Talk:Writer's block

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Please expand on the list of Writer's Block sufferers. Two is not enough!!!

Bibliomaniac15 November 21, 2005


Contents

[edit] Strategies

The strategies section is unsourced and appears to be copied from somewhere. Since Wikipedia is not a self-help guide, this section should be rewritten in a more appropriate style and tone, and sourced. Bruxism 23:27, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] More reasons?

I often find, while writing, that i can't think of what comes next. it doesn't have to do with the reasons stated but just the fact that it's really hard to think up a way to advance a situation when you writing on a single track--Acebrock 19:21, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Notable people who suffer fom writer's block

Is this really necessary? as far as I know, all writers suffer from writer's block at one point or another. I'll take it off a week from now if there are no complaints. If, for whatever reason you want to put it back feel free to. just put a reason here afterwards--Acebrock 19:20, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

Henry Roth's writer's block lasted for 40 or 50 years, and is not only notorious, but kind of defined his life, or more aptly put, is of great importance in understanding the creation of his final cycle of novels. I can't speak to the others, but his is so extreme, and so important, that it merits being listed, I think. Bruxism 03:55, 16 February 2006 (UTC)
Instrad of a list of peole who suposedly had writer's bock why not write an entire section on Henry Roth's witer's block? Thanks to your description i feel that at least his writer's block is worth talking about.--Acebrock 22:18, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] screenwriter's toolkit

while the link in strategies may be helpful, wouldn't it be more appropriate in a resource links section at the bottom of the page? beside's "screenwriter's toolkit", a blog, only gives 50 results in the google test —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.185.192.255 (talk) 15:47, April 12, 2006

[edit] Strategies

Microsoft Word includes a feature known as "Outline View." By going to "View" on the toolbar, writers can open this writing tool. Outline View provides a new toolbar with arrows, thus allowing writers to promote or demote ideas they have typed on the screen. Many corporate writers use this tool to overcome writer's block. Ann G. Miller 17:19, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Artist's Block

It is true that "Artist's Block" is limited to those who paint or produce pictures? Could this not apply to musicians as well? I am curious, since if "Artist" is to be a general term, then the article should be amended as such. --R. Demopoulos

[edit] Sufferer of writers block

i dont believe that writers block is just 'writers block' or 'artists block' (including musicians). someone please answer me on this, could writers block be a complete block of the mind? i think i have suffered this for almost all of my life and it's with reading, comprehensen, writing, mathamatical problems and also speaking (talking with friends and listning to speakers/lectures). as i am still in school this is an aweful problem to deal with and the levels vary quite alot (eg sometimes im getting much better at it then five minutes later i can not think at all.)its not that i forget everything like short term memory loss, but i find redoing what you were thinking before helps alot. saying of which, alot of the strategies really do work. something else that intrigued me is that the article says that the cause it of writers block is depression or emotional upset. i do see how this can be true but my depression was caused by my form of writers block. figure that one out! i was so blocked in all i did that i tried to keep all options and questions open and i tell you, that is something that can send a person to the mental institute. So is emotional upset the real cause of writers block? Or is there something deeper? --Alacana 09:08, 22 October 2007 (UTC)

You write a lot for a "sufferer of writer's block." I don't think the horrible feeling of being in school counts as writer's block. You could go on and on about how stupid your school is or about things like hypocrisy, hostile sexuality, and other horrors you witness on a daily bases. Maybe you, your teachers or your textbooks communicate poorly. Maybe you're a sufferer of oppression or mind control or simply social control. People hate truth, so perhaps your brain is wise to shut down, to prevent you from saying things that will make them kill you. Erudecorp ? * 11:01, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 'Origins of Writer's block'

Someone added a whole essay here in this section it seems. It may be interesting to read but it doesn't feel like it belongs here. Anyone do something about it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.111.14.36 (talk) 13:28, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] calling arthur hermansen

Now WHO is this Arthur Hermansen? Dead or alive, for starters?

I would like to know where I can contact this person if at all possible, but all I find when I type his name into the Google search engine is this page. Of all the reading I've done about creative block, his conception, to me, is the very first I've come across that seems to hit the nail this square on the head, specifically as far as long-term 'block' is concerned, and the first to point out how deeply rooted this phenomenon can be.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,

A.S. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.231.104.135 (talk) 18:52, 13 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Creative block

Answering "Artist's block" above, "Artist's block" can be an umbrella term for any creative block, meaning that it occurs in the experience of artists, writers, musicians, designers, actors – anyone whose productivity depends on composing what they do with the tools they have through their own imagination or creativity, and structuring a project independently of more mundane contexts. Sports people have times when they don't perform well and tend to refer to this as being "out of form". Writer's block is often associated with the "blank page" syndrome or symptom when a writer can't continue to produce whatever is their project and feels paralysed when faced with the "blank page" in the handwritten or early typewritten era of the blank page; now it's more like the blank page of the wordprocessor document. There's a loss of confidence in all of this somewhere. I know of more creatives who experienced the block for ten, even 20 years so will add them in when have time. I'd like to see this article improved because it contributes more to awareness of the phenomenon. Julia Rossi (talk) 03:29, 22 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Essay?

I'd like to cleanup and summarise the essay on Hermansen's view, but not sure where all the contents (reasoning and arguments) should go. It can be tightened up to a reference with a few major points because though interesting, there's nothing to back it up. Anyone? Julia Rossi (talk) 04:48, 22 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Other suggestions for getting around writers block

  1. Use the ridiculous spell from Harry potter
  2. Kill the main character
  3. Introduce a new character who you find sexually attractive
  4. Suddenly alter time, geographic location and/or characters and then give yourself a real problem to write about and stop worrying about the trivial details.
  5. Get your main character to say: "I love you" or "look an elephant" then try and work out why.

Not a good day! 212.139.105.16 (talk) 14:23, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Problem solved, had to use all above, and although main character still alive, wife is going to kill him if she finds out! 212.139.105.16 (talk) 14:55, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Arthur Hermansen's view

A couple of people have touched on this: who is Arthur Hermansen and why is his view taking up half the article? He doesn't have his own article. A Google search seems to only turn up a couple of blogs on the first few pages mentioning him; one of them is complaining about this article and asking who he is. Halfway through the section stops presenting it as a specific opinion and starts reading even more like an essay. At the very least this section violates WP:UNDUE and should be greatly shortened; in order to remain at all it should be (reliably) sourced. Bridies (talk) 08:50, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

I went ahead and removed the offending section. Bridies (talk) 05:52, 30 May 2008 (UTC)