Hmm... I always find myself on a roll while writing my scripts some days. But most of the time, I am stuck. I know what to write, but it just doesn't come out write when I actually write it. Any particular advice you advise?

please, I need advice on this too!

As long as it's coming out you can always edit it when you read it over for rewrites... What I did when after 30 pages or 1st act of my script is I moved onto something else and just recently went back and it's flowing so smoothly now that I'm upwards of actually having it done.

So either force it and than edit it when you get unstuck or move onto something else ie writing for a series or rewrites of your older work... that kinda stuff.

Just write.  That would be my advice.  Force it if you have to.  Just write and see what the first draft looks like.  You could always go back and edit or do a rewrite or something.  That's what I do.  The worst thing I can do when I'm battling writer's block is to stop writing.  That makes it worse.

If you need a quick idea go to this website:

http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-writ.php

I don't think there's a hard and fast way to overcome writer's block. It's an insiduous force that must be stopped. But how to stop it?  Beats me.

Writer's block means it's time to read.

Find an issue or a topic of personal interest, and investigate that topic -- and related topics -- until you find yourself following up on things in which you had no previous interest.  Continue investigating new topics until you're lead to something about which you feel strongly, and then express those feelings in script form.

The cure for writers block is to watch a good movie. You will get inspired. Then put your movie on pause and write write write until your fingers get sore.

read lots of scripts whatch lots of good movies. And read books,

O.K. this might sound wierd, but write two scripts at the same time, that way when you get stuck on one script, you can switch over to the other.  then when your stumped on that script, hopefully youll have more ideas for the other.  It works really well for me.

Redeemer said it best:

Quoted from Redeemer I don't think there's a hard and fast way to overcome writer's block.

There is no one way.  Take the suggestions posted here and try to find which one works for you.

Another couple of suggestions:

Go into your bedroom, turn out the lights, draw the curtains, sit in the dark for twenty or thirty minutes, and think of nothing (or think of your characters).

Create a bio for your main characters.  This will be full of stuff that'll never make it into the screenplay, but all of it will affect the way your characters walk and talk.  Plus it gets those creative juices flowing.

Poke

Quoted from Rob S. Just write.  That would be my advice.  Force it if you have to.

Of course... Don't go too far!!!

Hey, thanks for the awesome advices, everyone! I'll be sure to try each of them when one doesn't work for me.

When you get stuck and can't go on... Go out and do something, be somewhere, talk to someone, eat alone in a public place full of faces to amuse yourself or just observe your surroundings.

I could never write a thing, had I never experienced anything. Staying inside is the last thing one can do, if trying to be creative in the minds eye department...

So I say if you are having some problems writing... Go out and experience something, doesn't matter what it is and it doesn't matter if you are chalk full of things to do in your daily life, I'm not saying that you don't do things mind you... I'm just saying do something you normally wouldn't do or something you find interesting.

I like going to the Casino's and loosing money, going to the gym, taking hikes, punching a bag, walking around the mall, eating at japanese steak houses are good too

Balt~

lol. My advice, get away from the casino. Anyway, I get what you're saying. I do that, too. I go out and observe stuff when I need inspiration or whatever.

I need to get away from the Casino, actually...  

I've been having the urge to write a script, but I have nothing to write about! I've tried concentrating on everyday things, but I guess my life isn't that interesting.

How do I defeat this evil thing? Lol.

Sean

Just chill out for a while. You'll come up with something. Forcing ideas isn't the best thing to do.

Write something else.  Even if it's two or three pages of crap.  You may end up throwing it out, but it'll get you started.

If you're in the middle of a scene in something you're writing, delete the last five pages your writing and resume from there.  That works too.


Phil

It seems like I always have writers block. But I do what Phil said, I either write a bunch of junk or I rewrite some of my current script to get on a role, and hope that it never stops, so I can finish the script.

My advice would be to never stop writing even if you have no clue what your writing...just write.

I find that taking a break is effective. You can also just read (which can lead to inspriation). Watch movies from your favorite genre. Just because you want to be a writer doesn't mean you have to write all the time. I will go on kicks where I will write non-stop for awhile and then turn out nothing for a few weeks. Why? Not inspired to do so.

Sometimes I will go back and tinker with older ideas. I might reread those unfinished drafts and see if they can be improved. That way, instead of forcing new ideas, I'm refining old ones.

Everyone is different, but this is what I do when I have nothing to write about.

The way I see it, is this is what I hope to be doing as a job. So, I'm treating it like a job. You can't just do it when you feel like it, you have to stay at it no matter what. Though it may not be true, I look at it like this. You don't write you don't eat, watch TV, or anything else. Because if it was a job and you just stopped doing it, you wouldn't have the money for all those things.
I'm pretty sure this is, unless something happens, what I'm supposed to be doing. Something in the movie area, even if it isn't writing. (I want to Direct and edit!)

