Writer's block?
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Writer's block?
Are any of you having writer's block and can't seem to work it out? I find that when this happens to me, I like to be able to ask someone else what their advice is, and if they have any ideas that I've never thought about. That doesn't always mean I use the other person's comments, but at least it's nice to have fresh ideas when working out a tough storyline.
Dragontamer- Level 1
- Posts : 44
Join date : 2011-02-24
Age : 28
Re: Writer's block?
I'll start with a writers block I'm having at the moment.
A while back, I got the idea to start a story about cats who could talk, walk on their hind legs, and wear clothes, and that didn't include any humans.
The story begins in one of three fictional kingdoms; Ethra, (the earth kingdom), Wetra (the underwater kingdom), and Doclu (the cloud kingdom). King Edward of Ethra has in his castle the Chamber of Realms, a room with the gateways to the two other kingdoms, Wetra, and Doclu. He also has a group of Knight Cats, who are basically his army.
But, there is another group of Knight Cats who are evil, and these cats want to infiltrate King Edward's Knights and set up a scene to make Edward's Knights seem unloyal. Once this disguise is in place, the evil Knights can kidnap King Edward, blame Edward's Knights for both kidnapping and killing the king, and somehow make the people think of them (the evil Knights) as the good guys. That way, the leader of the evil Knights, Beryl, can become the new king, taking over control of the Chamber of Realms and thus weilding lots of power.
Meanwhile, King edward isn't actually dead. He's hidden deep in the dungeon, wounded, where none of the people can find him. This same dungeons is where Edward's Knights, falsly accused as bad guys, are taken. Somehow, Edward's knights find out where King Edward is and get the jailor to help them escape and take the King to safety.
After King Edward heals and gets stronger, him and his Knights appear in public and prove somehow with evidence that Beryl is actually the bad guy. With this evidence, Edward and his Knights win back the favor of the people and destroy the bad guy.
I need help figuring out how the evil Knights convince the people that Edward's Knights are bad, without any actually evidence, and without the people telling the King, which would eventually reveal that the whole thing was a lie. Also, I need to figure out how the evil Knights kidnap and wound King Edward themselves, then have a plausible explenation for framing Edward's Knights of the crime.
Sorry if it's a little hard to follow, but, anyone have some suggestions? I'd be grateful for any input!
A while back, I got the idea to start a story about cats who could talk, walk on their hind legs, and wear clothes, and that didn't include any humans.
The story begins in one of three fictional kingdoms; Ethra, (the earth kingdom), Wetra (the underwater kingdom), and Doclu (the cloud kingdom). King Edward of Ethra has in his castle the Chamber of Realms, a room with the gateways to the two other kingdoms, Wetra, and Doclu. He also has a group of Knight Cats, who are basically his army.
But, there is another group of Knight Cats who are evil, and these cats want to infiltrate King Edward's Knights and set up a scene to make Edward's Knights seem unloyal. Once this disguise is in place, the evil Knights can kidnap King Edward, blame Edward's Knights for both kidnapping and killing the king, and somehow make the people think of them (the evil Knights) as the good guys. That way, the leader of the evil Knights, Beryl, can become the new king, taking over control of the Chamber of Realms and thus weilding lots of power.
Meanwhile, King edward isn't actually dead. He's hidden deep in the dungeon, wounded, where none of the people can find him. This same dungeons is where Edward's Knights, falsly accused as bad guys, are taken. Somehow, Edward's knights find out where King Edward is and get the jailor to help them escape and take the King to safety.
After King Edward heals and gets stronger, him and his Knights appear in public and prove somehow with evidence that Beryl is actually the bad guy. With this evidence, Edward and his Knights win back the favor of the people and destroy the bad guy.
I need help figuring out how the evil Knights convince the people that Edward's Knights are bad, without any actually evidence, and without the people telling the King, which would eventually reveal that the whole thing was a lie. Also, I need to figure out how the evil Knights kidnap and wound King Edward themselves, then have a plausible explenation for framing Edward's Knights of the crime.
Sorry if it's a little hard to follow, but, anyone have some suggestions? I'd be grateful for any input!
Dragontamer- Level 1
- Posts : 44
Join date : 2011-02-24
Age : 28
Re: Writer's block?
Hmm, I know what it's like to be here. I HATE writer's block!
Your story idea is really clever and different. I like it. I'm thinking perhaps it would help they were to set up an incident where the King almost lost his life and framed his Knights so it looked like it was their fault?
I'm not particularly clever with stuff like this, LOL. Maybe if you find out some more info on the rankings of your (good) Knights and what they're required to do to serve their king, it would help you find a way to have the (bad) Knights disrupt those rules and make it look liked it was the (good) Knights fault.
Maybe that would help? LOL, good luck! It will probably just come to you. That's usually what happens. Randomly, unexplainably, it'll come.
