Advice/Help What Gives You Inspiration to Write on Slow Days?

Even on a writing site, everyone has moments where they lack inspiration. My question is, when faced with this feeling of being stuck, what helps you push through it? Tips, tricks, and helpful tidbits are welcome and encouraged.

Personally, taking some time away from a piece and coming back to it later, when my energy is different, is super helpful. The drawback is, sometimes rps are super faced-paced and there's no time for stepping back and working slowly through writer's block.

One solution is to just write anything even if the quality is disgusting and awful. But I'm more interested finding hacks to help writers get inspired.

Well, I usually try to make a simple outline of what that particular post is to be about. Like, just writing one or two key words for each paragraph. Then I try to start with one of these, and if I get too stuck I wait 'til the next day. Usually I will have written at least one paragraph, and then the next day I'll be really eager to write because I have something to work on.

Also, searching for music that synchronizes with the post mood, I guess? Or just cool music.

Another helpful thing to do is go read a book/manga; or even watch an anime/series, to just let the problem work itself while you're away and getting info from the book output (usually a book/manga will be better to help you, but ideas can come from anywhere!).

Lastly, thinking about my character in general. Start to ask yourself questions like 'What would they do in this (any) situation?', and stuff like that, to get you on the mood to understand your character more and to be able to feel them more truthfully.

Hope this made sense!

Have been having slow days these last two days. I'm even lazy to write a reply here!

But, lucky for me, the only extremely active RP has my character in the same mood, so my short, grey, dull messages are just what the game needs.
I must not forget to return to this thread tomorrow, and tell you what I really do to make myself write on such days. Because, hey, today...

I'm even lazy to write a reply here!

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Darkmaster006 said:

Well, I usually try to make a simple outline of what that particular post is to be about. Like, just writing one or two key words for each paragraph.

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You have a very peculiar way in writing posts.

lol I usually take a break and listen to book or movie podcasts or read a book.

Sometimes I'll also try to construct an overview in my head just to see what I can brainstorm in terms of actions.

sometimes I'll just start writing anyway, and once I get going, everything starts coming a bit easier. I also have one roleplay going that's a bit less detailed than my others. my character in that rp is very simple and easy to write as well, so sometimes I'll start there as a "warm up" and go onto the next ones.

like the others, I'll do a sort of overview as well. usually if I'm getting ready or in bed, I'll think about what I want to happen in my post and then I'll get to it the next day and write it all down.

but if I'm wiped from work or just not in the right mood, I'll do other things and try again later or the next day if I have to. roleplaying is a hobby and it's supposed to be fun, so I try not to force anything! that's a surefire way for me to start thinking of something as a chore.

Darkmaster006 said:

Well, I usually try to make a simple outline of what that particular post is to be about. Like, just writing one or two key words for each paragraph. Then I try to start with one of these, and if I get too stuck I wait 'til the next day. Usually I will have written at least one paragraph, and then the next day I'll be really eager to write because I have something to work on.

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This is actually really helpful advice; I do the same thing. Sometimes writing a small outline and knowing the direction you're headed in makes things flow a lot easier. Think about it: you'd probably write or think out an outline for an essay you were planning on writing. Why not do the same for other types of writing? I find a lot of times, when I feel stuck, it's because I really don't know the direction I'm headed in. If you at least write out an outline now, when you return to it later you have a structure to build on!

If all else fails, I'll take a break. Watch a movie, read a book, anything creative that I can possibly draw inspiration from. I'll sometimes also try to brainstorm my characters in different scenarios; sometimes that'll help me feel more motivated to write the current scene I'm working on. The last thing you want to do is force yourself to write all the time, because then it'll start feeling like an obligation, and that just further complicates things.

Well first I take my role outside of the roleplay seriously. Do I run it? Do I play a main or background character? If I run it, I look at the plot I have set,and decide what will help me get from point A to point B without dragging it out or making it too quick.

If I don't run it but I play a main character I think about how my characters actions might affect the story, and I always make sure that I'm not metagaming or godmodding.

If I play a background character I ask myself how small or big a part does my character have, what are my limits to what I can do without making it about me, and taking attention off of the main story?

Another thing that helps is one on one roleplaying, reason being that you have more time to think of your responses, and it might help you get quicker I also recommend doing roleplays with parties or two or three people to upgrade your pace instead of just jumping to a giant roleplay and not have the time or energy to keep up with it.

Lastly, the best thing I can recommend is to take in the surroundings your character is in. Are they in a forest? On the beach? At home? If so what is the situation? Is it calming, and peaceful? Or is it dramatic, and suspenseful? When you've answered those questions try to visualize or hear in your head music that fits the scene to you as you envision what's happening like a movie. Make sure you can also describe the setting, it gives more of a sense of realism and can immerse you and your partner further into the story and make it more fun for both of you.

