creativity

Author Inspired: How Our Favorite Writers Combat Creative Lulls

By Daniel Ford

What a difference a week makes.

Last week, I was in the depths of a writing slump. This week, thanks to advice from the Writer’s Bone crew and the purchase of a new Moleskin notebook, I’m back to furiously writing notes and brainstorming ideas for new stories.

To stay completely in the zone, I reached out to a few of our favorite writers to see if they had any tips for combating creative lulls. Like our staff, they didn’t disappoint.

Scott Cheshire

With me it’s always reading, especially re-reading. When I'm feeling low I re-visit the books I love most, and it's just amazing watching a book work like a clock. It gets me juiced every time. For instance, I recently re-read Don DeLillo's Point Omega, and read it in a slow, single sitting, maybe three hours, and knowing what should happen allowed me to see the artistry there in a way I can't on a first read, how the three parts work together like an inverted thriller. Gets me psyched.

Lindsey Palmer

My solution for this is to do something, anything, else. The best way for me to continue to struggle with creativity is to keep prodding myself, "Come on, be creative." If instead I take my mind off of the issue by doing other things, like focusing on work—I teach high school English—or hitting the gym or cooking a new recipe, I find that eventually creativity returns. Sometimes you have to give the conscious part of creativity a rest, since so much of imagination comes from the unconscious.

Seely James

I write more. If I can’t think up what to write in my work-in-process, I write in my blog post, journal, secondary project, emails to people. I don’t believe in “writer’s block” any more than I believe in “bricklayer’s block.” Like any profession, we do go through slumps and we deal with them the same way they do in sports: keep going.

Jacqueline Druga

When the juices do not want to flow, and you are staring at a blank scene, go no more than three or four days without writing. Then write. If you don't have a story, write letters to, or from, your favorite, or least favorite, characters. Whatever you do, do not not write something. Stalemate writing is a hard habit to break.

You need more inspiration after that? Fine, here are tips some of our past interviews had for up-and-coming writers:

Gene Hackman

Stick with it. That's number one. Believe in the editing process. Don't fall in love with your first draft. Take chances.

Janet Evanovich

Sit your butt in the chair and start writing. Do it every day. You don't have to write full time—an hour or so seven days a week and you'll be amazed at what you can turn out. Even if your output is only two pages a day, at the end of a month you'll have 60 pages. Writing is like any other muscle; it gets stronger when you exercise.

Joshua James

Stop if you can. Sing if you must.

S. Craig Zahler

Finish your work and show it to people. Sitting on an unfinished book or script is as bad as not writing it at all—actually worse, since you’ve spent time doing stuff for no reason unless you consider yourself the only important audience or do it for therapeutic reasons.

Be critical of your own work, but don’t strive for perfection, since it’s unattainable. I limit the amount of time I allow myself to revise my books and scripts or else I would tweak them forever (and consequently, write a fraction as much material). Set limits and deadlines and stick to them. Sometimes it helps to tell other people what your deadlines are so that you can’t alter them.

Ann Hornaday

Although it's important to develop your own voice, it's just as important to come to your work in the spirit of service: How can I be a useful part of the conversation I'm either starting or diving into? Give yourself time to think before you start to type. Oh, and outline! I still do it, with Roman numerals, capital letters and everything.

Peter Heller

Write a certain amount of words every day, and once you hit that mark, continue a bit until you can stop in the middle of an exciting scene or thought. That way, you can’t wait to get up in the morning and begin again.

Shawn Vestal

A lot of very mundane things. Read and write a lot. Work hard. Do not wait around for inspiration—inspiration comes more often when you’re working than when you’re waiting. If you find yourself stuck or blocked, allow yourself to write lines of nonsense, to invent ridiculous scenarios, to write something very, very bad. Lower your standards to get yourself moving, and then raise them again in editing and revision. Find writers you can share your work with and share honest critiques with.

Wally Lamb

Humble yourself to the challenge of revision and seek feedback from others. Also, give feedback to other writers. I participate in writers’ groups and that has always been part of my process.

