Question

I am doing a creative writing assignment and am suffering writer's block. Ideas on how to get beyond this?

Answer 1

what's the assignment prompt?

Answer 2

write a short story.

Answer 3

well, that's pretty open ended. any ideas what you're going to write it about?

Answer 4

at all?

Answer 5

Yeah. Stuff.

Answer 6

well, first pick a general type of short story- Fantasy, Sci-fi, historical fiction, romance...

Answer 7

ok. probably fantasy.

Answer 8

now, when you think of a fantasy short story, what are some topics or ideas that come to mind?

Answer 9

other than dragons?

Answer 10

dragons are fine. you could make a story about a dragon slayer, or be a bit more original and write it from the perspective of the dragon itself.

Answer 11

ooh. that's a good thought. i'll do that. Thanks for your help!

Answer 12

anytime

Answer 13

Buy immediately Dorothea Brand 'On becoming a Writer'.
In this book she gives you a routine which no matter how crappy you feel that gets you to write a set amount every day on rising. Basically the discipline of writing n words everyday no matter how awful you feel or how bad your work is, regardless of content written.
Take her advice.
In case one is afraid of never editing the work done and just being swept along on a wave of subjective writing experience, she recommends you scrutinize the styles of writers you admire and aim to emmulate them.
Two for the price of one.
The short road prior to buying book. Write and Read everyday, both habits which we all need to learn feed each other and must NOT be separated!
Other Media/Multi Media Art Music etc can of course be added into the mix.
MIT OCW Linear an Non Linear Narratives Course is the answer to all our prayers meaning we can be creative, serious, Essayists, Poets, Novelists, whatever! in whatever form that takes our fancy, cos we all need to force ourselves to read and write everyday however horrible it feels.

Answer 14

Genre choosing is a lot easier when you learn to write and read. Why bother to limit brain to limited ways of thinking!? Launch out into the deep! and take advice above which I need to take more deeply and to embark on a Course of Learning!

Answer 15

Well said! There are websites that help you count your words that you write (750words) and encourage the participants to write everyday--- an free online journal that is private (penzu).

Answer 16

huh. so the main thing is to write something, anything, daily? what a discipline. I can probably do it, though. I'll check out that book; thanks for the advice!

Answer 17

I use Word Count in Open Office but I imagine most WP Software includes Word Counts as a matter of course.
As was pointed out earlier you also get web versions. Most important is reliable word count and way you fit words into a page. Mine are 500 words per page.

Answer 18

For me Fantasy Genre is a lot more subtle than Dragons etc I would read Borges and other Magical Realists to get a more intelligent approach to the whole Genre.

Answer 19

Word vomit. Write a page or two about anything, everything, in baby words. Then refine it. Helps get past the block.