What happens when you can't write.

[DarknessLilith]

Writing for me comes in phases, during these phases I can write out multiple paragraphs, write out as many replies as I need, and move along with no problem. Other times I struggle to write anything at all and it becomes a real problem because RP is one of my very favorite and personal hobbies but I either don't have the motivation or I just get heavy writer's block. I was hoping maybe someone could give me some advice or steps that they took that helped them along during these tough times.

 

[Vyce]

1. I've always found that listening to music can be a good source of inspiration.

2. Something else that may help is writing in different environments. If you tend to sit down and write in the same place, sometimes a simple change of scenery can provide some different perspective and help unstick those mental gears.

3. Sometimes the only thing for it is to crash through that wall. Just keep writing, even if you have no intention of posting it in the RP itself. Even if it doesn't make sense or seems irrelevant/silly to the subject at hand, just keep at it; you may end up surprising yourself. (It's kinda like how you need to let a car run every so often to keep itself in working shape, or you risk it not working altogether.)

Hope this helps, and may your RP sails be filled with the scent of southern roses.

 

[Sync]

Heh...I feel this, as I'm going through the same at the moment: I really enjoy my writing, but at the moment I'm seriously struggling with it, almost to the point of "can't be bothered".

If it's that bad, then keep in touch with your partners and let them know so they at least know you're not ghosting them. Give yourself permission to take a break, and then take it - let your mind focus on other things. Nothing good is going to come from sitting at your computer staring at the screen and trying to will yourself to write when the desire is missing. Just as you sometimes need to take a holiday from work, you also need to sometimes take a break from writing.

 

[Tazreale]

Read.

Sometimes I am just drained and default to reading. Most of the sources of material I read are from various webnovels and different genres. Fantasy being a primary one. Then usually followed by whatever translated variations of Wuxia and other Chinese/Korean novels. (Some pretty good ones out there, just finding them properly translated is hard.)

If I am not in reading mood/hit a wall in material/catch up to a novel, then I just game. Though honestly I spend more time reading than gaming and RPing combine it feels.

 

[Passion]

So, writers' block is pretty rare for me. While this sounds like a good thing, it has some downfalls. One being that when it happens, it kinda freaks me out. I get worried my creativity won't return.

Personally, if this happens, it usually means I'm burned out. I was world building too much, too many totally different scenes, or overall writing too much. If this happens to you, my advice would be to take a short break from RPing. Few days, maybe a week. Give yourself a guilt free chance to refresh.

When it comes to just having some days that are more difficult to write than others, that is probably an issue we all have. So, you aren't alone! Some days our words just flow better. If it seems dramatic, reflect on your day. Did you not sleep well? Are other thoughts distracting you? Was work extra annoying? And so on... Try to be kind with yourself about it. As long as your partners are understanding and okay waiting, take your time.

I'd also like to note that not every post needs to be everyone's 11/10. Sometimes we just need to send a "meh" post to push things along to get to a more inspiring moment. I know I write quicker and longer when I'm really interested in what is going on compared to dull moments. Sadly, sometimes RP can feel like a grind, but that is why inspiration is important.