How do you typically deal with Writer's Block?

[Cyndyr]

It's not affecting me at the moment, but it often appears throughout the year and has ruined my Roleplaying experiences countless times before. Usually I cope by taking a semi-hiatus/hiatus or doing something not related to Roleplays until I'm able to find some inspiration. How do you usually conquer your Writer's Block, RoleplayerGuild?

[Ellri]

hmm... there usually is no single thing that best solves it, mostly because writer's block usually has several sources at least.

But on the level of complexity we RP, there is no problem with taking a week off (or even two-three weeks). however, we've found that the source usually lies in RL. It could be anything from poor sleep, to not having eaten well, to RL issues, to countless other issues there. For issues from an IC perspective, it could be that something is trying to force your character into a position that would break it, or that you need some additional inspiration.

No doubt we covered but a small fraction of the possible sources above, but there's no point in every trying to cover all. For solutions, we usually take our time, try to sleep on it, discuss it with someone, maybe watch a movie, read something, write something else (if functional at the time), etc.

Watching some sort of movie or series or reading something relevant can also help inspire. As can discussions with others about it. If the writer's block shows up in a 1x1 or a collab, it can quite often help to discuss the block with the partner. If necessary, to go back and try an alternate path. There's nothing wrong with discarding a few paragraphs if you get stuck. In fact, there's nothing wrong with discarding multiple pages that way.

Same goes for sheets, really. We've lost count of how many times certain sheets we've got have been rewritten, sometimes partially, other times from the bottom up.

all in all, our solution lies in trying to find the source and solving that.

[ArenaSnow]

When it strikes, all I can typically do is wait it out. How hard/often it hits depends on my preventative measures.

Certain topics are more likely to cause writer's block for me. For example, 90% of sci-fi immediately triggers writer's block for me, usually fatal. Fantasy, on the other hand, far less often causes it. Thus, I hate to be a fellow to stick to comfort zones, but on the other hand - I hate to be the fellow that drops off for little good reason.

To keep my interest I typically throw things context relevant into other parts of my (entertainment) life. If I'm doing a mobster roleplay, I watch Empire Boardwalk or something similar. Fantasy roleplay? Chances are I'm not just sucking up fantasy in the roleplay. On the flip side, if I'm doing a roleplay that best fits in the context of game of thrones and I'm watching the Star Wars series from start to end, there tends to be a mental conflict.

I may or may not have a few gigabytes on my USB stick of assorted mood music >.>

While a strong block usually floors me, I do sometimes get through minor ones with changing the goal of what I'm going to post. If I started off with one idea, I might do a plot twist and change it on the spot, rather than force the original idea through a writer's block.

[Light the Dark]

Agreeing with @Ellri here - often I've found that (for me) writers block stems from something going on in RL. When I'm able to deal with that - whatever the issue is - I tend to be able to write again.

Now, that isn't to say I haven't experienced massive writers block with RPs that aren't in my comfort zone. Scifi, though I do enjoy the genre, just isn't something I write well. As such, even when I push myself, I get blocked a lot while writing it.

That being said, for smaller bouts of writers block - when life is okay and its something I'm comfortable with writing - I find talking to my RP partner to be helpful. I also find listening to music that fits the mood of the post can help inspire me. And sometimes, I just need a break. I'll go read something I've read a dozen times, or watch a Disney movie or something. I find it helps to do something I enjoy, but don't particularly need to focus on. I can relax and chill out while my brain rests, and come back to the RP later with new eyes.

[Darkraven]

I bulldoze right through it. I am speaking from the perspective of a writer/author/novelist. No muse, not inspired? No problem! Just keep writing. The best way to defeat writer's block is to plow right through the wall, because more often than not, the wall will never get torn down unless you do it, and usually, there's plenty of goodies on the other side that will fuel your writing.

If you stop, you'll write nothing and not get anywhere - if you just keep writing, you may not be creating a masterpiece, but it gives you something to work on. First draft may not be nice, but you don't have to accept it, and you can edit from there and inject some good ol' quality juice into it. It's easier because it would be there in front of you, rather than a blank page. And besides, since it is roleplaying we're talking about, it's not like millions of people are going to pay for it, read it, and then give you one-star ratings, right?

[NuttsnBolts]

Usually a song, anime or movie helps me. Not all the time mind you, but as an example I am talking to some friends about a reboot and at the same time I came across a song which fits the RP. It's gotten me into the mood and kicked over a few of those creative gears.

[Kratesis]

Much like NuttsnBolts up above I find that thematically appropriate music, movies and TV shows help me get in the groove. However if that doesn't work I can try to just write anyway. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. When/if that fails I just move on and do something else. No RP lives forever.

[Arya10108909]

Spending forever either listening to Celtic music or staring at my band music until I have a headache, and then trying to sleep (believe it or not, it works) or trying to take a nap when I don't want to. (I am a nap-adverse person.)

[Shoryu Magami]

The closest thing I ever get to 'Writer's Block' is when my workload (sorting my notes for my project) forces me to have to go through periods of time where I'm not actually able to do the writing part, in order to get back to a state where I'm on track. I don't think I've ever actually struggled to write up a post for a role-play (or for my own story, on the very rare occasions that note sorting isn't in the way) pretty much within moments of it being my turn to post, which is why my posts are usually up within an hour of it being my turn, even if I'm dealing with severe depression or off-site bullshit -- so long as my computer's functioning and there's nothing to sort in terms of notes or OOC discussion, I'm good.

