Thursday, October 20, 2011

Blog Hop Thursdays - Writer's Block

Click on the link below to get to this site.
Okay, you want to write, but you can’t. Every time you sit down to it, you freeze or else write badly. Maybe you’ve always been prolific, but suddenly it’s as if the well has dried up. Is it really writer's block? Question provided by author:MEGAN JOHNS

The allure, for me, in doing the blog hop, is the thought-provoking questions provided by the affiliates.  Thanks to Megan for this one, since being muse-less for a few months has driven me to distraction.

Writer's block for me really isn't the correct term, although it does describe what happens to me.  I prefer to think that my characters turn mute.  *lol*  When I say, I hear voices, there's no need to call the men in white coats.  Without the chatter in my head, I wouldn't have written 99% of the novels and stories I have published.

 I've often blogged about the imaginary revolving door in my head through which my characters pass.  It has no lock, and sometimes, it spins so fast, it makes me dizzy. However, recently, I think my current character put a wedge in the door and then decided to stop leading me on her journey.  Usually when a character pops into my head, they come with a title, cast in tow, and a story they tell that leads me to an unknown conclusion.  I view each novel I've written as a fun experience because I've not known my final destination until I arrive.  Writing for me is sort of like telling myself a long bedtime story.  I'm excited as it unfolds, and I can't wait to see where I'm headed.


Thankfully, Hattie is speaking to me again.  I have no idea what made her turn silent, but through some brainstorming with friends, I was able to jump start her story again and now I'm posting chapters to my critique group.  When the voices in my head turn mute, I start to worry.  Without them, I'm lost.


If you'd like to read more responses to Megan's question, please return to Alternative Read's website and click on links posted for those signed up to participate.  See you next week.





5 comments:

  1. I'm glad I'm not the only one with voices in my head. Although I'm not sure which is worse...them going mute, or fighting over which story I'm going to work on. Great article!

    Dakota

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  2. Interesting that you say writing for you is like reading yourself a story. It's exactly how I describe it for me. I'm definitely a pantser as opposed to a plotter. When I first started writing I seemed to be the only one who wrote that way, and you know how it is -- you wonder whether you're doing it right. I've since discovered that whatever works is perfectly fine, and I'm not the only one who doesn't know my story until it unfolds as I write it.

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  3. Great blog, Ginger. Brainstorming is a good tactic and I'm glad it worked for you

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  4. I am at that point right now, my characters have gone awol, and all my efforts to restart the project has simply sickened me of the wip. grrrrrr.
    Taking time out to play catch-up after a frustration summer of delays and disruptions.

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  5. Sometimes characters can be very stubborn and you have to really nudge them to reveal how they really feel and what they're going to do next!

    Morgan Mandel
    http://www.morganmandel.com
    http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

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