Screenwriting : Writer's block by Donte Burks

That says you doing great, Donte. Give it few days, or weeks, do things that makes you happy or try another project. Make sure everything about the first project has been forgotten and try again.

So it's not a block it's strive...for perfection, I might add....only your maybe one script will shine among dozens of failures...consider this a fact...get to work...

Try finding a website or a book with "writing prompts" to get your creative juices flowing. It's worked wonders for me.

Maybe before writing a screenplay, write a detailed treatment/scriptment/whatever document for your eyes only.

Something to keep you on track, skip difficult scenes/sections and fill in gaps when you're mentally ready to write them.

Write a bunch of scenes just for fun, Donte Burks. You might get in the flow of writing. You can also save those scenes to rewrite later and possibly put in a script(s).

I always recommend a few classes in acting improv. Not because you want to act but because it teaches you not to think twice. You learn how to process creative output without thinking. Over thinking is a big problem with a lot of writers and this helps.

Thanks Dan Maxxx, done that before. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Maurice, You just may have something there.

@Donte. Vomit scripts are common when getting initial seed on page. Take the pressure off yourself by a first re write through the eyes of a main character. Anything we write is an energy in embryo form although not yet fine tuned for a good script. Work on characters goals, obstacles to goal, conflicts, strengths, weaknesses, jeopardy/dange and add ticking time bomb.

Donte Burks, I just followed a suggestion to watch genre trailers on YouTube and it did help spark creativity. Great alternative when you're not up for focusing long enough to watch/read screenplays & scripts.

Donte, Did you create an outline for your story? Using an outline, helped me tremendously during the writing process.

Lots of good suggestions here, what I've found works for me is to specifically focus on the one scene that I can see clearly in my head, especially if I'm floundering on finding the rest of the story for my outline. Being in the world of the story helps me to get past all of the negative voices in my head. Good luck!

You'll power through it, Donte!

To answer your question about Outlining the story. This is something I've used in the past with other writing projects. I must say that when I have writer's block even outlines, Treatments, and other writing tools fail, because to get past the block I still have to move the story regardless of the body it's in. Hell I've tried bullet pointing the story. So it's not order and detail I have trouble with while blocked. It's the story itself.

In a block[ ], I get an idea for the story, and get to work on it, mostly on the fly I must admit, then it fizzles. And so everything after that is trash, LOL. so I shelve it. Sometimes I'm able to revive it. sometimes i'm not. the current block I'm experiencing, is a good story idea. A few things come to mind, but are fleeting. So maybe I need a shrink or nuerologist, LOL.

I'm hopeful this block will end soon.

Keep writing. The gems will come.

I think what I'll do is look for some generic writing prompts to see that sparks something.

Donte Burks Go Into The Story Resource: 100 Scene-Writing Prompts: https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/go-into-the-story-resource-100-scene-...

Don't despair Donte Burks , you just need to get out of the confines of the immediate 'task' and free your creative mind. Two ways to do this that work for me, 1.write anything that comes to your mind even if it's not related to your story, go free with your imagination, bring in sea monsters or whatever tickles your fancy, once you're refreshed you can delete all that and go back into your story, and 2. if you can't do output, do input: read or watch something, it's not a waste of time :) Good luck with it!

If you are writing anything - even trash - you no longer have writers block. Congratulations!

Great point, William.

I've found doing "morning pages", that is, three pages of stream of consciousness writing before I start my day, has really helped my creative writing. As William says above, if you're writing anything you're doing well!