I hope this is helpful to anyone who reads it really, I'm aware it sounds like I'm giving a lecture but in reality I'm just trying to keep this as nice and organized as possible.

I usually do 1x1 roleplays with relaxed, slow paced partners so there isn't much of a time crunch. If I don't feel like writing, I'm not going to force myself because that's not fun, it leads to unsatisfactory results, and it builds up an underlying current of frustration. So on days like that I just don't even try to write and find something else to do.

When I feel like writing but my mind isn't cooperating, I'll seek inspiration. I enjoy making playlists for my RPs and recently I've picked up the habit of creating moodboards for my characters. I'm not an artist, so this helps me find an alternate outlet for my creativity. Sometimes I do overviews/outlines of my posts but it isn't a technique I rely on. OOC chitchat or engaging in other activities with my RP partner can sometimes help bring dormant writing energy to the surface. If I don't mesh with my partner, I have a very hard time maintaining interest.

If it's a fandom RP, sometimes I'll return to the source and consume fandom related content. Rewatching, rereading, playing, browsing fanart or even reading fanfiction. (Though that's not always an option for some of my lesser known fandoms.) I also tend to seek out similar things to the current fandom I'm playing. For example, my favorite anime is directed by a man with a very particular style. I know if I watch the other anime he's directed I'll find a lot of thematic similarities, which can often lead to new inspiration.

If I have long-term writer's block, usually lasting over a week it often means I'm just not interested in the roleplay anymore. It sucks, but my inspiration is a fickle beast. When that happens there really isn't anything I can do other than let it run its course. I think this is one of the reasons I usually don't do groups because I can't predict what RPs I'm going to stick to and what ones my mind will shrink away from.

Inspiration is a big problem for me, it's not regular by any means. Which is why I'll only join an RP when I'm greatly interested in the fandom, the other RPers make me want to RP with them, and the pacing isn't strenuous. Next, I make a character I'm sure I'll like to keep RP'ing as. I need a lot of factors in my favor if I want to feel confident that I'll be able to keep posting with decent quality. It's also a reason I try to keep the RPs I'm in alive, but that's had a 0% success rate so far. Wasting that hard-to-maintain inspiration is very discouraging for me, so preparations are needed.

In general, if I notice I'm starting to get a block, I'll stop worrying about keeping the quality up and just write random parts here and there, with little to no planning. Then I'll go back and re-read what I wrote. It's as if what I wrote earlier wasn't written by me, and I'm trying to make a poorly-written outline someone just showed me better. Recently I was stuck in writing a monograph, which is how I figured this kind of worked.

I don't generally worry about the pacing since I don't join RPs that enforce quick pacing to begin with, so I'm usually not in a rush and can afford to take some time to do what I said. Taking my mind off the RP for a bit also helps refilling the inspiration meter. I'll usually imagine a lot of hypothetical situations throughout the day, which will motivate me to get back to writing later.

So far I've only RPed in anime settings, and they usually have soundtracks I like. Listening to those helps me both in the hypothetical situation phase I just mentioned, as well as when I'm actually writing. Even unrelated music can help.

Talking to the other people in the OOC chat might help as well. Maybe they had the same issue once and found a better way to deal with it, maybe they can help throwing ideas out there.

One other thing I can think of is to turn to the fandom of your current RP (it's always applicable to me since I've only done, and plan on doing, fandom RPs), whether by looking into the source material or from the beggining of the very RP that you found yourself unable to post in. There's a chance you'll remember why and how you were motivated back when you started RPing in it.

Well, first things first: DON'T THINK ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF MODD/INSPIRATION

That is the #1 mistake, that's what trips you in the long run. In a sense, posts are like chess moves. You CAN think of one at a time, and the specifics will change very differently depend on what move/post the other person makes, but if you think about several ahead of time, then you're gonna have a much easier time and be able to get much further ahead.
-Good writing is made of talent, knowledge and pratice
-Productivity is made of habit and dedication
-Fun writing is fun because of what's written, because you enjoy writing, because of you're writing with/for, because of somehting that will come out of it etc..

None of those require inspiration. So tying oneself down to it is a terrible mistake which will only acentuate any bad habits you may already have by giving you an excuse to give in to them.