So, I treat it like a job.

Whehn I working as a writer (I developed training materials for a call center), I did not spend 100% of my time writing. Sure, I was supposed to come up with something, but I did not necessarily turn out something every single day. As long as I showed some kind of progress, my track record of quality spoke for itself, and I was left alone. I never missed a deadline.

Screenwriting is not an every day job. It's a job where you create something wonderful and sell it.

I also try to treat writing like a job - but I also know that sometimes ideas just won't come.  That's why I keep a journal of plots and loglines and characters from various stories so I can just work on something else until I can return to my original idea ready to write.  

Try to write everyday even if it does come out like crap, because you'll be writing twice as bad if you wait a month, or a week even.

From my experience when I have a general idea for a story but I'm crap for inspiration there is an assortment of things that are  helpful. Write what you know isn't the worst thing. Think about experiences in your life that were really important to you, you have to believe in what your writing (or atleast be fairly personal to you) or else it will be just a half baked story.

Watching movies can help but then I find myself too distracted to relate them to my script. Reading is excellent, even if it isn't related to your story, reading novels can spark just small thoughts or ideas in your head that can explode into the base of your script. Being with people and hanging out helps me a lot too. Looking at photographs (whether personal or in those large photography books) can conjure up new ideas. Newspaper and magazine articles in addition can inspire ideas or just small situations.

Research. Even if you're writing fantasy or horror. Research abadoned houses or legends if your doing some creepy haunted house thriller. Research is so crucial when writing anything where the setting is an important part of your script. Almost any idea you have can be researched. Just small things I've found can inspire a whole scene in your script.
If you just collect what other films have done and build on them you don't fully understand what your writing and where it comes from. This is a problem with many scripts these days.

Keeping busy with others and research is good. Then when it's time to sit down you have a slate full of ideas in your brain. If your writing and can't move further get up and get fresh air. George Lucas hates writing scripts. The past two Star Wars movies he said he had to force himself to write every day. Although it's important to keep some self disipline while writing, you have to want to write it. When you sit down knowing what you want you'll find yourself better off.

Tony Tuff Nutz makes some good points, though I don't particularly agree upon writing what you know (I don't think any one has actually ever time traveled, met a giant gorilla, sought out to destroy a mystical ring or fought terrorist with gunfight after gunfight) - but I guess he means themes that you know?  I'm not sure.

Outlining always helps though.  Knowing your entire story to where you've got it to memory is good - if you've got writers block.  If not, it can get annoying and make you hate the story or not feel like writing something you already know.

But outlining is good.

So is watching movies, reading books, and articles from the news and magazines.  Anything might give you that thing you need to suddenly know what happens next.

Quoted from Stephen Wegmann Tony Tuff Nutz makes some good points, though I don't particularly agree upon writing what you know (I don't think any one has actually ever time traveled, met a giant gorilla, sought out to destroy a mystical ring or fought terrorist with gunfight after gunfight) - but I guess he means themes that you know?  I'm not sure.

Tony does make some great points. In a way all writers write what they know, subconsciously at least. Every character you create is either an extension of yourself or someone you know. The themes you explore are themes that are important to you, themes that you care about. If you're not passionate about your story, why should anyone else be passionate about it?

If you work in Burger King, that doesn't mean you have to write about Burger King, but when you go about writing that epic sci-fi fantasy, why not take the traits of your tyrannical Burger King boss and use him as a model for your intergalactic villain? Or take the class clown you knew at school and use him as your hero's sidekick. Subconsciously we do this all the time. Writing what you know means writing characters that you know in situations you can understand.

Doctor, that was a perfect explanation.  Many because I love Burger King, but also because that example truly explains write what you know.  

Thank you all so much. I've finally started writing cr** like you've all said, and it's because I got it from Driver's Ed (my teachers like to tell stories and they're funny stories sometimes so I just put all together and see what kind of formula I can make) so I will see how I am going, and, hey, I might actually continue and make it good!

Thanks again everyone. Maybe I shouldn't worry next time...

Sean

Why don't you write a script about driving lessons with a tutor at High School.. Everything that could go wrong - does!

Good idea for a scenario..

Have two bank robbers get into the car wielding guns and take the tutor and driver hostage.. The poor guy or girl, having driving lessons has to contend with this situation,  driving way too fast, driving on sidewalks, crashing into trashcans, jumping traffic lights and other very bad stuff you're not supposed to do as a learner driver.. All to the consternation of the tutor who pulls his hair out.. All the time the tutor tries to have the learner drive the correct way and the robbers tell him otherwise..

