DE: Clearing the blockage

[bjornwilde]

 Happy Monday and the start of a fresh week. 

For today's topic, let's talk about writer/RPG block. You've got ideas. You've got the urge to tag. You've even got threads open that you are enjoying but that keyboard is still not clacking. What do you do to break out of the doldrums and bring the funk back?

Comments

[never_promised]

.....honestly?

ummmm

panic about how many threads i have piling up that i should reply to, vanish for a couple of days, and then slink back and start new threads and hope people forgive me?

[clayforthedevil]

*high five*

[gods_that_haunt_me]

\o/

[bjornwilde]

+1 <3

That's seems to be my modus operandi.

[bcgphoenix]

+1000000

*sheepish*

[sunbaked_baker]

This.

[never_promised]

Ahahaaa, high-fives all around, then, it sounds like!

Seriously, though, if anyone ever needs or wants to drop a thread with me--you're out of energy, you've got cooler stuff going on somewhere else, you're not feeling it, whatever--PLEASE PLEASE GO AHEAD AND DROP, 100% GUILT-FREE.

[clayforthedevil]

Alternately to that first answer, sometimes get an obliging friend to run an intentionally pointless droppable thread a bit, on my journal or in a sandbox.

(First answer wins by far though, seriously. Tragic Failure Solidarity.)

[bjornwilde]

That actually could be a good thing to try.

[never_promised]

Yeah, this is really solid. Having some goofy AU or sandboxy thing to retreat to for a while is a big help!

[freedom_is_grey]

I usually write a tag that might be crap, but will hopefully net me something else to respond to that will get my energy back up.

Usually it works.

[just_cant_lose]

If I'm in an RP slump, I just don't play. But usually send out apologies to people who might be expecting stuff from me, with the usual 'sorry, I suck' explanations.

Writer's block is different, and awful, and I rarely have it but I do right now and it's the worst. Mainly I avoid it as long as possible, and then I get fed up of not writing and force myself to do it no matter what. Whatever comes out will inevitably have to be ditched, but the very fact of having written something usually lifts my mood, which makes it a lot easier to start again the next day.

[ceitfianna]

Taking a break for a little while helps and reading what other people are doing. Sometimes the loud character isn't in Milliways so I might try something in a sandbox. If I've been busy and getting back into RP, I start with tagging out because its an awful feeling to put up an EP when I'm in a place to play and no one responds to it. Talking to friends too, hearing the ideas other people are having and talking meta, sometimes rewatching canon too.

Writing fiction is harder for me to get going on than RP. I do a lot of stopping and starting and honestly deadlines help me the most. That's why I do a lot of exchanges, they force me to write and they always shake more words loose.

[bjornwilde]

Tagging out is a great idea. I know I've had times where I pull myself up by the boot straps and make an EP, only to slip back down when no one tags in. (Not that anyone is obligated to tag in.)

[ceitfianna]

Oh yes, EPs can be wonderful and disheartening. Tagging out, I find is always a good way to go, I know these characters work or these ones might work and things tend to happen.

[runningred]

For me it's tragic tag lag that kills me. Between timezones and work being full on, I mostly only get to tag for a couple of hours in my evening which means I miss everyone else.

At the moment I'm stealing an hour or so some mornings to keep up and touch base with the people I tag with most but mostly it's one tag a day.

Which means I lose track of what's going on in my threads really easily.

I almost feel like we need a code for I've lost this plot completely, can we drop it?

Also, I love how understanding and supportive this group is! Thank you all.

[just_cant_lose]

We also need a code for 'gah, notifs are borked again' because I didn't notice that you'd tagged there. :( Frickin' DW, I thought this was sorted.

[bjornwilde]

Oh, I hear you on losing track of what's happening in threads. I've been corrected before after tagging back in and it is embarrassing.

I also feel like I have so many EPs in my head that I plan or imagine while busy, that I wonder if I ever posted them. ;p