Help Me! I Can't Think Of What To Write About!

By Kristen


Do you ever get those days where you want to write a story but you just can't think of an idea?  Ever get WRITER'S BLOCK?!  IT'S A TERRIBLE DISEASE FOR AUTHORS AND PEOPLE WHO ENJOY WRITING LIKE ME.  But Don't worry because.This. Is. Normal.  So don't freak out if you are having trouble with this.  Because everyone does every once in a while :)


Here are some things you can do to fix that:

1. It's called Google.com.  No, no I'm just kidding.  This is something I do sometimes:  I pick an object, it doesn't matter what it is, just pick something.  I use that as encouragement (Omg, like in TFiOS, which Nora reviewed a while before).  I then give the object, say, an important role.  For example, a pen.  Maybe it has some magical factor to it.  Maybe it can be the key to something.  Or a letter.  It can lead a mystery, trace the person who disappeared or ran away for unknown reasons.  Then, form a story around it.

2. How about start with a main character (MC).  Think of a name.  If that's causing a problem for you because it does for me; coming up with character's names is about the hardest thing for me when it comes to writing, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.  What else can you do?  OhOHOH! I know! Make a graphic organizer.  Write a description about your character: physical appearance, attitude, hobbies, etc.

3.  Pick a place you like to go to like a vacation spot.  Pick a place you don't like going to.  Think of different traits you could give a place.  Maybe you can turn it into a wasteland and make that where your story takes place.  Or maybe you can just leave it as is and turn it into a Dystopian society!  Like in Divergent or Delirium or Matched.


Those are just some of many things you can do to help you come up with an idea if you have this really terrible bad terrible horrible life threatening disease aka writer's block.

-Kristen

My (Extremely Simple) Writing Process

By Nora

Writing is fun. It lets you escape into your own world, with your own characters, and your own fictional problems. It lets you use your imagination and discover what kind of intricate little images your brain can create. In my case, these images are usually morbid and about death or destruction (my friend suggested checking into a mental institution). But, nowadays, it seems like that's common. Though I am, sadly, not a published author (yet), I am here to introduce you to my writing process.

1. I don't map anything out. Call me crazy, but I feel that planning the whole story out at once is useless to me. Though it may work for some people, I just find that it does not work for me. I usually discover my best ideas while I'm writing.
2. Sometimes I start with a small scrap of a piece. When I'm bored and don't really have any ideas, I'll just write a beginning, or I'll come up with an amazing character or setting or plot, that I just start with what I have. For example, the piece I'm writing right now started from just a simple plot idea (a story about a person who can communicate with the dead).
3. Find a place to sit, relax, and write. Sometimes get a glass of water or sugary drink, like lemonade, to refresh you as you write. If I can't find a quiet place away from my family or friends, I'll plug in headphones and listen to an instrumental music track or create a playlist that fits the mood of the piece I'm writing.

So that's pretty much it. I enjoy posting my writing on figment.com so other people can critique and read my work. I enter contests and communicate with fellow teen writers on there, as well. I highly suggest checking it out.

***

Also, this Thursday, April 18, is Operation Teen Book Drop 2013. Hide a book somewhere in your town or library! For more details, click here.

-Nora