I haven't written a script as of yet, but I have already come up with a lot of plots and what I usually do when I hit a dead end in coming up with my plot is... I just calm down and get away from my idea for a bit. Grab a Starbucks. Drive around town. Take a trip to Barnes & Noble and read a few comics (I enjoy Calvin & Hobbes). You don't have to do exactly what I do when I get stuck, but my main advice is to just get away from your script for a while. Just calm down and explore the world a little. You never know what's out there.

NaNoWriMo. That is National Novel Writing Month. It's November. The idea is to churn out a 50,000 word novel in one month. The basic thing is the human mind often self-edits forcing endless retreading over the same stuff. In order to get 50,000 words you can't really do that. You have to write, write, write. A lot will be crap but some will be brilliant.

It's a great process to get through writers block. I had the idea for three screenplays. I decided to write them up as a novel for NaNoWriMo a few years ago and I plowed away and came up with some great ideas. I still haven't done the screenplays but the novels can now act as my notes for characters, plots, etc. It's a rough draft.

So I guess what I'm saying is fight your way through it. It's all in your head.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

thanks guys i think i'm going to take both advice and take a break, then write like hell 😕
thanks again,
peace.

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But a film? Well, thats worth a thousand pictures."

-(Own3d Studios)-

www.own3dstudios.com

Personally I find that its better to write quality rather than quality, I never saw the thread in time but I would of advised you to take a break also. Think of it as your minds way of telling you it wasnt ment to be, why I only write when I am feeling inspired. But RJSchwarz raises a gud point, Iv done a similar thing in past in that I started writting a short screen play. I find that its the re-direction of your attention that makes you more focused as your creativity starts to flow again, I have afton found myself drifting between screen plays thinking "This scene would fit well in the other film".

I hope that the sittuation sorted itself out either way.

Bless, Cleary.

www.myspace.com/b31_film_productions

From my first year in college, what I've come to find out is that writing all the time, even if you feel you're blocked or don't feel like sitting down and writing, is the best way to go. For me at least. I mean, some of my best scripts have come from this process of writing, writing, writing. So, yeah, that's what I'd do. But I guess you have to try both methods to see which one works out for you ?:)?

Yeah definatly, just becuase one method works for one person, dont mean its going to work for every one.

Cleary

www.myspace.com/b31_film_productions

i once read... " first write with your heart, then rewrite with your head "

Whats your experience of this theory?

I tend to only write when I feel inspired, why I wouldnt write for a production company as I would be expected to work to a deadline!

Cleary.

www.myspace.com/b31_film_productions

A couple of books I've read (Writing down the bones and No Plot, No Problem) point out the idea that you are best off simply writing. The hardest thing to do is write a first draft. Facing the blank page. They suggest simply writing until you have a first draft to beat the inevitable writers block.

I've read other books that suggest you outline the hell out of the thing so the if you are stumped on one bit you can jump to any othe rpoint int he story and write that and thus make progress.

Personally I sort of mix the two styles.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

I did too, Clearly... Write only when inspired, I mean. Though this year I was forced to write on deadlines for my Screen script class in College, and I must admit I never thought I'd be able to write under pressure, but the results were pretty good if I may say so myself.

I mean, if you think of it, the only thing that changes is the way you start the writing process. For me, whenever it come to writing out of inspiration, I can spend days in front of my laptop with nothing to write, until it hits me... That image that starts everything. And then, it's just about getting it all out. While on the other hand, I've come to learn that if I'm working under pressure, the job may start as an obligation or something, but truth is I can't write a story without getting into it, without getting involved, so after a few pages, inspiration gets in the way. You start writing from your heart. So in a way, I guess writing on a deadline can be a good thing because it forces you to start something, instead of wasting time waiting for inspiration to hit you.

But I don't know, that's just my personal experience. It may work differently with everyone.

Personally I havent had to write to a deadline! So in truth I couldnt really say wether I would be able to produce good narative under those sorts of contiotions, but I would imagine that it would turn out as quanitity and not quality!

But I know what you mean about inspiration getting in the way lol, you know for a fact that when the inspiration flows its as if your cant type fast enough! Its that rush of energy that drives me to write personally, I find music to be a good source of inspiration also, so say as if i was writting an intense scene then I would listen to some thing that mirrors the mood. Same as if I was writting a fight scene then I ritualistically listen to the prodigy and just jam out, so to speak lol. Dont know if other people have tried this method, but I would imagine so, and in which case advise writters to try it if not!

Cleary.

www.myspace.com/b31_film_productions

Writer's block is the mental/creative version of not wanting to go to the gym. If a trainer is making you go you can do the same work but your brain doesn't always enjoy the exercise or forgets the thrill when things go well so it makes excuses or hides the tasty plot twists in an effort to avoid going.

I tend to find a song or two that remind me of my screenplay or character for some reason. Then when I walk the dog I listen to those songs and ideas often burble up. Not always but it works for me. When a song or two presents itself. If not that screenplay is on its own.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

to put it simply, a good way to ease writers block would be to get away from the script, and to take your mind off of things. since most of what you aquire (language, conversational skills, etc.) is learned by spending time out in a social enviroment, you are blocking yourself from learning by locking yourself away writing the script.
go hang with your friends, go watch tv. after a while, go back to the script, put on some music that puts you into the state of mind the script is in, and write, rinse, repeat.