Getting rid writers' block

I have been sitting on my incomplete manuscripts for quite a while due to several reasons, the main of which, is this huge invisible barrier stopping me from going near the manuscripts.

When I say manuscripts I literally meant several books in the making. All of it is fiction and not in the same genre. I have a romance book written midway although the plot lines are complete, a horror/fantasy in its first few chapters with half complete plot lines and finally a satire/women's fiction in its first few chapters with a complete plot line.

Now, with three completely different books, it is quite difficult to complete any one of it without worrying about the others. Thus, this barrier came up. Also the worry of not being able to fulfill the demands of the characters, not able to find the time to fill out the plots, do more research, stress at work, lack of time and various more petty issues, had me freezing up and my ideas drying out.

Arrggghhhh...it is not easy getting rid writers block.

It is indeed distressing and frustrating to be staring at the screen and rereading the first few chapters and not be able to continue with it. So to overcome this self-induced writer's block, I came up with several methods which worked for me.

1) Relax and start doodling (or fiddling with the keyboards - whichever medium you are using to write) - formulate words and sentences not necessarily related to you book. It could be anything, just random words. I find that this often ends up with me continuing on with my storyline.

2) Check out writer's blogs - not to get ideas but essentially to have a feel of how they deal with such situations and also to immerse yourself into the writing world. This exercise often gets me all geared up and inspired to write.

3) Stop staring at the empty screen/notebook - the words are not going to write themselves. If it is stressing you out, just walk away. Go take a short walk, have a cup of tea/coffee or just stare out of the windows to clear your mind and stress. Stress is the one main factor blocking the ideas from flowing.

4) Read a really good book by your favourite author - great works are really great inspirations and motivations.I always find myself raring to type the moment I put down a really good read.

5) Work on the plot instead - okay, so you are really coming up blank. Why not go into the basics of the story line instead? Come up with complete biodatas for the characters, give them family backgrounds, career backgrounds, likes, dislikes, places they've been, where they were born, what was their first words and complete your research on any facts in the story. At least, you are getting some work done instead of staring at an empty screen!

These are but a few tips I find quite useful for me. So, now that my block has been destroyed I have a very real problem. Which one should I complete first? I think I will work on the romance and hopefully, I will be able to get it completed and out of the way!

Stuck in a rut due to a strike

It has been a few weeks since I last touch my work-in-progress, a romance novel in the making. This is due to a strike my hero and heroine has decided to stage in order to get their lives back.
Seems like they refused to follow the paths I have charted for them and decided to lead their lives their way. Hummpphh! The nerve!

It is not as if I do not listen to them. I do. I seriously, honestly do listen to their gadzillion grouses and complaints. I also provide the best of working conditions anyone could ever dream of. I mean, hello, who wouldn't want to meet an absolutely dashing handsome stranger (or gorgeous woman), fall in love and to find that there is a possibility of a happily ever after together?

But, no. Not these two. They are not satisfied about being introduced to each other (by me, no less!) but insist on doing things their way. What next? Demand for a higher salary, perks and a union? Honestly, some characters are just way too pampered. It is not as if I practically forced them to fall in love. Or that I had purposely placed some obstacles for them to overcome before they could actually be together. They fell in love in their own accord, much as the hero likes to deny it (that's Mr Macho for you) and the obstacles, well, it is their own making!

They have refused to go the way I want them to unless I meet their demands. I will not give in to them. No way. It would create a precedent and other characters may decide to follow suit.

Yep, I am not going to be a great pushover this time.

They will definitely follow the storyline I have charted and no, it is absolutely not negotiable. I mean, I am the writer, not them. They should be listening to me. Sheesshhh.

This just goes to prove how some characters can get grandiose ideas into their heads if we give them too much freedom. I must be more careful next time.

Now, I better go and think of a way to get across this rut. There must be a way....

Castles in the air

I have always been a dreamer.
Never does a day past that I didn't spend seconds, minutes and hours letting my mind wander aimlessly.
Sometimes it will go where no men dared tread, to flirt and court with the many morbid mysteries of death, ghosts, demons and the supernatural.
Many have accused me of being morbid when I mentioned thinking about death and what happens after death but for me, what is so taboo about it after all? Everyone dies. No one is immortal (except for the cheerleader in Heroes). So, why the fear?
As for ghosts, demons and the supernatural, these are sentient beings that many do not believe exists. Having seen a few ghosts (honestly! I did see a few and I am not insane) and heard stories about demons and the supernatural which is very much a part of the Asian culture, it is only natural for me to think about them and what are they, where they hang out and what they do all day. Do they have jobs? Do they have families like humans? Things like that.
At times my mind wanders into the haphazard worlds of my characters, who are all sitting around waiting for me to finish telling their stories so that I could get their stories out to publishers and hopefully accepted and published for the world to read.
Often, my characters would take me on weird but interesting journeys into their worlds and they would often lament my lack of speediness in telling their life stories to the real world.
Occasionally I would wander into the 'what if' realm.
We all have our 'what if I suddenly received $1mil' moments and I am no exception.
In younger days, I would dream of frittering away the million bucks on books, clothes and food. As I grow older, the list grew to add in a house and a car. And in recent times, perhaps due to the influence of people around me, the list was erased. The million bucks would be invested in safe government bonds or other safe investments and let it grow. I would use it as the base to make more money and once I reach the target of say, two to three million, I would stop. I'll still leave the original million tied up in investments to continue making money while the extra millions would be used to fulfill whatever material needs I have always lusted after. Of course, it would also mean I will be able to finally quit my job, finally be a stay-at-home mom and fulfill my life-long dream of becoming a romance writer. Part of all that money would also go to charities and organisations I have always supported such as the WWF and RSPCA. It's not because I want to look good as a generous donor but I truly wanted to help and since these organisations are always short of funds, it is the best way to help.
Then when I tire of the 'what if' game, my mind wanders on to concoct evil schemes to get rid of my in-laws once and for all. I am sure almost all married women and men out there can't stand their in-laws and no wonder. It seemed that in-laws are put there to torture and made the lives of their sons and daughters-in-laws' a total hell. My hubby is lucky in a sense that my mom, when she was alive, lived in another country halfway across the world from us and my dad who practically does not even bother to call us unless we called him to pay him a visit. My in-laws are totally different to the point that I have thought up various ways to get rid of them and get away with it!
When guilt over my evil scheming starts to act up, I let my mind wander back to my past and start wondering what had happened to that thin male teacher who taught me history for two years.
Daydreaming has always been a fun activity for me and some may think it is a total waste of time, I felt it has helped me through many tough times, taught me lessons, gave me story ideas and most importantly, kept me alive with imagination and creativity!