Hey for all those who write their own scripts and animations what do you do when you get writers block. I've got an idea so far that i'm rather fond of along side 2 other ideas, but this one is particularly hard to bring to life. So do you lot just wait until the script just coems to you or do you just start again?
Ask yourself:
1) Who's in your story?
2) What happens to them in the end?
3) What has to happen to get them from #1 to #3?
Hang the skeleton, put the organs in, then hang the meat on it.
THEN add the earrings, nail polish, etc.
If you've got an idea and no place to take it, move along. It might just be a bad idea.
I tried to take my own story in one direction, and it was uninspired. The end result was nothing special or different from a hundred other similar stories. Until I found what made my people different, my story wasn't worth the time to write down.
Here's an example:
1) My story is about Joe. He's always chasing the next "get rich quick" scheme.
2) Joe learns the real value of money, and lives happily ever after, content with what he has.
3) of course, is the tricky part. Hard to imagine this story without a love interest, so we'll give him one so he has to choose between her and a large sum of money. So, is the girl broke and happy and wants Joe to join her at her station in life? Or is the girl rich and Joe has to prove that he loves her for her and not the money? This would give your movie a romantic bent.
3) could also make it a comedy. Joe gets on a roll and can't seem to lose. Everything he does makes him money, but he soon ends up with all the troubles that big money brings. He finds a "no lose" situation - he buys a boat and sinks it - then finds out is was insured and makes more money. FInally, he's arrested and put on a chain gang. Well, you get the idea.
Sometimes, finding a logical plot to your story isn't the right thing to do. Find an illogical plot, then write the story to make the plot feasible. You end up with a non-conventional story that's much more interesting.
I'm not a professional scriptwriter, but here's my view for the little it's worth:
...sometimes all it takes is a deadline of some sort. That's what makes doing things for yourself so hard. You think 'I'll just put it off until I'm "in the mood" or til it "comes to me". I read an interview with Larry Cohen; he writes a lot of spec scripts and he talked about how he approaches things. He said that by merely having a secretary, his productivity increased. Knowing that the secretary would be there every day forced him to come up with stuff to type up. Obviously most of us can't afford to hire secretaries, but the point is: if you can just get started, and stick to it you often get into a flow.
Other than that, if you really have trouble, some might suggest a change of scenery. In the same interview, Cohen said that he came up with most of a script walking along a beach talking into a dictation machine. In general I find long walks can be good for working on ideas.
Take a break is good advice. I've come up with the most creative solutions to the most complex problems while in the shower or just having a beer with friends (basically while NOT thinking about it).
The other thing is to sit down at a regular time and regular place and write for a regular amount of time. Sometimes it will go well and others it won't. But the point is you won't put all this pressure on yourself to perform on any given day, because you know you'll be doing it tomorrow anyway. Once the pressure of performing has been lifted (or lessened), you'll find that writing (or any creative endeavour for that matter) becomes significantly easier.
Writing is much like drawing. At first you can see exactly what you want, but it's very difficult to get it on the paper. The more you practice the easier it gets. If you're really working at it, it'll never be easy, just easier, and you'll have the tools to get past moments of writer's block.
Producing solidily ok animation since 2001.
www.galaxy12.com
Now with more doodling!
www.galaxy12.com/latenight
is just like life itself. you don't choose an option no matter
how great the rewards if you don't feel like taking that road.
same with stories. some plot directions look 'uneasy' or hard
to pull off merely because your characters don't feel like it.
try to complete your characters' profile and see what their
weaknesses are and passions then you can take it from there.
you will know how they will react to a particular conflict.
they will tell you where to go.
forcing an issue would bring you to a story with strong thematic
content. this might give your story a preachy flavor, which may
rest well with some, but most writers avoid it.
never be scared to ditch a troublesome line of thought, even if
temporarily. the secretary thing is just that: write it through.
Don't worry. All shall be well.
I'm no world-famous writer but I would consider myself somewhat of a professional since I always do so much...
when I get writer's block, I take a break for a day or so... and seek some... inspiration... if that doesn't help much than try expanding your horizons... start writing another story... it doesn't matter how cruddy it is... just WRITE... and when you feel the writer's block start to lift, you'll notice the improvement in your story. :p I like to save the cruddy stories I write so I can look back and compare... to me, it actually helps... or you could listen to music and take a shot at poetry... which I haven't done in a while. remember... there is inspiration everywhere. you've just gotta find it. :D anyways... good luck... hope you get over writer's block soon. hope my advice helped.
- Tinker
PS. I hate writer's block too... so... if you're feeling frustrated... first thing to do; get over it... frustration'll make it last longer... and believe me. I'm talking from experience. >.>;;
this is a good thread.
you guys have any tips on comedy writing and coming up with gags? I'm having a hard time cramming the funny into my ideas.
http://ben-reynolds.com
Animation and Design
Yup. I agree with the above. When you feel a block just get away from it. Go for a walk. Count your knees. Track a squirrel. Anything. Obsession is the worst state to be in when you need an idea.
If you can't get away from it, then you can also think about people you know personally and ask "what would that person do in situation X?" Sometimes this can spur stories and events that lead to ideas. One way out of blockage is to look at the problem from other perspectives.
But minds can be terrible things...
One of the best things for comedy is to write in a team. Periodically during the writing process (or during the whole thing) bounce ideas around with someone. I come up with my funniest ideas talking with a few select friends. Not everyone will work this way, so you have to choose your team wisely. But once you found that buddy or two, you'll find you won't be able to write fast enough to get all the jokes down. Then you'll be able to go back and choose the best ones.
Most of the funniest movies and shows (Pixar, Sponge Bob, Simpsons, etc) tend to have story meetings where they can throw around ideas in teams.
Some more general writing tips:
-Go crazy
-Get on tangents
-Worry about reigning in the idea later
-Throw down a rough draft before you even think about cutting and pasting stuff around
-Use notes to keep track of ideas that pop into your head, but you aren't sure how to incorporate them
-Don't worry if its sucks. You need to get the crap out of the way before you can get to the good stuff (and sometimes the crap is just a fascade and is the best idea you've had yet)
The rough draft is going to suck. If you work on getting a good script the first time through, 1. It won't be good. 2. You probably won't finish it.
I used to spend too much time perfecting dialogue and descriptions and had a very hard time finishing scripts. Very much the same thing when drawing. If you spend to much time fine tuning a drawing before you have the full frame work together, it's going to be distorted and odd looking.
To get over this, I used to write all of my rough drafts on an old mechanical type writer. I couldn't delete and I couldn't copy and paste. If I figured out how to fix something after I wrote it, I would write a note or line of dialogue in the margin of the paper and move on. I just about doubled my output (and quality) by using that thing (plus you feel like a REAL writer when you're hammering away on a clunky old machine). You can do the same thing with a word processor (or pencil an paper) it just takes discipline.
Producing solidily ok animation since 2001.
www.galaxy12.com
Now with more doodling!
www.galaxy12.com/latenight
lol... there are two ways I like to come up with gags... first way... I like to get afew friends together... yes... we bounce ideas off each other or I like to take cliches and make fun of them... XD cliches used to be funny but now they're only funny when they are made fun of... or at least... that's what I notice.
best piece of advice, i got ever was to write everyday. have a fixed time in the day no matter what i write something fixed (2000 words, or 2 pages or whatever) after a week you read through you edit and you see if there is something you like.
this is strictly for writers block.