So, honestly, I don't know what to recommend when people get 'Writer's Block' that's not caused by literally having circumstances force you to not be able to write. I do find that I need to listen to music in order to get into the mood to write, but I always listen to music while writing. I'd recommend that to anyone who actually can write with music on, because I know some people can't. Also, involving yourself in some form of media that helps you get into the mind state of the character might help too.

[The Elvenqueen]

I kill my writers block with music. I have playlists comprised of songs for all my main/important Roleplay and/or fanfic characters. When I feel a bit stuck I whack on the play list for that character/roleplay/pairing and then just keep writing and the songs usually help me bulldoze the block down c:

[Shoryu Magami]

It does really seem as though music's the number one answer people have to solving it, even if in my case - as I stated previously, and therefore won't go into explaining again - I don't believe I actually experience this 'Writer's Block' that people seem to get, to the point that I honestly have trouble understanding what would cause it for people unless they had a situation similar to mine.

[Burning Kitty]

Depending on what it is I either:
1) Move on and never deal with that story again.
2) Kill stuff in video games
3) Watch tv/blurays
4) Go to bed

[Gowi]

In short: you are going to have to find a muse.

For me this could end up being a number of things— a song, a television series, an anime, a video game, a novel, a poem, a piece of art. If I want to get into a fantasy mood I look for something relative to that in any of the above categories. Writers are artists and are nothing when uninspired, we need the motivation and heart of what drives us or else we make our art end up as exercises in clinical futility.

[Shoryu Magami]

Yeah, pretty much what I was getting at before. Honestly though, from what I can tell it sounds like people who get 'Writer's Block' sometimes get it even if they've got all their usual muse options available to them. As stated previously, I don't have this problem myself. I can generally always post so long as I've got music and my PC's working, so long as I don't have notes to sort for what I'm writing that need to be dealt with before posting is even possible.

The only real exception is when I'm considering leaving a site, since I'm obviously not thinking about posting in a situation like that. With that said though, I'd still usually write my character out of the role-play in a realistic way instead of just disappear before doing so and leaving a role-play hanging.

With all that in mind, I really don't know what causes people to get 'Writer's Block'. I'd make the argument that the best method to 'solving' it would be to actually work out the 'causes' of it. Prevention is generally the best solution for most problems.

Anyway, off to have a nap now. I just saw this response and figured I'd get the thought that came to me out.

[Dion]

I don't deal with it.

If it happens, I just take a break from writing until I feel motivated again. Sometimes I can force my way through it, but that's always just shoving the problem forwards to deal with another day (you don't get rid of the block that way, you just move it to the next day).

Sometimes these breaks can take numerous months.

[ScreenAcne]

1- take a break and listen to some music or take a stroll.

2- disconnect my sense of self worth from my RP. Fight club or some other detachment helps me loosen up and stop overtly putting pressure to make something cool or better than before or whatever. I am not my rp stats, I am not my stories, I am not my fucking RPguild comments. SOme people might consider that edgy but once, I motherfucking. stop trying to serve my writing as if it proves my worth as a writer and instead use my writing for my enjoyment...be it via satisfaction or silliness. I find myself a lot more loose.

3- breath deeply. Focus on my fingers. Feel my typing tatters go limb, frail, relaxed and just start typing like crazy. Don't judge it, don't fuck it. Just think about the scene as you do it. As if you are the character walking casually across the town. Sometimes that works .

4- get gud, scrub

[Polymorpheus]

.

[JDolan]

Dive deep into research... Or write around the block. By that I mean, if I find that the starting point of a post is difficult...I'll write from the middle to the front, then finish up, basically. Or while working on my other writings, I usually have an outline, so what I do is skip the scene immediately in front of me and work on the scene immediateyl behind it. That generally works, since it lets you attack the problem of writers block from, basically, two approaches, nipping away from both the start and end points.

The only problem is that sometimes it's a slow and painful process...and sometimes energy-intensive in my experience. But it usually works pretty well.

[Asura]

I find the best way to get through writer's block is just that— push through it. If I allow myself to wait for inspiration to strike I run the risk of losing interest entirely. Usually, if I start writing, even if the beginning of what I'm writing is uninspired crap, the writing flows more easily as I go along until I'm back in my grove.

[Hidden Lilly]

I find that there are 3 things that work best for me to remedy writer's block.

1. Reading. Sometimes it's a light fiction novel, other times it's a news article or blog posts. It helps me take a step away from the RP to gain new perspectives, new ideas, new techniques to try and ultimately a little break so that I can gather all of this fresh material.

2. University. Seriously, I seem to write best and break through writer's block after going to lecture or listening to podcasts of professors just talking. Considering and listening to educated discussions on various topics seems to both continue to spark my interest in that topic, generate questions for me to seek answers to but also open my mind to thinking in a more dynamic/fluid manner. The latter I think is really what does it for solving writer's block.

3. Listening to music. More often than not it's epic instrumental music but other times I begin a hunt to find a song that matches the situation in the RP. Usually, if I can find a piece or a few pieces that match the emotion or flow of what's happening then I can use the music to help check what the character(s) I'm playing would do in that situation. Sometimes it matches the music, sometimes not.

I hope this helps someone at somepoint in the future!