@@@Inspiration@@@ When The Words Won't Come...

Alrik Today as I was walking my dogs, I could definitely feel the wind!!! The weather has been pretty wild out here. Today is my day off, and tomorrow it's back to the city...and work. I love printing out stories on here and reading them on the bus on the way to the city. I can just leisurely read and the time goes by so fast!

Hi Keeper of Swords!!! **Points anxiously to the Before the Saga thread!!!<------....your heroes are in jeopardy over there!!!** Must keep you out of DWB!!! Walking your dog at night sounds wonderful. I used to do that when I lived closer to the city and everything was more peaceful and you could see the stars. Great time for inspiration. That's actually how I got my name. I used to write Haiku's at night as I walked with my dog.

The Full Moon:

Glowing sphere above
Honoring the evening sky
Tangled in the trees

I've got so many of these things scattered around the house...

I agree with you about re-reading your work to get you at the right pace and not repeat things. I agree too about movies inspiring you. That's one of the great things about fan fiction is you have inspiration with the movies. I know you do a lot of original characters and I think that it does help to imagine a real life actor to help mete out their actions.

I find saber fighting to be really hard to do and also fight scenes. Part of it is envisioning the fight so that it can be seen clearly by the readers. You mentioned the fight between Dooku and Obi-Wan and how it seemed false because his saber didn't cut all the way through. You're right in sci-fi, it just doesn't come out like we'd think if we were writing about a weapon here. I want to make it as realistic as possible and I find that difficult.

Diane Thanks for stopping by! I think I'm going to start using this thread to nag people **Points anxiously to the SAGA thread!!!...---->***

I agree with you about wanting to re-edit and re-edit and re-edit everytime I re-read my work. It can get out of hand. I know what you mean by working off a set outline and getting blase about it. I'm not sure what to do about that yet. Because we DO know what is going to happen, how do we keep the magic alive?

I also agree with you about the lightsaber scenes in SW. The sounds and special effects in the dual with Luke and Vader were spectacular.

 

Hey all.

My biggest problem these days is Darth Banal, or the absolute lack to write a scene with enough snap to catch the readers' attentions.

I'm working on an OC fic right now, and while the scene I'm stuck on is kinda transitory (ie, just to move the plot), I just can't seem to write it properly, as if my resevoir of creativity is drying up. Not a good thing when you're in the middle of a series of fics

Oh well, one can hope I can dig a little deeper mentally and find an as-yet undiscovered nugget or two.

 

Hello Whiskey in the Jar-Jar

Darth Banal sounds particularly evil

I agree sometimes I have this great idea and I can't get it down right. Sometimes I have to keep writing and writing before you get that kind of flow going. (Does that make any sense?) Everything feels so choppy sometimes and I'm looking up every other word in the thesaurus...(then I know I'm really in trouble!!!)

Good luck to you, and let us know how you're doing and if you find a way to evaporate Darth Banal once and for all.

 

When I have writer's block I go for a run, or I go upstairs and work out while I watch a movie (Moulin Rouge anyone?). If all that fails I take a hot bath and read. And there are times when I simply accept I have writer's block and revel in it by doing other things. I just started back writing after a ten year hiatus so I have to go WAY back in my memory for coping techniques, LOL!

 

Whatever you're doing VaderLVR it's working!!!

There is something about working out and just completely taking your mind off of things to help get the ideas flowing in your subconscious. Thanks for your ideas

 

Weird as it might sound, housecleaning tends to loosen the little grey cells in my head. I've had some pretty persistant plot bunnies latch onto my leg while doing the dishes or mopping the floor, so if ideas come that way, well, 'nuff said.

Worst case of writer's block I had, the fella I was with came home to floors so clean you could do surgery off of and the ugly as sin deep shag carpet we had in the living room vacuumed and fully raked. He looked at it, then at me who just grabbed the long handled duster to tackle the ceiling fan and said, "Hit a brainfart, didn't ya?" LOL.

 

"Hit a brainfart, didn't ya?" LOL.

It's always funny when someone knows you that well. No one in my house reads anything I write, so I inflict it on the people on these boards, LOL! I also write more when my life is a bit stressful, it's like cheap therapy! My oldest son has really serious health problems so I tend to write more when I'm worried about him. He doesn't let me hover so I I hover over paper and pen, it works for us!

 

No one in my house reads anything I write...

I'm in the same boat. My wife just doesn't 'get' it, I suppose. She loves to read, just not my stuff. Oh well.

 

I'm in the same boat. My wife just doesn't 'get' it, I suppose. She loves to read, just not my stuff. Oh well.

It was the same for me with my fella, though he's not really much of a reader. He just chalked it up to something that made me happy so it was just a thing of mine.

That changed when I'd stepped away from the from the computer to make a fresh pot of coffee and he just walked past and glanced at the screen since I was in the middle of an original story which was just an actual event that happened to me, but adding a supernatural twist to it. I come back to see him fully reading it and he asked me about it since he was there when the real thing happened.

He just nodded and after that he's always at least breezed through what I've written to 'just see the storyline' as he says. LOL.

 

My oldest daughter reads all my stories (the other one is too young yet). My husband "claims" to have read a few but I don't think so. He's happy that I have a hobby that I like but reading them.... he'd rather read non-fiction. Oh, well...

 

Vampi_DygitalwytchHit a brainfart, didn't ya? I love it! I was just making enchiladas tonight, thinking of different ways to torture poor Obi-Wan. Maybe cooking helps too!