You’d need to set-up a proper scenario to fill out ACT II and think of a reversal entering into ACT III but hey, this idea is a starting point, right?

DRIVING MISS CRAZY

DRIVING ME CRAZY

DRIVING TO THE LIMIT

Few titles ideas there too..

I think Kevan's got something there.  Someone!  Go write it!

I've always considered the term "writer's block" to be antonymous to what it really is -- an inability to write not because you can't think of anything to write, but because you can't focus on one thing in particular.  I'm never at a loss for ideas...but I get writer's block all the time because when I try to concentrate on one thing, too many other things interrupt my thought process as if vying for space.  

So, what I do is just start free-styling; writing about nothing in particular.  No need to feel embarrassed or self-conscious about whatever nonsense spills out of you because no one else is going to read it.  But, by writing about whatever crosses your mind, you'll find yourself actually just filtering ideas and before long you'll find yourself writing a story (not always the one you wanted to write) just from having exorcised your distractions by writing about them.

Works for me, anyway.

If you think you can open up a software package and begin writing a screenplay right off the bat then you'll be making as big mistake and probably end up staring at a blank screen with a flashing cursor..

Plan, plan, and plan again.. Read and research ain't a bad idea too..

Some people are Forest People, according to Charles Deemer, these types tend to be very creative and write from their hearts. They dive in and go for it with a basic idea of what they want and use discovery of what they want during the writing process.. Later, during re-writes Forest People will correct and edit until they fine tune their original idea..

Tree People, on the other hand, plan the heck out of a project, research, plan, make notes. They also write a synposis, a treatment, have a loglone and a tagline before they write their screenplay. In fact, Tree People know exactly where the story and what their characters are going to do and say before they even write a single word.. All because, they plan before hand.. When Tree People write their screenplay everything slots onto place within the 3 ACT structure..

All said and done by Charles Deemer in his excellent book

Screenwright
The Craft of Screenwriting
by Charles Deemer

Link about the book here:
http://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-screenwrite/m-1139164026/

Check it out...

Lately I've been getting killed by writer's block... I hate it, and it should go die somewhere far away. I'll use some of this advice people have been posting.

I often have problems with writer's block, but hey, as James N. Frey said in one of his "Damn Good Novels", people who get bugged down by writer's block can only be called one thing...CHICKEN! Don't hate me, I'm just relaying what he said! LOL!

Quoted from Stephen Wegmann I also try to treat writing like a job - but I also know that sometimes ideas just won't come.  That's why I keep a journal of plots and loglines and characters from various stories so I can just work on something else until I can return to my original idea ready to write.   Try to write everyday even if it does come out like crap, because you'll be writing twice as bad if you wait a month, or a week even.

Great advice Stephen. I've written it down and stuck it on my notice board. Cheers.

Thanks, Takeshi.  I hate writer's block.  The last script I wrote was last summer.  I outlined the hell out of it and wrote it in 6 days and it came out pretty fantastic.  I've had nothing since then.  I'm still looking for the best idea to work on - that's the only downside to having so many ideas you want to write.

Last night I was flipping through the Handbook for Writers and Editors.
I just love some of those sample paragraphs and sentences they use for you to pick parts of speech from, e.g., Thankfully, his relatives were not only distant but also unsociable. Before I studied grammar, I was quite sane. LOL.
  
Anyway, last night I came across a beauty that's relevant this thread.

I'm a strong believer in "free writing", by which I mean writing straight onto the page without stopping. To do this you have to silence the critic within you who tells you your ideas are no good and your sentences are poorly constructed. If you take notice of that, you'll never get a sentence written as you'll cross out every word and try again and again until you can't be bothered any more. But if you ignore that voice and just write, something magical might happen in your head and on the page. You can bring the critic back later to improve the piece, if necessary.

I searched everywhere and couldn't find a thread so here it goes. I have terrible writers block. I try to write but I just stop. I can' think about anything new and get frusterated. Anyways how to get out of it? I need it. I want my screenplay finished before the end of the year.

Of course I've taken breaks and relaxed but, I can't get a even flow going. I write about a sentence or two than can' think. Lets hear some of your stories and how ou got out of writers block.



Moderator note: I've merged your thread into the pre-existing one.

-Zavier

a lot of times when this happens to me its because i've lost interest in the story i am trying to tell or - i've hit a roadblock... either with a plot point - or i just have no idea of how to write the scene im trying to write.

sometimes you just have to force yourself to write through it... even if it sucks and come back to it later and fix it. feedback and collaberation helps too.

To me, you can't force an idea. Otherwise it won't be the very best you could come up with and it will just be filler.

