Writers' Bloc - Creative Writing Off Topic Thread

Dave! · 29-06-2014 9:32am

Welcome

Das Kitty · 29-06-2014 10:04am

Heyo!

Welcome!

Rubecula · 29-06-2014 4:31pm

greetings and salutations smiler lady150. It is a pleasure to meet you.

GalwayGuy2 · 29-06-2014 7:39pm

Am I the only one that loves writing, and the time flies when I write, but have such an aversion to sitting down and writing? :P

Dave! · 29-06-2014 7:41pm

Yeah, it's the "getting started" part that gives me the most trouble

Too many distractions and stuff... Once I put pen to paper, I can generally get something done, but the first step is difficult.

Das Kitty · 29-06-2014 7:46pm

It's just procrastination like any other.

The first few paragraphs can be a struggle.

Dave! · 29-06-2014 7:52pm

Actually wrote a bit of a free-versey type poem in the park this evening, after having listened to Allen Ginsberg reading "Howl" about 5 times. Thought it ended up pretty decent.

Moleskin notepads are pretty neat – I've written a few things in mine over the last 3 weeks. Was gonna wait until I go back home before typing them up, but I reckon I'll type today's one now and start playing around with it!

Rubecula · 29-06-2014 8:20pm

I can get started easy enough and I have all kinds of stories in my head. but finishing them is a real struggle ... on paper anyway

donalh087 · 29-06-2014 8:42pm

Dave! wrote: »

Can ya get away with a story in which very little happens? I'm writing up a slightly amusing take on some pretty mundane stuff that happened to me today! Doesn't seem like that would be the kind of thing that would get published; shouldn't there be some sort of plot that goes somewhere, and characters, etc.?

William Trevor said (and I'm paraphrasing) that a novel must have a plot and a short story must have a point.

Make sure there is some point to what you are writing.

writer_lady170 · 29-06-2014 11:10pm

thanks for the welcome guys:)

yeah I find it a bit of a struggle getting started as well, i'm very easily distracted so i have to turn off my net and phone otherwise i get nothing done! Usually i find it easier after the first few paragraphs

Dave! · 30-06-2014 1:10am

So I've written and revised a couple more poems now and am quite happy with them – probably even more so than I am with the ones I've been submitting to journals to date! And even better is that I've managed to break out of the rigid rhyme and meters that I've been using. I've tried some free verse stuff before, but have never been happy with it. I wouldn't even normally read free verse. But these last couple I really like (for the moment)!

Might increase my chances of getting published – structured poetry is sooo not sexy these days

Das Kitty · 04-07-2014 11:15am

So this is going on:

http://www.museodelapalabra.com/en/short-tales-contest/4-edition/participation-form

You can enter up to two stories of 100 words or fewer. It's an enormous prize of 20,000 dollars, with a 2,000 runner up prize. I'm going to enter a couple anyway, but in preparation I'm going to try to write as many as possible and pick the two strongest.

If you can write in Hebrew or Arabic, I would imagine your chances at a runner-up prize are greatly increased!

Here are last year's winners.

http://www.museodelapalabra.com/en/short-tales-contest/3-edition/item/626-jury-s-final-decision-flash-fiction-competition-museum-of-words

coffee_cake · 04-07-2014 11:36am

"The eye" is my favourite one there
That's some story

Das Kitty · 17-07-2014 9:23am

I'm trying to get something together for this:

http://www.writing.ie/writing-comps/2014-over-the-edge-new-writer-of-the-year-competition/

I had something in particular in mind, but when I sat down and wrote it, it turned out to be twice as long as the competition allows. I sat down last night and started fixing up something else. LORD.

There really aren't enough hours in a day.

GalwayGuy2 · 17-07-2014 11:04am

I'm trying to get something together for this:

http://www.writing.ie/writing-comps/...r-competition/

I had something in particular in mind, but when I sat down and wrote it, it turned out to be twice as long as the competition allows. I sat down last night and started fixing up something else. LORD.

There really aren't enough hours in a day.

Nice competition. Any requirements for the story?

Das Kitty · 17-07-2014 11:06am

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Nice competition. Any requirements for the story?

Just what it says on the tin.

Al Monds · 18-07-2014 1:22pm

I sometimes have difficulty getting back to writing,
I could never claim it was writer's bloc - it was really laziness.

Other times when I get going I can't stop.
So much so even the hoover gathers dust.

I like the William Trevor quote.
All my writing is pointless which probably explains why I can't write short stories.
Probably explains why I can't read short stories because I never get the point.

But I might reconsider in the light of the Trevor quote.

Thanks for that.

GalwayGuy2 · 21-07-2014 10:11am

Have a designated writing spot at a designated time and stick to it. That works for some, but not for others.

Personally, I space my writing out throughout the day, and listen to music beforehand. I have a folder with my 'OST' (:P) and that seems to put my mind into storywritng mode. Although, it takes a bit of effort to go counter to the atmosphere of the song.

