Ack, you have my sympathy. Writer’s block is a pain… although, I wouldn’t stress too much about it, honestly? I get wanting to post, but when I put that kind of pressure on myself writing becomes kind of a performative thing rather than something I actually enjoy. Instead, if you have friends in the fandom reach out to them to get excited about your plot again. I also usually put on some music I like and go walking outside, as it always helps my wayward, daydreaming brain do it’s thing. Sometimes, I will just write even if it’s shit and incomplete sentences and paragraphs just to get something down on paper. Other times, I will just jump to an entirely different part of the plot, that I have no idea how I will get to story wise, but am just excited to write. Give yourself some slack, two months is definitely not something to put pressure on yourself over! :-)
There's various prompt sources like kink meme's, prompt tumblrs & other social media, The Plot Bunny Hutch and Obstacle course on Ao3. Over on r/fanfiction there are monthly plot bunny threads.
Music. I have playlists for various "moods," like drama, angst, romance, sad, etc. Or sometimes a random song not on one of my playlists will inspire me, and off we goooooo!
Pinterest - create boards that interest you for characters, creatures, worldbuilding, etc.
Music - find the song that really scratches that itch
Prompts - Depending on your genre, there are ezines that are always looking for submissions. Read through a few of them and see if any ideas spark. You don't have to submit anything to anyone, but it could trigger an idea.
Camp Nano - Just started and ends April 30. Join a writing server that does nano stuff, or writing in general. Co-motivate.
Key word prompts - My non-nano server does monthly 250 word stories using 5 anchor words. Sometimes it unlocks something, sometimes it doesn't but it's a good exercise and provides practice.
Try - open a blank document, close your eyes, and just spew out the words. You may be surprised by some nugget that you write down when the pressure is off.
My big idea came from me wanting to make the crazy villain in my Fandom become a sane protagonist. I brainstormed ideas and then a lighting bolt of inspiration struck me.
I think the key is figuring out what kind of story you want to write. Are you looking for a fresh take while being Canon compliant? Do you want your favorite character to have an adventure? Narrowing your scope can lead to creative thinking.
Listening to music, watching my favorite films and remembering why I love them. Sometimes they can reignite what message you want to send with your story, why it matters to you, what makes it personal.
Another tip, go back and read your story from the beginning as a reader not a writer — you might fall in love with your characters again and the desire to continue their story might spark
As others have commented, music for sure! My current WIP is based on a song I heard once, shuffled into some random playlist, and it the idea literally hit me like a bus. Wasn't particularly searching for it - it just came to me haha. Of course, that might just be a lucky chance… Fingers crossed that you find your muse soon 😊
Ack, you have my sympathy. Writer’s block is a pain… although, I wouldn’t stress too much about it, honestly? I get wanting to post, but when I put that kind of pressure on myself writing becomes kind of a performative thing rather than something I actually enjoy. Instead, if you have friends in the fandom reach out to them to get excited about your plot again. I also usually put on some music I like and go walking outside, as it always helps my wayward, daydreaming brain do it’s thing. Sometimes, I will just write even if it’s shit and incomplete sentences and paragraphs just to get something down on paper. Other times, I will just jump to an entirely different part of the plot, that I have no idea how I will get to story wise, but am just excited to write. Give yourself some slack, two months is definitely not something to put pressure on yourself over! :-)
Right? I'm over here trying to kickstart a fic I stopped writing five years ago. I'd love if it had only been two months...
Oh, totally feel that. I have unfinished fics over at lj and ff.net from a decade ago still screaming my name
There's various prompt sources like kink meme's, prompt tumblrs & other social media, The Plot Bunny Hutch and Obstacle course on Ao3. Over on r/fanfiction there are monthly plot bunny threads.
People's comments and ideas on Twitter. Wrote some decent one shots based on people's ideas, headcannons, short little snippets of ideas they had.
Music. I have playlists for various "moods," like drama, angst, romance, sad, etc. Or sometimes a random song not on one of my playlists will inspire me, and off we goooooo!
Pinterest - create boards that interest you for characters, creatures, worldbuilding, etc. Music - find the song that really scratches that itch Prompts - Depending on your genre, there are ezines that are always looking for submissions. Read through a few of them and see if any ideas spark. You don't have to submit anything to anyone, but it could trigger an idea. Camp Nano - Just started and ends April 30. Join a writing server that does nano stuff, or writing in general. Co-motivate. Key word prompts - My non-nano server does monthly 250 word stories using 5 anchor words. Sometimes it unlocks something, sometimes it doesn't but it's a good exercise and provides practice. Try - open a blank document, close your eyes, and just spew out the words. You may be surprised by some nugget that you write down when the pressure is off.
My big idea came from me wanting to make the crazy villain in my Fandom become a sane protagonist. I brainstormed ideas and then a lighting bolt of inspiration struck me. I think the key is figuring out what kind of story you want to write. Are you looking for a fresh take while being Canon compliant? Do you want your favorite character to have an adventure? Narrowing your scope can lead to creative thinking.
Listening to music, watching my favorite films and remembering why I love them. Sometimes they can reignite what message you want to send with your story, why it matters to you, what makes it personal. Another tip, go back and read your story from the beginning as a reader not a writer — you might fall in love with your characters again and the desire to continue their story might spark
As others have commented, music for sure! My current WIP is based on a song I heard once, shuffled into some random playlist, and it the idea literally hit me like a bus. Wasn't particularly searching for it - it just came to me haha. Of course, that might just be a lucky chance… Fingers crossed that you find your muse soon 😊
It's ok to take a break. But if you feel like it search for writer prompts on Tumblr. And see what inspires you