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If so...when you run into a writers block, how do you overcome the situation?
I currently have chapters 1 and 2 comlete for my thesis and am working on 3 and 4, with chapter 4 pretty far along since I try and avoid anything to do with stats (Ch3).
I've also completed my title pages, biblio (as much as I can), and some of my appendices but I cannot go on writing right without having troubles.
my only experience in writing term papers and such, but taking a break always helps me out when i get pissed/writers block...relax, clear your mind, and then come back and bring the pain....Quote:
Originally Posted by Stoysluttie1
Exactly the problem...I relax enough...I go away a lot. Just came back from two days in some slot canyons.
William Stafford once wrote that there's no such thing as writers block for writers whose standards are low enough. Or, as Norman Mailer put it, writer's block is simply a failure of ego.
Anytime I've run into this problem, I just start writing whatever comes to my head. Write up a TR about your trip to the store or something. Anything to get the brain flowing.
My two cents.
It's not in the write, Stoy, it's in the rewrite.
Walk away and come back to it later.
The only thing that ever blew up the block for this non-pro was serious fear of miising the deadline. if the block was bad i'd just slck off harder untill it was obvious to my lazy brain that if i didn't do something stat my ass was dead. very dead. i often use fear of filure to make me do things.
sometimes this yielded good results. sometimes i rushed it too hard, and the work suffered. i always seemed to justify it with some 'epiphanies only happen to you under stress, be stressed and you will see the way' bullshit.
When I would write papers in college and go writers block I would get drunk. Sounds like an excuse to drink, which it probably was, but I could always write when drunk. Also math made complete sense when drunk.
no such thing as writers block, just bad writing.
Anyway - I've got a bunch of great creative exercises I do that have nothing to do with writing and it helps the flow. Mostly, though, I only write when I feel the urge and usually the urge only hits when there's a looming deadline. I write my best at the last minute. PM me if you want any of those creative exercises - some of them involve yoga moves.. Anything to help open up channels...
Yoga moves opening channels, huh? Slow pitch :)Quote:
Originally Posted by yogachik
When i can't figure out what to say, i just post up FKNA
Quote:
Originally Posted by basom
I got this same problem. Maybe its a mild case of ADD, or maybe I just can't focus on things that aren't mental priorities. What I would suggest (if breaks don't help) is a complete change of scenery.
Do you usually write at home? Maybe try the a coffee shop that has Wi-Fi. No laptop? Make a trip to the library and cut yourself off from all distractions - just write. Don't worry about what you're writing, just put something on paper. Once the juices are flowing you won't need to check TGR 5 times every hour :D
Completely agree. I had a couple summer classes to graduate college a few years ago and one was environmental philosopy. I would get stoned and write papers and I got an A on every damn one. It's not easy, but at least being under some influence can give you ideas to build on when sober.
[stoned bossass] If a dog and three people are in a liferaft with enough rations for three beings, you throw the dog overboard because human life is intrinsically more valuable then canine..........but, what if there is two humans, a dog and a fish? Not throwing the fish overboard would kill the fish. Therefor, the lifeboat example is flawed.......huh huh.[/stoned bossass]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grange
just keep writing, and then look at what you just wrote, say "this sucks" then rewrite it. I wrote a thesis last semester, and really the only thing that will MAKE you write is pressure or being in the mood. Since the latter doesn't come around very often, make yourself a schedule of when certain things need to be done. Even if you miss dates, you'll feel bad about them and write more often. Just keep the momentum going.
Thanks for the advice...I normally write a hell of a lot better when its on paper and not on the computer. So I shot over to the coffee shop, grabbed a snakc a soy chai and collected the thoughts. Just handed in a chapter for revisions and a poster draft for a conference. Things just started clicking.
And YogaChiquita....are you saying my writing is bad? Wouldn't suprise me if it was.