Help! I've got nothing to write about!
@chipesterkhan (2925)
Philippines
January 26, 2011 3:11am CST
Help! I've got nothing to write about!
Paper? Check!
Pen? Check!
Inspiration? uhh...
Topic? uhmm...
Anything? err... ahhh...
That's my mental monologue for the past couple of days.
I'm an amateur writer with nothing to write about.
I've searched high and low for things to write about and yet nothing seems to interest me enough to write.
Is this what they call a writer's block?
Earlier this year I made a vow to write at least 10 topics a day and post them in an effort to earn something and I haven't made good on that promise. Everytime I want to write something, another thing comes up (my day job).
On weekends I sit in front of my computer, wracking my brains and still nothing.
I try to do other things in an effort to add some variety that could lead to some topic, any topic and still no luck!
oh poor wretched me.
I shall go hungry because my brain refuses to conjure words and phrases to spin a tale to amuse you. A storyteller with no story.
How can I go on with my absurd plan to live on the things I write if I can not even put 2 words together much less 3?
oh woe is me!
Help! I've got nothing to write about? Will someone, anyone give me inspiration to write?
I'll take any topic you give me and see if I can write something about it.
And if I don't, then this literary malady is still upon me and I will forever go into obscurity as "that guy who stopped writing" or something worse. I might as well sell all my belongings, pack up what little clothes I have, hike up to a cave and live the rest of my life as a hermit living off the fruits of the land. Or start begging on the streets, not for coins, but for ideas. Well maybe coins wouldn't be so bad.
I can now picture my tombstone
"Here lies Chester
Wanted to be a writer
Eventually died of hunger"
Help...
3 people like this
12 responses
@CarlHalling (3617)
• United Kingdom
26 Jan 11
I'm a writer too; and sad to say, there are some days, when sentences stubbornly refuse to form themselves in the mind. What causes this is s mystery, but it's a condition that has plagued writers since time immemorial. At times like this, no matter how hard you try, nothing comes forth, maybe a few uninspired words, even a sentence or two, and that's it! It's best to give up. And wait for inspiration to return, because the chances are: it will! It always does for me. It could be days; weeks; perhaps even months. In the meantime, why not spend time looking over what you've already written? Maybe it could do with some corrections? You could copy and paste your work, and post it to writing sites for feedback. Perhaps you could file your tales into collections. There's all sorts of writer-related tasks that don't involve writing as such that you could do. Don't panic; that inspiration will return. I hope it's soon. Good luck.
3 people like this
@CarlHalling (3617)
• United Kingdom
26 Jan 11
Great! I'm not with Wikinut or Bukisa, but I must check them out. Hub Pages I'm with, but I've not written for them yet. But: best of luck!
1 person likes this
@chipesterkhan (2925)
• Philippines
26 Jan 11
the link's on my profile if you want to try it
i hope you enjoy it
especially wikinut! haha
@chipesterkhan (2925)
• Philippines
26 Jan 11
coming from a writer like you, i will definitely take your advice.
maybe you could even educate us further by posting how to write stuff on mylot?
or bukisa?
or wikinut?
or hubpages?
i write for all those sites and more
i just hope i'll be able to live up to being a writer from a writer's point of view
1 person likes this
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
26 Jan 11
There, you can have the topics I was assigned to at work, I feel generous today. The first one is investee units (held for sale, creating goodwill and based on equity methods). The second one is fruit juice, which is easier, but it's a huge order, I've been writing about fruit juices since the beginning of the year, I'm nowhere near completion, and I'm going mental. 
Don't worry, based on my experience, writers without subjects don't starve, they just get assigned to topics nobody wants to write about.
Don't worry, based on my experience, writers without subjects don't starve, they just get assigned to topics nobody wants to write about. 3 people like this
@chipesterkhan (2925)
• Philippines
26 Jan 11
fruit juice sounds delicious
i'll have to come up with something... (pardon the pun) juicy. hahah
i'll try to make a spin on them boring subjects and see if i can make it a bit interesting enough for you
thank you
2 people like this
@darkmoni (34)
• United States
26 Jan 11
I LIKE TO WRITE WHEN THE MOOD IS RIGHT I WRITE ABOUT MY PRACTICE AND HOW IT MAKES ME FEEL . SO HOW ABOUT WRITING ABOUT A DAILY LIFE. HOW PEOPLE SUFFER, SMMILE ,ENJOY AND ADD A LITTLE SPUNK TO IT. ON HOW THEY MEET BIG FOOT WHILE THEY ARE CAMPING AND MAYBE THAT WILL HELP YOU ON THINKING ON SOMETHING TO WRITE ABOUT OR YOU CAN WRITE ABOUT ME i HAVE A DARKSIDE LOL
@Catana (735)
• United States
26 Jan 11
If you are having so much trouble finding things interesting enough to write about, in a world full of interesting things, then maybe you're not cut out to be a writer. We can all find reasons not to write. Sometimes the reasons are legitimate. But if it goes on endlessly, we're just making excuses. The world is full of people who want to be writers. I'm not sure why, because writing isn't easy, and making a living from writing isn't easy. But the truth is that hardly any of those people who think they want to be writers ever do anything about it.
