How (the hell) do you write?

[timmybono]

So this may seem rather elementary, but i often find myself getting stuck...or easily distracted and discouraged from sitting down and writing, whether it be a sketch, a one person show, a play....what have you. i am curious if anyone wants to share some techniques, or simply give some advice or inspiration for others to pull from. I know for me personally, i often get stuck in my own mind, then i see someone else's show and immediately go "oh frick yeah, why didn't i write that way" etc etc etc.....

so please, for anyone who wants to share (without giving away your best secrets of course), please feel free to post anything you think helps you or another here such as; where you write, how you write (paper, computer etc) how and where you pull ideas and brainstorm topics or sketch ideas, or how you create a throughline, or how you choose what scenes and characters to use in your show(s) in essence pretty much anything i guess....so all of us NYC writers can get better. i know everyone has their own way and everyone is different, but maybe we can help each other out in some way....thanks.

toot a loo

tim

[HairballofDoom]

I've been in a similar place since getting out of grad school. The last thing I enjoyed writing was a silent scene while sitting in a bar listening to a great jazz band. Wrote on about four or five coasters in the dark. Can't seem to fine the coasters though.

[MichelleD]

I'm right there with you, Tim - I've got too many unfinished projects at the moment.

Some things that help me
- taking a class keeps me to deadlines, and I find that I'm inspired to work on other things at the same time.
- I entertained the 'writer's group' idea for a time, but I'm not that social. However, I do enlist one or two trusted souls to read my stuff and hold me accountable from time to time.
- I like stuff. Sometimes I just buy a new notebook.
- I downloaded a real live scriptwriting program (Celtx.com, free!) and for some reason, making it look all 'professional' makes me excited about writing. Also, the index card feature is kind of cool at organizing things.
- Don't be afraid to abandon projects, or at least let them sit for awhile. I got hung up on a show I never quite finished, until I actually decided to shelve it for awhile I couldn't work on anything else.
- Go to shows. Even if they aren't comedy, going to other people's shows is a learning experience (what works, what doesn't). It's also usually inspiring to me to see people getting it done. I take notes in the dark at shows a lot, and they may not even have to do with the show.

OK, I'm going to go work on writing now!

[ThePhilWells]

If I'm blocked I hit random on Wikipedia until I find something interesting, then I mash it up with something inappropriate. "Joan of Arc + Overweight." "Star Trek Commander + Baby." Once I have a premise I just list if-that-then-what-else type things. I get silly. And I write everything. I defer judgment until I've got a list of 25-30 funny things, and then I pick out the best. Then I put them into dialogue in a location. Sometimes I get a neat sketch, other times I just get something I can bring to the group and ask what it needs.

Definitely get yourself into a situation that creates deadlines. A group or a class.

[El Jefe]

Just making yourself sit down and write, and do nothing else (including research!) is half the battle. It's like improv: just write. Don't question yourself. Yes-and your ideas and see where they lead. You don't have to have a roadmap. You can always rewrite later, but on your first draft, just plow forward.

I have lately found that I have an easier time scrawling in a notebook than I do writing on a computer. Computers are a central location for every possible distraction you could have: games, the Internet, the IRC, spending too much time worrying about formatting, etc. Find a pen you like and scrawl everything into a notebook. Then you automatically build in a re-writing step, which you can't help but do as you type it all up.

[Dr. Figby]

One of things I do: pace. I pace through my apartment, not quickly but steadily, and think of the last thing I've written (or last thing unfinished) and riff on it. Studies have shown you think better (literally), "on your feet". When something comes, write key words/phrases/lines/senarios on a pad or laptop and keep riffing. I don't play any music while I'm doing this. The only sound I want to hear is my inner monologue. I figure I have plenty of time to get drunk and listen to The Pogues later.

[benzado]

Dash!

[Dr. Figby]

Originally Posted by benzado

Dash!

I like this alot.

[SixSider]

Along the lines of Dash, NaNoWriMo was the best thing I ever did to train myself to just write write write.

[Bent]

I'm with SixSider on this one - NaNoWriMo gets your ideas out of your head and into your computer (or notebook, stone tablet, etc.). Highly recommended.

[d_chadwick]

If it's a sketch, it sometimes helps to read the lines out loud and sort of improvise it by yourself. Like, get away from the keyboard for a minute and pretend it's an improv scene. Even if you don't get the moves you want right away, it kicks your improv brain in a little and gets you thinking in a different way.

Also, make sure you have a pen or something to take down the random idea you'll have at a completely unrelated moment. Sometimes your brain will make a connection when you're just swiping your metrocard or something, and if you don't take a note of it, it might be gone.

[MichelleD]

Originally Posted by SixSider

Along the lines of Dash, NaNoWriMo was the best thing I ever did to train myself to just write write write.

I say we declare September NationalSketchWritingMonth - one sketch per day, thirty days, thirty sketches. Boom! Who's in?

[d_chadwick]

Originally Posted by MichelleD

I say we declare September NationalSketchWritingMonth - one sketch per day, thirty days, thirty sketches. Boom! Who's in?

Fucking brilliant! I'm totally in. How does this work? Is there some central place to chart people's progress?

[MichelleD]

Originally Posted by d_chadwick

Fucking brilliant! I'm totally in. How does this work? Is there some central place to chart people's progress?

Oh, there could be! Will keep you posted. Who else is in?

If there's someone with better technical skills than me (everyone just about) let me know. If not I could set up a blog or a page on my website.

[ariscott]

I'm in.

[Will Choy]

Me too. Let's do this.

[MichelleD]

As of now I've set up a Blogger blog because that seemed easy. If it's too much of a hassle let me know and we can come up with something else.

Right now, comment if you want in and/or email me at info AT michelledobrawsky DOT com to get access for posting and progress. Blogger can accomodate up to 100 users on a single blog which should be fine for now.

[timmybono]

i am also in.......how is this happening? logistics i mean....

[MichelleD]

So far I have a blog that people can post their work to, unless someone comes up with a better technical scheme. if I don't have your email, you can send it to me and i can give you access. fortunately we have just about a month to figure it out. ; )

[d_chadwick]

So when does the 30 days start?