If you've posted stuff in this forum before, you may have experienced writer's block before. Well, I'm experiencing it right now and I can't seem to break it. I have to have started a short story with one page written, a plot outline, and a list of characters by Friday! And I just happen to have a horrible case of writer's block. What do I do???

Um, you're kinda "preaching to the choir" here, DWM. I'm actually a really optimistic person. Very rarely am I pessimistic at all. I just know what I'm good at doing and what I'm not. And I'm my own worst critic when it comes to writing. I would never imagine for you to say something like, "Believe you can, and you can." But that's exactly what I believe as well, for the most part. Don't worry, I'll have a self-fulfilled destiny. I already know what I want to do. But that's not exactly writing; that's just something I like to do. What I want to do is something I love to do.

Anyways, as an update, somehow my writer's block broke. I managed to write not only one page but two pages of a new short story, the plot outline and character list for it, and the poem I had to write (which, I guess I'll post on Sunset's poetry thread). Now I just have one thing left to do for that class before Friday. Yay!

Self-fufilled destiny. You know what that is, Waiting? Don't tell yourself you can't do something. You won't be able to. Believe you can, and you can. Pessimists rarely succeed. You will get so much farther than me and others in life, if you just keep your head up and tell yourself you can succeed. Don't let anything get in your way. Like Sian said, work through it.

Thanks for the tips, guys! (And, um, the non-tips, DWM). It's just that, I know what to write, but every time i try to write it, I just can't come up with the words. I know, I know...pick another subject. I'm working on it. The poem I have to have written would turn out badly regardless (I'm a horrible poet) so I'm not as worried about that as the short story. However, only one page is due Friday so I guess that one page can suck for now and then I can go back and fix it later, right?

Yeah...but keep those tips coming anyways, they're very helpful.

Just write it out. It doesn't matter if it's bad; it's still practice. No one ever got anywhere by just sitting and waiting for something to happen. Work through it. Work through it. It will be some work.

Distraction is definentally not the answer. Don't distract yourself. I have no basis or reason for this. Just--don't do it. It more often than not turns out really ugly.

Clear your mind, relax and think about other things. Your inspiration will return at some point, just distract youself with other stuff until then.

Last time I had writer's block, and had a poetry assignment due, I wrote about having writers block.

Hate to say this, there's nothing you can do. Writer's block can't be distinguished. Go ahead and try, but when I have tried, I've written crap. It usually takes me a week to a month to get out of writer's block.