book in the same genre I’m writing, though.
10. Talk it out with husband, who invariably comes up with an idea. If it’s a good idea and I use it, he’s very proud and happy and tells everyone. If the idea doesn’t work for the plot and I don’t use it, he’s disappointed and tells everyone. Use with extreme caution.
11. Sit outside with a nice glass of red wine. I like this one the best.
12. Take a long bubble bath. This one’s pretty damn good too.
13. Blog or write a poem. Sometimes writing about something else jars the block free.
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Gina
2. Rhian
3. Rene Lyons
6. Marissa
8. jenny®
9. Sparky Duck
10. Lauren Dane
11. tvaddictgurl
12. N.J. Walters
13. Ann(ie)
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
First of all, that’s a cool header! I’ve always liked David H. in Knight Rider ;0)
I do some of those things when I get blogger’s block! Happy Thirteening!
by Gina May 24th, 2007 at 1:21 pmi did a doubletake on the header myself.
by Rhian May 24th, 2007 at 1:23 pmNumber 13 usually works for me as well and so does getting out of the house and hanging with other artists, writers and performers – just absorbing their enthusiams. It always refreshes me and makes me anxious to create…something!
It’s The Hoff. I just thought I’d wake everyone’s eyeballs up this morning (you may or may not require bleach after viewing).
by anyabastblog May 24th, 2007 at 1:28 pmGreat list. And seriously, you have to add banging of the head on the desk.
I usually just sit here and write – and then cry over the mess I’ve made of my story the next morning.
And allow me a second here to go all fangirl on you. You have no idea how much I love your writing. Stella Price even brought me back a book of yours from RT (I was supposed to go but needed surgery).
And The Hoff rocks! lol
by Rene Lyons May 24th, 2007 at 1:28 pmI can’t believe you made me look at the Hoff this early in the morning LOL
I added you to my blogroll btw 🙂 Hope that’s okay!
by Erin the Innocent May 24th, 2007 at 1:29 pmROFLMAO!! Oh David…that’s hysterical.
I love bubble baths with cold glass of white wine and one of my favorite short stories. By the time I’m done in 20-30 minutes, I always feel ready to bang out a few words….or my hubby, lol. Both are fun and productive.
Hugs!
Anna J. Evans
by Anna J. Evans May 24th, 2007 at 2:27 pmAck! My eyes! My eyes! LOL Too funny. The Hoff. It’s been so long! #6 is the key for me. Music always gets me in the right frame of mind.
by Marissa May 24th, 2007 at 3:03 pmI haven’t seen the header. I’m not going to see the header. I’m not going to see the header and you can’t make me.
LOL. I never notice things like that, and this time, thank goodness!
by miladyinsanity May 24th, 2007 at 3:28 pmRene — Thank you so much!! 🙂 Whee! My whole day is made now.
And, oh, I’ve done my fair share of crying over messes too when I’ve tried to write through the block. Then I hit the delete key. A lot.
by anyabastblog May 24th, 2007 at 3:51 pmMilady — Oh, go on. You KNOW you want to look. The power of The Hoff will not be denied….
by anyabastblog May 24th, 2007 at 3:53 pmI always listen to music when I write. But I can only listen to instrumental music. So I listen to soundtracks like Gladiator, LOTR, Mists of Avalon. Songs with lyrics distracts me and I stop and listen to the lyrics and think about how the song reminds me of something or someone, etc and my mind just goes off on a tangent.
by tvaddictgurl May 24th, 2007 at 3:53 pmYes music, husband, friends, wine!
by Lauren Dane May 24th, 2007 at 4:11 pmI’d go for number 11!hehehe! your TT header is so funny,LoL!
by jenny® May 24th, 2007 at 5:06 pmits the Hoff!
take a shower, i get all my good ideas in the shower, or on the toilet, but well nevermind
by Sparky Duck May 24th, 2007 at 6:07 pmI can really relate to #7. For some reason housework helps. LOL
by N.J. Walters May 24th, 2007 at 8:13 pmThe header scared me.
by Ann(ie) May 24th, 2007 at 8:38 pmI liked David in Knight Rider, but these days he has no appeal to me whatsoever… 🙂 Interesting list, I can always use tips!
by Tink May 27th, 2007 at 10:49 amThanks for visiting my Google TT, sorry I’m this late in responding.
Whoa! how did I miss visiting you this week?
All good suggestions for being blocked. I usually delete the last few paragraphs — as many as it takes until I’m sailing along again.
Happy TT a bunch of days late…
by Susan Helene Gottfried May 27th, 2007 at 11:17 pm