Help!

[Rala]

Argh... I sooooo have writer's block... or just any kind of block really (it could be permanent for all I know!),  I can quite easily get in tune with the flow when writing my poetry... but for some crazy reason I have taken a writing fiction subject for an elective this semester and am having DIRE troubles writing my first assessment pice - a short story (2000-4000 words).

It's sooo bizarre.. I have started about 4 or 5 so far, all of which sound promising but then I just get a block after about half a page and can't write anymore... maybe I am strictly a poet! I have no idea.. I never really wrote much in the way of 'stories' before.

A little help?  

'Girls you've got to know when it's time to turn the page......'
(if only I had more than a page of writing to turn...!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rala   ;D

[luceluna]

in my experience, writing is something that simply refuses to be forced. if it's not coming, it's not. to nudge it along, though, you could try -

1) music (playing it or listening to it)
2) meditation
3) writing exercises (like the one you posted a while back - these seriously help. think of it as trying to be an athlete who doesn't train or take part in any other form of exercise other than the one she competes in.)
4) walking and exercise in general (gets those endorphins going)

;D

[Rala]

thanx for the advice Dan  

I shall try some of your suggestions over the weekend and hopefully I will loosen up and get something happening! If not I am going to fail miserabley... Oh well dem's de breaks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Rala  ;D

[dirtgirl]

The key is 'unconscious streaming'.  Dan is write ( ;D), don't force the issue, just let the ideas speak for themselves...

Walking is great...just always carry a notebook with you to catch the ideas...

[Rala]

Ok well after some serious deliberations... I thought of this: To get around my problem of writing very short short short stories that are great (except they are waay to short fo this assignment) I should try writing a letter exchange type story..

This way I can write short short letters back and forth between two people and lots of them which = one short story!

Will have a go tonight and hopefully get something passable out of it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rala  ;D

[luceluna]

let us know how you go

[dirtgirl]

8)

sounds very innovative and provocative  

[Rala]

ok, well I tried out the letter to letter option, and found that it overcame my length problem, but I also found I was kind of 'overwriting' it if you know what I mean. It was getting very involving and seemingly couldn't end... soooo I startedd from scratch AGAIN and wrote a more or less straight out descriptive story that ended up arounf 3000 words but was by no means finished. Handed in today and am awaiting the harsh marks now..

~~~~~~~~`
Rala   ;D

[Miette]

Do harsh marks matter?

[Rala]

Well not when it comes to how I feel about the story, but I do respect what this lecturer has to say about writing, and when he marks he takes it quite seriously, so when you get back your work it's covered in pencil scribblings to the point that you can't recognise it sometimes! All full of editing/re-writing/suggestions/corrections!!!!

It's a little heartbreaking to have a work ripped apart, but at the same time it is useful for the next project...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rala  ;D