2 people like this
@chipesterkhan (2925)
• Philippines
26 Jan 11
ouch...
i like your response.
straight to the point.
maybe i'm not cut out to be one, but i'll still try my hardest to get some sort of satisfaction out of this hehehe
1 person likes this
@chipesterkhan (2925)
• Philippines
26 Jan 11
good advice
let me practice my writing some more and make it work
@visavis (5934)
• Philippines
26 Jan 11
Actually for me it is normal specially in a writer, so better you take a couple of days to refresh, rest and try to change you mood, ambiance, place. Go to a place that you can say talking to you like lake, park, mountain, roof top. Then after that you can see that all ideas will coming to your mind and start writing again... I hope you overcome your situation.. see you around
@chipesterkhan (2925)
• Philippines
26 Jan 11
got it, i'll take your advice
i wonder if i can find a mountain with a park and a lake with a building with an open rooftop to hang out here in manila.
hehehe cause i want to do everything all at once
hahaha
your post gave me an idea and i thank you for that
2 people like this
@thisisradu (11)
• India
26 Jan 11
You could always check out online writing sites for prompts. Those usually help me when I'm in a fix.
Or you could just do stream of conscious writing? Don't expressively think about what to write, just start writing from the first word that comes into your head! Even if the words aren't coherent and don't fall into a sentence properly, or it's the same word repeating over and over again. Just keep going. Usually when I do this a little way in, I find myself actually telling a story. Then when I'm done I just go edit it, sorting scenes to make it flow properly, cutting out the earlier nonsensical babble. Or if the babble actually would work in another point in the story, leave it in!
2 people like this
@chipesterkhan (2925)
• Philippines
26 Jan 11
good idea!
thanks!
this post actually started out that way.
first thought that came into my mind and in a few minutes i was done
1 person likes this
@dodo19 (47113)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
26 Jan 11
Sometimes, I have those days too, when nothing comes out of me. I can't think of anything. Sometimes, it just takes time for an idea to come out, an inspiration. Usually, the mood has to be right, but not always. One thing that I find sometimes helps is actually reading newspaper articles that I find interesting. It does help sometimes. Not always, but from time to time it does.
@allyoftherain (7208)
• United States
26 Jan 11
I've been telling all my writer friends the exact same thing.... You can't wait for inspiration to come to you. You have to run out there and drag it back into your home kicking and screaming.
I find the best sources of inspiration are doing lots of reading, recording my dreams (the ones you have at night), talking to new and interesting people, and getting out there into the real world and experiencing new things. You can try some of those and see if you're able to come up with things to write about.
@mommaj (23112)
• United States
26 Jan 11
As funny as your post is, it is also a sad fact of life. Everyone experiences a time that they just cannot get anything good to come out. This is when you totally stop and go do something that you have been putting off, like laundry. Oh wait, that is my problem. Um, you can try to write down anything that comes to your mind. Start writing with the little things that has happened in your life today. You know, that pen lid that no matter how hard you tried to get off, it kept evading you. Then, when you were about to give up the lid falls off the pen and onto the floor. The worst part is no matter how hard you tried the little booger rolls away from you just as your clasp is closing in on it...
Who knows? Getting words to start might actually cause you to have the aw inspired moment that will create a masterpiece.
@sunshine37 (450)
• United States
26 Jan 11
Yes, do take a break. Get away from the computer, go about your day doing other things, and get forget about "writing" and then that is when stuff will start popping into your head. Just make sure you a keep a notebook handy, BUT out of sight so it does not lay there haunting you.
Another thing is start a journal. I find that when I know that no one is going to read it, feelings will come out of nowhere. Things that I would have not even thought about. Just write, with no editing what so ever. They are feelings and thoughts that can turned into postings. Also you can take a look at the things in your life..do you have kids ( they have tons of stories ), what about pets, marriage and the list could go on. Off the top of head for some posting ideas;
What if ___
The reasons I like or dislike ____
The most memorable occasion
Lyrics to your favorite song or poem
What you would do if you have a 1000.00 bucks ( or more )
Favorite Tv show or game to play ( answer the who what when and how )
Post your favorite thing to use and why ( odder the better )
Talk about your childhood memories
I could come up with a dozen more..and perhaps I need to be making this list mine as well lol. They are good starters, but give and take a little from them, and you should come up with something. Good Luck !
@moirai (2836)
• Philippines
27 Jan 11
Hahaha! You say you have nothing to write about? But I just finished reading this thing you wrote, and I enjoyed it! =D
Oh, but maybe my idea of writing is different from yours. I'm not actually a writer myself...
Hmm...
I'm sure there are a lot of things one can write about. For me, I would look around myself. Pick up a book, open it at a random page, choose a quote, dissect it. Listening to music? Pick a song. What does it mean? I hear my dog. Maybe I can write about pets. I see something that reminds me of some childhood memory. Maybe write about that, etc, etc, etc...
Good luck!! I hope you find a topic you enjoy soon. =)
@chipesterkhan (2925)
• Philippines
28 Jan 11
for a second there i thought you wanted me to dissect a dog and write about it hehehe
thank you for the kind words
topics are going back and forth in my mind at light speed velocity and i just can't seem to grab one and pin it down long enough to write about it