Anyway, the Wire has some fine writing in it. It really paints a picture of Baltimore, the dialogue is great and the characterization is brilliant. The pacing is off though. Well, not 'off', but I'm not a fan of the slow pacing.

I mention it because I'm trying to learn writing skills from every single piece of 'art'/ entertainment. :P

Duckee · 22-07-2014 9:12am

GalwayGuy2,

Cool. What's on your pre-writing playlist?

Also, if you space your writing throughout the day, do you stick to a time limit too? or just write down the page until stuck and then return to it later?

I loved the Wire but it definitely falls into the category of 'worth being patient for'. I felt the same way about Breaking Bad. The first few episodes were a bit meh but sticking with it was ssooooooo worthwhile.

GalwayGuy2 · 22-07-2014 3:09pm

Make your own:) Listen to radio on spotify, or the galway bay online, and jot down any song that makes you think of a scene. Eg: Goodbye Moon in Kill Bill makes me think of a) A strong female character,

A scene with a very grey colour scheme, or C) A slow rhythm.

I deliberately don't keep a time count. I space it out during the day and I find I don't get stuck or bored as quick. I end up with 1, 000 words ish each day. Might not be a load, but definitely more than usual.

Oh, also, change your page color to yellow

It's softer on the eyes.

Agent Weebley · 22-07-2014 3:28pm

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Make your own:) Listen to radio on spotify, or the galway bay online, and jot down any song that makes you think of a scene. Eg: Goodbye Moon in Kill Bill makes me think of a) A strong female character, A scene with a very grey colour scheme, or C) A slow rhythm.

I deliberately don't keep a time count. I space it out during the day and I find I don't get stuck or bored as quick. I end up with 1, 000 words ish each day. Might not be a load, but definitely more than usual.

Oh, also, change your page color to yellow It's softer on the eyes.

I may listen to a song multiple times for days before I use it. A song backfired on me last week, causing me to be unable to write.

Oh, and that tune . . good, but a little asphyxiating.

Duckee · 22-07-2014 3:56pm

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Make your own:) Listen to radio on spotify, or the galway bay online, and jot down any song that makes you think of a scene. Eg: Goodbye Moon in Kill Bill makes me think of a) A strong female character, A scene with a very grey colour scheme, or C) A slow rhythm.

I deliberately don't keep a time count. I space it out during the day and I find I don't get stuck or bored as quick. I end up with 1, 000 words ish each day. Might not be a load, but definitely more than usual.

Oh, also, change your page color to yellow It's softer on the eyes.

Lol. I was thinking more along the lines of the theme from Rocky as a motivational tool. :pac: (I have an image of a group of writers running up and down steps and bench-pressing underwood typewriters)

Your way (i.e. mood setting music) makes much more sense.

I reckon a 1000 words a day is pretty good. Usually if I can end up with one decent sentence after a writing session I'm laughing.

Das Kitty · 22-07-2014 4:07pm

I use one of the focus playlists on spotify as musical wallpaper when I'm writing. It works well.

WomanSkirtFan8 · 24-07-2014 12:42am

bluewolf wrote: »

I am not sure but I think it ended with "what could possibly go wrong" :pac:

I think that's what's called "tempting fate."

Dave! · 25-07-2014 12:34pm

Damn, rejected for Wordlegs' last issue. Was a bit of a long shot!

Anyways—today I'm gonna send in some of my new stuff to a few places. I reckon I'll have a better chance with this stuff.

Das Kitty · 25-07-2014 1:39pm

Dave! wrote: »

Damn, rejected for Wordlegs' last issue. Was a bit of a long shot!

Anyways—today I'm gonna send in some of my new stuff to a few places. I reckon I'll have a better chance with this stuff.

I haven't heard from wordlegs yet. Eep.

I've got stuff to send at the moment too. 3 things in the space of a week. I think I can!

Duckee · 25-07-2014 6:48pm

Das Kitty wrote: »

I haven't heard from wordlegs yet. Eep.

I've got stuff to send at the moment too. 3 things in the space of a week. I think I can!

You can do it!!

writer_lady170 · 25-07-2014 7:56pm

Das Kitty wrote: »

I haven't heard from wordlegs yet. Eep.

I've got stuff to send at the moment too. 3 things in the space of a week. I think I can!

best of luck!:)

Hope to get back into writing myself, still writing the blog but real life has gotten in the way of writing the book. But I'm a third of the way there, it hasn't killed me yet!

Duckee · 26-07-2014 12:12pm

Finished my short story for the Sean O Faolain competition. Just needs to be proofed and formatted and I'll be sending it off tonight.

**excited**

Das Kitty · 26-07-2014 8:30pm

Woop!

Accepted for wordlegs!

Writers' Bloc - Creative Writing Off Topic Thread

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