Books on Prewriting without Manner of Editing Bias

[Octagon]

Seeing I often struggle with chronic writer's block, this not allowing me to get any serious writing done, I think what I need is a good book on prewriting. However, I want one without a bias on editing. Can anyone suggest a book?

[RAVENEYE]

A book called "Writing the Natural Way" was one I was introduced to in college. It provides different methods of brainstorming to try and short exercises to loosen things up. The point, obviously, is to learn these methods for use in longer works too.

I also love "Now Write!" (there's also a an edition for Mystery/Suspense stories) and "The Creative Writer's Notebook" (but it appears to be out of print now). Both of these are just little excerpts of writing and instruction from well-known authors/editors who give inspiration and ideas to get you started. Great for practice writing, learning new ways of finding stuff to write about, etc. No editing involved at all.

[Octagon]

Thank you, RAVENEYE, I ordered the first book.

[Octagon]

I'm still waiting for that book to come in the mail.

[RAVENEYE]

Jun 30, 2022 18:46:38 GMT -6 Octagon said:

Thank you, RAVENEYE, I ordered the first book.

Oh great! I hope it's useful to you. <3

[Octagon]

I got the book, and read the chapter on clustering, which I like; but I think that, my main problem is lack of self-discipline on my part, through which I have trouble even forming a mind-map, because of the lack of my own ability to attain freedom from mind blocks, by way of perseverance.

It certainly must be true that, for the one who lacks power to form an idea, it is needful to place great effort into the task, even as signified by one famous writer: Edgar Allan Poe.

[RAVENEYE]

No doubt about that!

Getting an idea is first challenge of this whole business. It's nice when an idea suddenly flips on like a light bulb, but that's rather rare, isn't it. Is there something in particular you're trying to write, Octagon? Something you've already started? Or are you scrambling around for new things to write about?

If it's the latter, there are many writing prompts in the Prompts & Challenges forum. Doublejay's prompts might be especially useful with the book you've purchased. The prompt provides a scenario that you might then practice the clustering on.

To probe a little deeper ... what do you think these mind blocks are? Or what causes them?

[Octagon]

Thank you for your advice.

Almost every day I try to think of some of something to write at some point during the day, or I sit down to pen or type something; but find it difficult to arrive at an idea. It doesn't necessarily have to be a story. It can be a poem, or a prose poem. I was thinking about writing a fictional epistolary.

The last time I tried to write a story, I wasn't able to generate characters through clustering. I have no idea why. Maybe I was doing the clustering wrong.

I think the blocks are probably caused by one or more of three things: weak brain muscles, mental illness, or medication.

[RAVENEYE]

Jul 18, 2022 5:35:42 GMT -6 Octagon said:

Thank you for your advice.

Almost every day I try to think of some of something to write at some point during the day, or I sit down to pen or type something; but find it difficult to arrive at an idea. It doesn't necessarily have to be a story. It can be a poem, or a prose poem. I was thinking about writing a fictional epistolary.

The last time I tried to write a story, I wasn't able to generate characters through clustering. I have no idea why. Maybe I was doing the clustering wrong.

I think the blocks are probably caused by one or more of three things: weak brain muscles, mental illness, or medication.

Oh! Yeah, meds change the game for sure. When I first got on meds for depression/panic attacks, the meds numbed my creativity to the point that I couldn't invent anything new for several months. I was sooooo frustrated. So that could definitely be a possibility, Octagon. The frustration it caused compounded the problem. 

You heard of those folks who try to years to get pregnant? They spend years in anguish over it, then finally give up and adopt a baby. They relax and stop worrying about it, then BAM, they get pregnant.

Creativity often behaves like that.

One workaround I've found: Do you have older writings, things you wrote before this dry period, that you could work on in the meantime? Rehash, revise, expand, etc.? The framework already being there, you get to make progress on a project while letting that other part of your brain rest.

Hmm, don't know if that would prove helpful to you, but it worked wonders for me.

[Octagon]

After practicing clustering and mindmapping a little, it seems to help somewhat. Clustering and mindmapping are pretty much the same thing.

The book I bought does not give sufficient information on rhythm, so I'll just stick with the idea that rhythm is based on stress and segmentation.

By the way, a dosage of one of my antipsychotics was raised.