VaderLVR I'm sorry to hear about your son! I agree with you about therapy with writing. I think thats why I'm attracted to angst. But after reading Force Help Me, She's Pregnant, I have to say humor really brightens my day! I actually created this thread after I had a night from hell at the hospital. A patient coded and it ended really bad. It felt good just trying to think of things that inspired me.

Whiskey in the JarJar Oh my gosh you guys, I'm in the same boat. My significant other will not read anything related to StarWars and wants me to do something that "makes money." But, since my day job is enough for money I'd rather make writing something I enjoy doing and StarWars is something I love! So I'm with you VaderLVR, you guys on the boards must take the brunt of my writing

Vampi I love the story of your fella just happening to see your story on the computer and keeping track of your storylines. Thats great!

Diane That's really neat that you have a "beta reader" in your home! My step-son loves Star Wars and he read my first work for me but now that he's all moved out, I can't get him to do it for me anymore. Life is too busy for 19 year olds! But I'm still planning on taking him to the next Star Wars movie. We always go together because my sig. other does not get what I see in it!

 

Let me join the club! My husband only reads if its a computer manuel (BORING) or video game instructions. No one else I know personaly is as big a SW fan as I am, hense why I'm here.

 

Well...

It always seems as if I'm in some sort of Writer's Block. For me, basically, the onlyt time when I hit it is when I lose the passion for a story I'm writing. I don't know why it happens, but I always suffer burnouts. After that, it's downhill. I either start another story, work on viggie for days, or just abandon it.

...


Oh well.

-Krystal

 

Welcome JadeDjo My Sig other likes to read the about the riding lawn mower or how to fix and wire the stereo. I'm not complaining mind, but Star Wars is a galaxy far, far away!!!

KrystalBlaze I came to that point with the fic I was working on. It was just too much!

I don't know why it happens, but I always suffer burnouts. I hear ya! We're in a tricky situation doing fan fiction. Its wonderful that we have a world created that we can play with, but we are also limited there in some ways. I like your idea of working on something else if the story isn't coming. I just started a project working with other people and it kinda inspires me to see what they've written. It gets my creative juices flowing.

Good luck Krystal

 

Ok, I just got over an illness that has zapped my creativity for the last week and left me in a void. Any suggestion on how to get back into the writing groove?

 

He's happy that I have a hobby that I like but reading them.... he'd rather read non-fiction. Oh, well...

Diane my hubby is just the same.. part of the reason he only posted twice in my fic .. he likes nonfiction better.

 

Actually, Krystal, talking about it face to face with another writer might help you get out of the doldrums. I know that whenever Arldetta and I get together, she really sparks my creativity and I go back and write more. I also know that begging on my part has helped her get restarted!

Or do some intense PMing with a reader that really loves your story. They might just get you sparked up and ready to write again.

 

Hey JadeDjo

I'm sorry about your illness. I think that could sap anyone's creativity!!!

I've been reading some books on writing lately, trying to get some pointers. I don't find that as inspiring as just getting down my thoughts on paper. It just seems that things start flowing. Not right away, but after awhile, it's like my brain finally warms up and starts working! And thank goodness for beta readers because sometimes those thoughts are a little out there!

Good luck to you Jade and I hope you feel better! Let me know if you have any ideas that have worked for you.

 

Here's a good one from Shaindl:

All writers suffer from self-doubt. True writers are the ones who push on regardless.

I wanted to say that I am definitely trying to get my words down on paper. I hope all of you are doing good with your stories.

I was just reading OE's interview and I saw that she could just write her posts and then be done with them. That sounds so wonderful! I am one of those rewrite, rewrite, rewrite *tears hair out*

Alright back to pushing on

 

Thanks Tangled_Sphere!

What Diane said was true - when I get stuck I usually start exchanging PMs with obi_ew or another good friend and that usually gets the juices flowing for me again.

Shaindl

 

Bouncing ideas off my friends is always a great way to get the words flowing again. Plus, I get to hang out with my friends. So that's my preferred method.

 

This thread is a fabulous idea. A really great support system.

Anyway, something that generally inspires me are songs. More often than not I turn on the radio, and some song that I've either heard a million times, or a brand new one, comes on. And for whatever reason, a certain word or phrase grabs my attention. Before I know it a new story idea is forming in my head. Then, while I'm actually writing the fic, if I lose my inspiration, or Darth Writer's Block hits, listening to the song usually helps boost my morale and push me forward in my writing attempts.

-Jaya

 

Thanks for stopping in Shaindl, Lilith and Jaya

I was just thinking about something I read once about it being "better to tackle a lot of little lizards than one big dragon".

The current post I'm working on is integral to the story but there is so much I want to capture in one post, I'm feeling overwhelmed. I've made a promise to myself to just write one part tonight and just tackle one little lizard.

It's been so helpful to call on others for help. You guys are right on. Jaya, I agree with you on music! It is so inspiring to get you in the right mood for the piece you're working on. I just watched part of AOTC's last night for inspiration and just listening to the first parts where STARWARS bursts up on the screen, and the inspiring music, definitely gets me in the spirit of why I love star wars fan fics in the first place.

 

I know exactly what you mean tangled_sphere.
Whenever I hear those opening notes to the Star Wars main title piece, no matter how frustrated I am with a current story I suddenly remember why I love the SW galaxy so much (not to mention messing around with it!).

-Jaya

 

The purpose of writing is to tell a story. Anybody can write. But it takes a storyteller to write well.

I think that stepping back from a story and repeating that mantra to myself helps me keep things in perspective. The less I try to impress, and the more I try to tell a story, the more I am satisfied with my own material.