Blank Page, Oh How I HATE You! | The Official Heather Quarnstrom Blog

The Official Heather Quarnstrom Blog Writer, WAHM, and Mother, but NEVER in that order.

Lately I've been having some serious issues with writer's block. It seems like all the time I have so many ideas just floating around my brain until I sit down to actually write. The second I pick up a pen/pencil, or sit down at the computer my brain just empties. It's beginning to make me insane. I have all these things plotted out and notes written down, but when it comes time to turn them in to something -- *poof*. Sometimes I get lucky and can get a few words down, but then if I look them over I am horrified. I start wondering who on earth would read this? It's worse than the worse thi...

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Blank Page, Oh How I HATE You!

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Lately I’ve been having some serious issues with writer’s block. It seems like all the time I have so many ideas just floating around my brain until I sit down to actually write. The second I pick up a pen/pencil, or sit down at the computer my brain just empties. It’s beginning to make me insane. I have all these things plotted out and notes written down, but when it comes time to turn them in to something — *poof*.

Sometimes I get lucky and can get a few words down, but then if I look them over I am horrified. I start wondering who on earth would read this? It’s worse than the worse thing I’ve ever read. (And let me tell you I have read some pretty bad writing while surfing the web, lol.) I start to freak out and think maybe writing isn’t my thing. Maybe I really don’t have the talent it takes to make people want to read what I’ve written? Then of course that starts another round of writer’s block even worse than the one before it.

I have this entire world and cast of characters that I want to introduce to the world that I just can’t seem to bring out to play. They’re banging around in my head and screaming to let them out. Then when it’s time to put up or shut up I just can’t seem to find them. It’s just so frustrating and depressing and makes me just want to scream! (Or find some time wasters that will distract me. I must say — Facebook is a double edged sword for that.)

Anyone out there have any tips to help get past the blank page? Or to get past the fear of what you are actually producing? I’m open to pretty much anything at this point to try to save some of my sanity.

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ginabad (1 comments.) says:

March 12, 2010 at 6:43 pm

Ok, you are doing what I did in the beginning: reading what you write. STOP. NOW. Just write. Use a software that allows you to NOT see the screen. OR, reduce your window to the height of the line you are writing. Keep writing til your session is over.

Go back the next day and read your last sentence ONLY. DO NOT rewrite, no matter how it sucks. Go forward and write the next line.

Try to leave off at cliffhangers. Makes it easier to go back. If you don’t know a direction to go in, go anyway. I find if I leave off at a spot of indecision in a story, I will not want to go back. Or, throw in a cliff hanger: kill someone off. Bankrupt your protagonist. Have him get arrested or in a vicious car accident or sucked into a wormhole. You get the picture.

All writers suck in rough draft. All. It’s in the edit we create art, but you have to have something to edit first – and it really does have to be complete.

Good luck! I hope this helps, it worked for me. (It’s the editing that’s doing me in, lol…
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Heather (2 comments.) says:

March 12, 2010 at 8:00 pm

Thanks so much! It helps just to know that I’m not the only writer that feels this way. I will definitely try to stop myself from reading what I write. That’s really what started this whole issue.
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cyndic88 says:

March 13, 2010 at 3:16 pm

I had the same problem a couple of weeks ago, I started carrying around a notebook and I write down things when I think of them and then put them all together later. Maybe it will help? You are certainly right about you having a cast of charaters! LOL Hope everyone is well.
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