Writers Block

I'm struggling to progress with my story. I've established the beginning, but I hit a wall when trying to brainstorm different directions it could take. It's maybe similar to playing Chess or Go, where I need to anticipate my opponent's next moves. I've never been able to it. It's seems too much for my brain.

However, I'm finding it challenging to come up with fresh ideas beyond the initial few. 

How can I get rid of writers block?

I will set a timer on 5 minutes brainstorming and see what happens. I am not sure about the result, but I'm positive minded.

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UPDATE - Mo, 26.2.24

After setting a timer for 5 minutes, I was still not able to unblock my writer's block. But what helped me was the following excercise: 

1. Scrivener: Create a blank page 
2. Scrivener: Activate Composition Mode 
3. Phone: Activate Airplane Mode 
4. Scrivener: Creative Writing (write everything that comes to your mind)

Following those four points helped me get into a flow state while writing.

I couldn't write because I was trying to organize my thoughts and write at the same time.Writing can be messy, and when you try to organize things while you're writing, it's easy to get overwhelmed and lose track of what you're doing.

While organizing and writing simultaneously might work for some people, it doesn't for me. It only leads to writer's block. That's why I recommend you ... 

.... to avoid writing and organizing at the same time.

Outer Boundaries: "Old Souls" establishes the rules right from the start.

 

Outer Boundaries in storytelling are like setting the ground rules for the story right at the beginning: 

In "Old Souls" - by Brian McDonald and Les McClaine - they tell us upfront that people can live many lives and die many times. It's like the start of a joke, where you know it's not real life, but it sets the stage for what follows, like saying, "A frog walks into a bar."

Check out the podcast episode in which Brian and Jesse talking about Outer Boundaries:

Outer Boundaries | You Are A Storyteller

9 Tips from Steven Spielberg for Screenwriters and Filmmakers

Check out this insightful video featuring 10 tips from Steven Spielberg on writing and filmmaking. It's fascinating to hear wisdom from legendary filmmakers like Mr. Spielberg, who possess a deep understanding on the craft of storytelling:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtyJ3D7QziQ 

Caution!

At 3:47, an interviewer asks Spielberg whether business or emotion is more crucial in a film. Spielberg emphasizes that the emotional aspect of the story always "trumps". 

Contemporary films frequently prioritize business concerns over emotional depth. Additionally, many contemporary filmmakers seem to lack an understanding on the craft of storytelling and of how to convey emotional storytelling effectively.

9 Tips from Steven Spielberg

1:07 - Fight for your original idea. Stay devoted. 

2:34 - Dreams often whisper. Listen closely to their message.

3:35 - Storytelling and emotion take priority over business and cinematography.

5:22 - No excuses. If you want to make movies, start now.

6:10 - Don't let failure deter you. Dive into the next project immediately.

7:04 - Life has constant character-defining moments. Trust your intuition.

9:18 - Build suspense by withholding the threat.

10:17 - Capture sudden inspiration. Start writing immediately.

Jurassic Park (1993) vs. The Martian (2015)

I recently watched "Jurassic Park" by Steven Spielberg with my girlfriend, and it led me to compare it with "The Martian" by Ridley Scott, since we had discussed the latter in our weekly film group: What fascinated me was Steven Spielberg's precision. Ridley Scott in "The Martian" shows random scenes and dialogues.

While we all agree on Spielberg's talent, "Jurassic Park" highlights the contrast with "The Martian": Jurassic Park relies on precision and craft, while The Martian relies on cheap humor, and profanity for laughs. 

Juressic Park: Precision and Craft.

Spielberg's attention to detail stands out even in small moments like a character saying "god bless you," which feels deliberate and meaningful within the context of the film. It's remarkable how Spielberg can make such minor phrases resonate with the overall tone and themes of the movie.

The Martian: Cheap and Random.

Ridley Scott uses the word "FUCK" solely for comedic effect, without any specific connection to the story or characters or the conclusion. And this is only one example of many in "The Martian".

Drew Goddard (Screenwriter)

This quote is from an interview with "The Martian" screenwriter Drew Goddard, discussing his approach to his work:

"The MPAA has a rather ironclad rule that you can only say "fuck" once in a PG-13 movie, and Goddard spent it on the moment after Watney had gone through a harrowing bit of self-surgery to pull out the antenna that had impaled him. "I knew that that first 'fuck' was crucial," the screenwriter said. "It's funny, because we tested a version without that first 'fuck,' and scores dropped dramatically. When you watch the movie, you realize, Oh, it's so intense, and then he says 'fuck,' and it tells the audience it's OK to laugh. So you really understand the tone of the movie."

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How "The Martian" Went From A Best-Selling Novel To A Blockbuster Film (buzzfeed.com)

Stories Shape Culture

A while back, I received an email newsletter from Seth Godin discussing the significance of stories, particularly in marketing. As I read through it, two questions arose:

1. What impact does good or bad storytelling have on culture?
2. How can storytelling be utilized to foster a healthy culture?

In his email, Seth Godin explained that stories are basically the building blocks of our culture, but it's not always easy to understand their full impact: 

"Marketers like to talk about the story we tell. And non-marketers imagine that we’re referring to Goldilocks and other ‘once upon a time’ moments. Because stories are the basic building block of culture, it’s difficult to see the nuance in this simple word." - Seth Godin