Your story idea is really clever and different. I like it. I'm thinking perhaps it would help they were to set up an incident where the King almost lost his life and framed his Knights so it looked like it was their fault?
I'm not particularly clever with stuff like this, LOL. Maybe if you find out some more info on the rankings of your (good) Knights and what they're required to do to serve their king, it would help you find a way to have the (bad) Knights disrupt those rules and make it look liked it was the (good) Knights fault.
Maybe that would help? LOL, good luck! It will probably just come to you. That's usually what happens. Randomly, unexplainably, it'll come.
Re: Writer's block?
Like Lizzy, I'm not very clever with that stuff but I can tell you what I do when I'm stuck on something. Well, nowadays I normally just sit there for like five minutes (the amount of time it usually takes to come to me) but I know that's probably not helpful so I'll tell you what I used to do. Back when I started the series I'm writing now I had absolutely no clue what was going to happen next in the story, really I just figured it out with my MC (not the best way to write) so I would often get stuck. I normally would go talk to my mom or a friend about my story and tell them what was happening, I would get to that point I was stuck on and as I was talking to them the ideas sort of clicked in my head. I guess they didn't have to even be listening, the fact that I was talking it out helped me figure it out.
I hope this helped
I hope this helped
Sarah- Level 5
- Posts : 905
Join date : 2011-02-07
Age : 28
Re: Writer's block?
Yes, definitely what Sarah said! Sometimes just talking about it to my sister helps. As I'm talking suddenly I get the answer. I leave her VERY confused, but it works!
Re: Writer's block?
When I get blocked, I usually leave it for the night and go to bed. Then, while laying there, I'll think about it a lot--playing it in my head like a movie. Either I figure it out then, or sometimes dream about it, and have my answer in the morning. It works itself out eventually.
Re: Writer's block?
Thanks for the advice guys! I was just thinking about the plot recently and like you said, as I worked it out in my mind an idea sprang up. The real test now will be to right it out in the story and see if it will make sense. *fingers crossed*
Does anyone else have writers block, or are you guys good in your WIP?
I've been thinking about putting a little bit of one of my short stories in the "Writing Feedback" catergory, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
Does anyone else have writers block, or are you guys good in your WIP?
I've been thinking about putting a little bit of one of my short stories in the "Writing Feedback" catergory, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
Dragontamer- Level 1
- Posts : 44
Join date : 2011-02-24
Age : 28
Re: Writer's block?
I don't have any writer's block right now, thankfully. I just got out of a bad week where I couldn't write at all, but now I think I'm back on track again.
You should submit your work! I think I'm going to sometime soon, too.
You should submit your work! I think I'm going to sometime soon, too.
Re: Writer's block?
Thankfully, I haven't had any writer's block lately. I did go through a few days of wanting to toss all 58K's of my recent WIP & start fresh but after feedback from people on here I'm back on track again.
Shahira- Level 5
- Posts : 456
Join date : 2011-02-07
Re: Writer's block?
I've been trying to work out the plot for my third book in a series, and thought you guys might be able to help me. Any of you guys have suggestions?
This is what I've thought of so far...
The human MC, Tasha, lives in a magical land with her dragon, Lura, who is the dragon Queen of the Stone Kingdom (a castle inside a moutain where all the talking dragon's live). Tasha's brother, Michael, is thought to be dead, and she has this stuffed animal dog that they used to play with as kids. She keeps it in a simple wooden box that she found in the first book.
Now, Tasha doesn't know it, but the wooden box was fought over years ago, because it was believed to contain something immensly valuble. Back then, nobody knew that the box was actually empty, except for one person, who buried the box and wrote on a scroll what he knew and what he did with the box. Up till Tasha's time, still no one knows that the box is empty, and most people don't even know about the box, because they've never read the old scrolls.
I thought that somehow, Michael, (who isn't really dead) finds out that Tasha has this box, and in the end, because of his greed, gets it from her. When he opens it, he sees the stuffed dog inside and realizes that the stuffed animal is valueless, and what's really valuble is what the dog represents, i.e, the relationship between him and his sister. He also realizes how greedy he's been while trying to get this box from Tasha.
So that's the main idea, but I thought that, if no one during Tasha's time knows about this box and the supposed 'valuble' thing inside it, then there's no struggle of greed to get the box except with Michael, and that seems a little weak to me.
The other MC's in the story include: Tharsin, (the dragon King) Relgant (the dragon Prince) and Deleegar, (kind of like a royal advisor dragon) and Tasha's foster parents and adopted sister. I'd like to find a way that most of the above characters find out about the box and want it, and the valuble thing inisde, for themselves, thus creating a struggle of greed between all these characters. But the box needs to stay in Tasha's hands until Michael gets it, otherwise that would ruin the ending.
