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Writer's Block?

  1. #1
    Orianna's Avatar
    Aurora
    Seraphina
    Alessandra
    Aurora
    Seraphina
    Alessandra

    I’m not sure of something like this has been posted before or not, but I’m going to post it anyways.

    I don’t think I’m the only one who has suffered with writer’s block with writing posts or Glimpses. So I’m curious what helps everyone get over theirs. Maybe what helps you could help someone else. Cause lets face it, writers block sucks! For me, it’s usually music, each character has her own play list setup, but I’ll admit, it doesn’t always help.

    So yah, I'd love to hear what helps everyone get past this. I have a couple Glimpse's in the works with a terrible case of writer's block.

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  3. #2
    Abyssalstar's Avatar

    Twist Scenes

    Being new, I've yet to encounter writer's block here, though i have in other situations. That said, perhaps going through the various sourcebooks can help give ideas? Reviewing what the developers wrote about clans, paths, seemings and whatever can bring some interesting inspirations to facets of a character's personality or background you might not have considered before. Even something as minor as a changeling's kith(s) can color their reactions and outlooks and provide story ideas.

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  5. #3
    Ruach's Avatar
    Kaze
    Matt Joule
    Dirt Nap
    Alfonso Franco
    Kaze

    Striking Looks (Fit and Healthy Glow) 2
    Matt Joule
    Dirt Nap
    Alfonso Franco

    I'm relatively new to the site still too, having signed up in September. I have been role playing as a player and game master on forums for a while before and for me it comes down to character driven inspiration. The more I can identify with the character and their motivations, the more I have something to post about. Right now I am still getting into these characters, so not as much to write about, though the one I've been playing the longest is the one I know the best and post the most. It's kind of a circle, the more I post for them, the better I know them, the more I have to post about for them.

  6. #4
    W
    Woland

    I have encountered writer's block on many occasions while putting together scenarios for tabletop RPGs, and have come up with the following tricks:

    1. What's the point?

    The players'/readers'/authors' time is not infinite and if there's no clear purpose a given scene/Glimpse serves, you are better off without it. Even something as simple as "I want to write a feeding Glimpse" or "I want to write a glimpse in which my character reveals their soft side" is a great first step for the next part: the Five Questions.

    2. The Five Questions

    Who, Why, Where, When, What.

    Let's write a Glimpse for Alessandra, the Prince of Sacramento.

    Who? Maybe one of her arms dealing contacts? Yeah, there's a guy, let's call him Bob. Why? Maybe because Bob fucked up, and fucked up bad. He got drunk, his kid stole an MP5 and accidentally blew his classmate's head off. Now there are authorities sniffing around Bob, and that can mean - Ale as well. Where? How about some desert? It's a good, remote place for criminal meet-ups, and the wilderness is a comfortable habitat for a Gangrel. Also you can have a nice rerun of that scene from "Se7en" when the protagonist kills Kevin Spacey. When? In most cases (and in this one as well) the answer will be "right now", although there's nothing stopping us from reminiscing. So - right this moment. What? Bob screwed up, and it is up to Ale to decide what to do with him. Will she express compassion and trust him to "handle it", risking exposure? Will she kill him, giving in to the Beast? Will she tell him to go and never return? The answer will be a good way for us to learn something about the character, and for the character to learn something about themselves.

    Obviously, it's a primitive example and requires some fleshing out, but you have the frame. What's left is just a question of details.

    We can also...

    3. Do a Sequel

    Look around, there are sequels and inspired works popping around everywhere, why should we be different? Think about a minor detail - a place, an object, a person - of one of your previous scenes, plots or Glimpses. It played no role then, but what if the character encounters it again? Or maybe there was someone (like a guy you fed from) now present in a completely different circumstance? Maybe if you were deep in philosophical thought a month ago there's something that evokes the topic again? It's a nice way of making the world an actual, living place with elements that are not just discarded after single use, but re-imagined.

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