Ok I really need to know if I'm the only one this happens to? I know what needs to happen in a story and I know what I want to happen. Yet every time I sit down to write it I draw a blank. That little black blinking cursor sits mocking me. It taunts me to type. But it's like my muse has stage fright, we're find during brainstorming, but when the time comes to put it to paper/ computer screen, she freezes. I have three works in progress and one rewrite, all I really want to finish yet can't because my brain just seizes up when I try. Can anyone offer up some advice as to how to get over this? I've tried all my usually tricks and nothing helps.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Help! My muse has stage fright!
Ok I really need to know if I'm the only one this happens to? I know what needs to happen in a story and I know what I want to happen. Yet every time I sit down to write it I draw a blank. That little black blinking cursor sits mocking me. It taunts me to type. But it's like my muse has stage fright, we're find during brainstorming, but when the time comes to put it to paper/ computer screen, she freezes. I have three works in progress and one rewrite, all I really want to finish yet can't because my brain just seizes up when I try. Can anyone offer up some advice as to how to get over this? I've tried all my usually tricks and nothing helps.
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Start in the middle of the story. Start anywhere. Write any sentence that pops into your head, or a series of random sentences from different parts of the story, and then continue from one of those.
I often find that if I try to start from the beginning I can't do anything, but if I start from the one sentence I have in my head, it sometimes works.
You are not the only one this happens to. I can sit for an entire day staring at the screen, knowing exactly how the scene has to go, and not being able to write it. It's ususally either a scene in which the mc has to face a particularly horrible personal demon, or a sex scene. I have two stratagies to get through it.
First, I'll write the scene after the one giving me trouble. Usually, that makes it so the muse gets beligerant, and insists we were writing the difficult scene, that now I'm the one getting distracted, and he begins to cooporate.
If that doesn't work, I go off and think about the scene, run it through my head a few times, and get it so thuroughly ingrained it's easy to write. It actually rarely comes out how I envisioned, but at least it comes out.
Good luck with it!
Thanks ladies! I'll give those both a try.
I hate to sound like a Nike commercial - but "just do it." In other words, just write. Don't worry about what comes out, it will be easy to fix it later. Just get it out. Right now you're too worried about it coming out right - that's your problem.
I wrote what I think is one of my best stories a few weeks ago, even though I had about two days to get it done. I had procrastinated. So to fix that - I just did it. Sometimes I work better under pressure. The words came out and then I was able to go back and edit.
My muse had stage fright for almost all of last year. Yes, almost a full year! Like Jolie said, "Just do it!" That's how I pulled her out on stage kicking and screaming. But she performed and that's what counts.
Jolie & Rebecca- Your probably right. But it's so much easier said than done. I'll try. Thanks
I agree that starting in the middle, or basically anywhere that you have energy for is a good place to start. If you know what's going to happen do a layout and brainstorm more possibilities. Then again, if it's just that you are tired or the story isn't flowing give yourself the time you need. Read a book in between, go for a walk, take yourself into a crowd and people watch. One of the best kicks in the ass I can do for myself to get me working is to go for a drive.
I wish you the best.
Thanks Tara. I'm actually trying some thing different a writing challenge. Lets see if it helps.
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