What I do is work on one several creenplays basically. I usually concentrate moreso on one that I think I have enough ideas and willing to work on. If I don't have enough material to finish it, I put it off to the side until I do. I keep notes about several different ideas until I can find a place for them, or can gather enough up to where I could start piecing them together. If it takes a while, I'd rather the end result be something I can be proud of rather than just another full length story I wrote,but sucks.

The most you could do if you're feeling stuck, is try not to think about it, and try to work on another idea. Listen to music that influences you or goes with the theme of the piece, or watch movies in the style of what you want, or other movies you get highly influenced by. Ideas will come in time, it's just a matter of how patient you are. That's my two cents.

Read scripts or watch movies to gain inspiration.

Or stop forcing yourself and relax from the story.  Ideas may come when you least expect it.

Now I am not sure you are engaged in a project or trying to get one started and do not know where to start or what to write. You have it there but won't come out. It is almost horribly reminiscent of those dreaded school essays isn't it. Now this is entirely up to you and many of your friends are right really, just write but I can hear you scream, what can I write Perriwinkle ..... Right, if you are considering a project. I don't know whether you are a struggling amateur like I am with a few things published. If so, good for yoiu, that is a gradual advance.  Tell me to mind my dammed business but how flush are you?  I mean how prepared are you to make an investment for your self? Are you prepared to spend some money for a start? This I add is not everyone's cup of tea and you may not be keen but there is a marvellous piece of software you can buy called New Novelist. Write to Ms Sally Green, Creativity Software, 12-50 Kingsgate Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey W1W 7SU.  Incidentally, if you want to sit on your hands, not literally, dear heavens of course but there is a new one coming out shortly, New Novelist 2. Once you get it, download it, whichever you buy, you may or may not have a serial/code to fill in, my third one was so easy, it was laughable, nothing to do but download. Once in, you can plan, stage by stage then take it one at a time. It might seem long and laborious but once you start, I am afraid to tell you such terrible news, you won't be able to stop - in short, you will be addicted and sadly no cure, not even cold Turkey unless you take a week's holiday and that might be purgatory. No, joking really, it is a lot of fun but build up some snack food supplies, need to keep your strength up, come up for air though, you will need it!!! Web site is http://www.newnovelist.com .  Another worth considering is Rob Walton's Write It Now, http://www.writeitnow.com , email:writeitnow@ravensheadservices.com. However if you cannot think of what to start next, and while it is true you should just write, even if it is that silly rhyme about quick brown foxes and that palava, I recommend something a little different. First, most important, get yourself a nice little notebook from your local stationery or supermarket.  Also buy yourself a large ringbinder. Surprised, you won't be, I can assure you.  Now by the time you have finished setting this idea diary up, you will be inundated. Jot it down as you go along.  Get some dividers while you are there as well or if you have some at home that are ready for recycling[used again for this project] Do you have Powerpoint or even word for that matter, OK.  Make it a pleasure to use, design a nice lable for its front and the dividers[12] for each month of the year. Label them appropriately, use Word and Clip Art. Stick them on the dividers or slip them into plastic sleeves, there, you have it. Sorry I cannot do a Blue Peter, here is one I have done before but I am sure you get the gist of it.  Collect enough ideas for stories etc for each month of the year. If your handwriting is anything like mine, a little challenging to read at the best of times after a few days/weeks, set up a file for ideas. Set up a page, label it in the month you are in then type the ideas out. Keep on doing it, before long, you will have more ideas than you honestly know what to do with. There is one company that deals with such concepts, ideas that is but this is a little less expensive. Use abbreviations for characters, ie. W[Woman] WF[Woman Friend. M[Male] MF.Male Friend, A. Antagonist, AF...... Look in the papers, listen to the news, read, that is another thing. I am reading John Buchan and I nearly always have a seed of something from his books. Reading cannot be too greatly emphasised.  Good luck and I hope this has helped you even if I have been a little too flippant. The important thing is do not tear your hair out.  Regards, Perrywinkle

What exactly are you working on because I have a vague idea that I can quickly solve your problem - the chances are that you need to do some research or you are floundering around a bit because you need a wee bit of guidance.  I recently for the third time lucky, reinstalled Write Ambition Screenwriting software and now getting the idea. I would not say it is easy. I had to print out the manual into hard copy then read through it, highlighting important areas.  I am also at some point going to have a go on some free software I downloaded the other day.  Perhaps some theory reading might be helpful like Dummies, you could do worse and who knows, it might benefit if you take some vital notes in the process, particularly if you take it out of the library.After all, it is only for your benefit after all. You are not going to sell it,just guidance.  What books have you got at home, if they are thrillers, you could adapt one but it is recommended you read them three times, noting down the scenes. There are so many that could be put to film. Read your newspapers and take cuttings that could be converted into a film.  Good luck to you and hope you will overcome this problem. We have all been there and it is just knowing what action is required to cure the malady.