For posts from The Boneyard, check out our full archive.

How to Get Your Creative Mojo Back

Excuse me, do you know where my talent is?

Excuse me, do you know where my talent is?

By Daniel Ford

I’ve been in somewhat of a creative lull lately.

Sure, I can instigate an email chain discussing the best television theme songs (coming soon) and giving all of our readers quality book recommendations, but I can’t seem to turn my muse’s attention to the short story and novel ideas I have on the shelf.

I’m starting to feel a little like Mark Ruffalo’s character in “Begin Again.” Of course, without the alcoholism and quasi-homelessness. At the beginning of the film, his character is a spent creative force. He’s facedown at a bar (Arlene’s Grocery, where I’ve been creatively inspired before), drunk off bourbons and beers he can’t afford, and recently fired from a record company he founded.

Keira Knightley steps on stage and starts to belt out a tune, which gets our anti-hero’s creative neurons firing on all cylinders.

That’s the moment I’ve been sorely lacking recently. I’m aching for the thunderbolt that clears the alcohol-infused cloud and forces you to refocus on your true purpose.

I know it will happen. The muse always comes back. But I’m impatient. So, as I often do, I reached out to the Writer’s Bone crew for some ideas on how to light a fire under my sleeping muse's ass. Our badass writers rose to the occasion as always.

Stephanie Schaefer:

Going to an outdoor café and people watching can definitely spark your creativity. I also find that getting new glossy magazines in the mail each month gets me inspired to write.

Rachel Tyner: Number one is socializing! Get out of your own head and bounce, ideas, and thoughts off of other people. Even totally random conversation can spark something in you. Go to a new place. Learn something new. Be shocking /shocked. Look at Humans of New York posts (ha!). Try a different outlet; instead of writing maybe draw, paint, or play an instrument.

Rob Bates: I respond well to having an assignment and a goal. When I just sit down to write, I'm lost.

I would also recommend keeping a file of all your unfinished half-baked ideas. That will give you a starting point when you have nothing to work on.

This picture following a Rob Bates contribution just feels right

This picture following a Rob Bates contribution just feels right

Lisa Carroll: Go see finding “Finding Neverland” at the American Repertory Theater! Seriously! That's exactly what the play is about…J. M. Barrie’s creative slump. And it's magical!

(The musical closes Sept. 28, 2014).

Hailey Reissman: Drink a shitload of coffee and then assign yourself a place to be that is different than your normal haunts (a coffee shop, a quiet place outside, something else, whatever, it’s your life) and then make yourself be there for a certain amount of time with the sole purpose of writing. No checking email. No social media. You can bring books and articles, so that even if you don't get anything written, you forced yourself to really focus on it.

Creative reinforcements

Creative reinforcements

Cristina Cianci: My philosophy is when in doubt, visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art or Italy. Although, if those aren't a possibility, I guess one can substitute in any other local museum or country for inspiration. Travel, travel, travel!

Even this picture of Italy is inspiring. Photo courtesy of Cristina Cianci

Even this picture of Italy is inspiring. Photo courtesy of Cristina Cianci

Lindsey Wojcik: Reading (anything) usually sparks some sort of creativity for me. A walk in the city alone helps. And candles and wine are my weapons for just sitting down to write.

Not a bad place to get your mojo back

Not a bad place to get your mojo back

Dave Pezza: Serious suggestion: Buy a typewriter, and use it, a lot. For me, nothing has ever successfully combated writer's block. But the intimidation of sitting in front of a typewriter, nothing between you and the blank page, makes me so anxious I'm compelled to write something. It's usually crap, but then again most first drafts (and most second drafts) are terrible. It really forces you to edit later on. All of your mistakes are hidden in the black and white of the page, no squiggly red lines, no right-click spell checking, no backspace. Just the truth.

A typewrite like Ernest Hemingway's can be yours for $349

A typewrite like Ernest Hemingway's can be yours for $349

For posts from The Boneyard, check out our full archive.