Sorry for the long explanation, I tried to condese it as much as possible. Would you guys have any suggestion's or opinions? I'd love to hear any advice you'd care to give!
This is what I've thought of so far...
The human MC, Tasha, lives in a magical land with her dragon, Lura, who is the dragon Queen of the Stone Kingdom (a castle inside a moutain where all the talking dragon's live). Tasha's brother, Michael, is thought to be dead, and she has this stuffed animal dog that they used to play with as kids. She keeps it in a simple wooden box that she found in the first book.
Now, Tasha doesn't know it, but the wooden box was fought over years ago, because it was believed to contain something immensly valuble. Back then, nobody knew that the box was actually empty, except for one person, who buried the box and wrote on a scroll what he knew and what he did with the box. Up till Tasha's time, still no one knows that the box is empty, and most people don't even know about the box, because they've never read the old scrolls.
I thought that somehow, Michael, (who isn't really dead) finds out that Tasha has this box, and in the end, because of his greed, gets it from her. When he opens it, he sees the stuffed dog inside and realizes that the stuffed animal is valueless, and what's really valuble is what the dog represents, i.e, the relationship between him and his sister. He also realizes how greedy he's been while trying to get this box from Tasha.
So that's the main idea, but I thought that, if no one during Tasha's time knows about this box and the supposed 'valuble' thing inside it, then there's no struggle of greed to get the box except with Michael, and that seems a little weak to me.
The other MC's in the story include: Tharsin, (the dragon King) Relgant (the dragon Prince) and Deleegar, (kind of like a royal advisor dragon) and Tasha's foster parents and adopted sister. I'd like to find a way that most of the above characters find out about the box and want it, and the valuble thing inisde, for themselves, thus creating a struggle of greed between all these characters. But the box needs to stay in Tasha's hands until Michael gets it, otherwise that would ruin the ending.
Sorry for the long explanation, I tried to condese it as much as possible. Would you guys have any suggestion's or opinions? I'd love to hear any advice you'd care to give!
Dragontamer- Level 1
- Posts : 44
Join date : 2011-02-24
Age : 28
Re: Writer's block?
Hmm, just an idea but what if some guy found a whole bunch of old scrolls in a hidden cave and brought them back to the castle or something and they are old letters of treasure hunters searching for the box and what was in it and saying that it was never found or something, then everyone in the kingdom starts searching for the box and the MC's family realizes that she has it and starts going after her, (or maybe the entire kingdom finds out and goes after her cause that could make for a bunch of good scenes and then at the end she finally gets mad and sad enough to just give it to her brother which would make him feel even worse ) but maybe something like that could work? Hope this helps!
Sarah- Level 5
- Posts : 905
Join date : 2011-02-07
Age : 28
Re: Writer's block?
Sarah wrote:Hmm, just an idea but what if some guy found a whole bunch of old scrolls in a hidden cave and brought them back to the castle or something and they are old letters of treasure hunters searching for the box and what was in it and saying that it was never found or something, then everyone in the kingdom starts searching for the box and the MC's family realizes that she has it and starts going after her, (or maybe the entire kingdom finds out and goes after her cause that could make for a bunch of good scenes and then at the end she finally gets mad and sad enough to just give it to her brother which would make him feel even worse ) but maybe something like that could work? Hope this helps!
Thanks for the adivce! I thought of that idea (where everyone is going after Tasha to try and get the box) and I agree, it would make a lot of good scenes.
But then, I thought, if Tasha knows that everyone is after the box, she could just open it and show them what's really inside (the stuffed dog). So, what if everyone finds out about the box, and realize that Tasha has it, but they don't tell her they want the box since if it really does contain something valuble, they think Tasha's won't give it to them if they ask for it (cause she'll want to keep the valuble thing). Then maybe all the characters could find out that everyone else wants the box, so they wait and watch each other to make sure no one steals the box, while at the same time, looking for a proper opportunity to steal it themselves? (sorry if that's really confuisng ) Or is that too complicated?
Then, in the end, maybe Michael could somehow steal the box from Tasha before everyone else does. I have this sort of picture in my mind of the end, where Michael and Tasha are in a cave or something. Michael's threatening to kill Tasha if she won't give him the box, but Tasha knows there's nothing valuble in it, so she gives it to Michael freely. Then, before Michael opens the box, he goes against his word and tells a guard to kill Tasha even though she gave him the box. But right before the guard kills Tasha, Michael opens the box and see's the stuffed dog, which reminds him of their childhood together, and stops the guard from killing Tasha, thus saving her life. What do you guys think?
Dragontamer- Level 1
- Posts : 44
Join date : 2011-02-24
Age : 28
Re: Writer's block?
That sounds like a good idea to me
Sarah- Level 5
- Posts : 905
Join date : 2011-02-07
Age : 28
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