So, here is what I do, aside from keeping inspiration out of my mentality:
1. I try to be prepared. I think of possibilities, I write tidbits when I crave preparing for when I'm not craving, I research, prepare plan Bs in every post and character, etc... My characters come prepared with motivations and lives of their own, making them independent from the current action to an extent. I also specifically prepare in my characters and posts countermeasures to stalling.
2. Outline- Pretty much what was already said, before I make a post I outline it's major events and links.
3. Don't make promises I can't keep- One needs to have self-awareness of one's REAL schedule, regular limits, etc... if you can do better, that's great but don't treat better like it's the normal for you. Be open and honest with others and yourself about your habits, flaws and schedule.
4. Imagine the scene in my head- before making the post or even the outline, I try to picture the flow of the scene in my head. I often go back and read the character sheet again to be sure I'm on point with the character.
5. Think about the other person- this advise may be less useful because I have a strong sense of duty and not everybody does. But basically, while it can be a double edged sword because it also leads to freezes (I freeze if under too much pressure), this can be a powerful motivator to write, knowing I signed up and ought to do what I set out to do. Sometimes I can also use the overall goal, the scenes and so I want to get to someday as reason to push foward.

Here’s what I do:

1. Write the bloody post anyway.

Seriously if you wait for inspiration before working on anything creative you will probably never finish anything. Just start writing, and then keep writing it until it’s done, even if it feels like pulling teeth. 95% of the time what happens is I get into the flow almost instantly after starting, and my ‘lack of inspiration’ turns out to have been an excuse. The other 5% it feels bad the whole way through, but hey at least it’s done.

Here’s ways to attack if starting is hard:

1. Start at the cool part, not the beginning. If a phrase or action comes to mind, just write that, even if it’s not at the beginning of the post. Go back and write the start later.
2. Outline, like others have said. Think of what you want to happen
3. Visualise. Close your eyes, imagine the scene as intensely as you can. What do you see, smell, hear? What does your character feel?
4. Short meditation. If you have some other life thing distracting you, a 10 minute meditation can totallly clear your head. Don’t misapply this to other things. A movie, videogame etc. is for distracting yourself, not clearing your head.

Then just write it. Basicaly what Idea said.

Heck yes to what Idea and Coward have said. Heck. Yes.

When I feel stuck, I just grit my teeth and write it. Then I keep writing. Then I write some more. It’s a skill like anything else, y’all, and inspiration is that fickle ass friend that flakes on you all the time. Like, even that time when you bought them movie tickets and offered to get popcorn. Practice and habit are your real pals, even if they’re kind of mouthbreathers and not as cool and trendy as inspiration.

That being said, here are some things I do that help me:

-Write whatever comes to me.
Seriously. Whatever. I worry about the flow later, smoothing away any rough edges at the end. In fact, y’all would be horrified by my drafts, 'cause I skip around scenes. A lot.

-Edit later.
I get ideas down first, then put my editor hat on afterwards. I mean, we’ll fix that pesky sentence later, ‘cause right now someone’s kiiiinda busy fighting a demon. Priorities.

-Listen to music.
Since I live with a few loud roommates, I like to block out any auditory distractions. With not just any music, mind you — boring music. Usually I listen to one humdrum instrumental song on repeat as incentive for me to work and not actively listen. If I have silence available, that's usually better.

-Close Facebook and other unrelated tabs.
Look. I could watch food videos all day, ogling pasta and carbs and chocolate cakes. Sometimes I even like plunging into the deep end of online political "debates," watching the shit slinging with unbridled glee. But those days I hardly get much writing done. Seriously, this one is crucial for me.

Anyway. The best advice for me so far is to just write. I tell myself: write crap if you have to, but write. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I want to make a tiny correction about what I said. While I certainly think that you should focus on writing rather than waiting for inspiration, I wouldn't say my main advise was to quote "just write". Instead my advise was to not expect nor rely on inspiration and instead prepare for a rainy day beforehand.

At least that's what I said I do. Looking back, does sharing your own Method count as advise?

Well, sorry about the bummer, just felt like I ought to clear it up before I kept being praised for an opinion I didn't actually imply. Nonetheless thank you elusivethought and Coward

Ah, no, sorry about that Idea . You're right. Hopefully I've edited my post to fix that. ^.^

Idea fair enough, but don’t feel bad! And I think it definitely counts. A lot of what you said was really helpful. Except I try not to rely on what the guilt of letting someone down - depressing motivation for me at least. Also it doesn’t help when you want to work on personal projects that others aren’t seeing.

Coward said:

Idea fair enough, but don’t feel bad! And I think it definitely counts. A lot of what you said was really helpful. Except I try not to rely on what the guilt of letting someone down - depressing motivation for me at least. Also it doesn’t help when you want to work on personal projects that others aren’t seeing.

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Stormblessed said:

Ah, no, sorry about that Idea . You're right. Hopefully I've edited my post to fix that. ^.^

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Thanks for your concern, but no worries it's perfectly alright. In fact it made me happy to see the appreciation of what I wrote, so I guess if you want to say something then maybe a "you're welcome" would be more fitting than a sorry

Guess guilt can help me, and eventually I write a post. Sometimes with creative writing stepping away for a bit can help, that's sometimes how I wrote enough words to win NaNoWriMo, although pushing myself helped in other situations.