The Boneyard: What’s Up With Creative People Having Substance Abuse Issues?

The Boneyard will feature the best of Daniel and Sean’s daily email chain twice a week. Yes, we broadened the definition of “best” to make this happen.

Daniel: You ever find you write better drunk? Or at least on some kind of high (caffeine, drugs, sex, etc.)? Some people who attend meetings about stuff like this say that they drove or did something better while under the influence. Is it the same for writers? Is having some sort of heightened or distorted sense of the world better for writing? And is that why so many writers have so many vices?

Sean: A lot of writers have drinking problems. I don't know if the drinking made them better writers. A lot of writers who let the drinking get out of control become worse. MacLean began to drink badly the last five or six years of his life and his work went down the drain. Writers who drink to have good work usually have awful personal lives. The better question is why do so many writers drink? Is it because so much is going on in their minds that they can’t control it in the real world?

Daniel: Great questions as well.

I think in some ways, it’s not being able to handle living in two different worlds. Maybe the world the writer is creating is better than their actual reality, or vice versa. Drinking becomes something of a crutch that eventually overcomes everything else. You're either trying to live in your created world or escape it. Reality measures up or it doesn't. 

And hey, sometimes writers try to force the muse, especially if they think their work is that important or they depend on it for everything. It's like athletes doing performance-enhancing drugs. If someone told you, you could take this and be really successful for a while, but there would be consequences down the line, would you do it?

This from the two guys who preface every podcast with what drink they're consuming.

Sean: In the world we create, we have control over thing. We know the perfect thing to say to the jerk, how to get the woman, and how to overcome our fears. The world is ours, but we can only visit that world, we're not allowed to live there. So once we leave that world we have to confront the real world. We hate the real world. That is why we write.  When you drink or take drugs you are pulled away from the real world. Getting high or drunk numbs you to the world, and allows you to feel free when you are not.  The best feeling in the world is the first few seconds of being high when the real world goes on pause the worry that fills your chest breaks part.

And yes, I would do it. However, regardless of what you do, you have to pay for it at a later date. You always have to pay the devil his due. If you have a great talent and you are able to live off that talent you are going to have to pay for it you may lose your privacy, or a loved one, or something.

Daniel: Damn I love everything you just said. Damn.

I’m repeating this line because I love it so much: "The best feeling in the world are the first few seconds of being high when the real world goes on pause the worry that fills your chest breaks part."

I posted “Why do you think some ‪‎writers‬ (and creative people in general) develop substance abuse issues?” to our social media networks. Here were two responses we got:

Matt: “When your life is entirely based on deadlines, you tend to try anything and everything you can to slow life down. Sadly, one of the major ways to do this is with substances - especially alcohol. Also, when you talk at your laptop all day, you might as well drink until it talks back to you.” 
Jeff: “Because they feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to deliver material worth retaining. Feeling as though you've failed to any extent in doing something you love can lead to poor decisions, insecurity, depression, and no one is invincible.”

Sean: Also, Philip Seymour Hoffman is dead and I am heartbroken.

He was an amazing actor. I love “Boogie Nights.” He was amazing in that movie. The scene where they are recording the first sex scene and they focus on Hoffman's face and he almost starts to weep is so good.  “Mission Impossible 3? How great is he in that? He is such a great bad guy.  And now he’s dead.  

I'm just gonna miss him.

Daniel: I didn't see “MI:3”, but I have to now. He made every movie he was in better. Lester Bangs in “Almost Famous?” Fantastic. And that serves as maybe one of the most authentic writer movies of all time. “Twister?” Great playing a guy you wouldn't trust to do anything but chase after tornados with Helen Hunt. “Before The Devil Knows Your Dead,” “The Savages,” “Doubt.”

We talked about John Cazale last week, and while Hoffman didn't have that kind of awards run, he maybe had the modern day equivalent of being in a quality movie every time out. I need to go back and re-watch “Capote” because I watched it on a crappy television and the sound was really low. He was just great.

For posts from The Boneyard, check out our full archive.