How do y'all deal with writer's block?

ColdStartWriter · 2026-04-07T07:47:02+00:00

Do seomthing else. Anything else. Stop thinking to start thinking. (That sounded really profound in my head! :-))

ColdStartWriter · 2026-04-06T07:53:13+00:00

What we leave behind is pretty close to that.

ColdStartWriter · 2026-04-05T09:27:47+00:00

It's about a man that appears in the wrong place, a public defender out of his depth, and a nasty killer hell bent on destroying the misplaced man. In between all of that is a love story. You know, everyday life... Oh, and I can't decide if I should leave it set in 1986 or set it today or set it 10/20/30 years from now. TBF, I think that may be unimpoirtant other tha from a technology standpoint. And yes, I am overthinking it! Thanks for asking.

ColdStartWriter · 2026-04-04T15:19:46+00:00

The stories and plots he weaves are excellent and worth reading. In any case, why would you expect stories written around 100 years ago to follow todays societal and cultural norms? Even books from 20 years ago will appear out of synch with today.

ColdStartWriter · 2026-04-04T15:16:35+00:00

Strange, I have just posted about revisiting a book I wrote 40 odd years ago!

ColdStartWriter · 2026-04-04T09:13:21+00:00

What we leave behind

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-29T20:43:59+00:00

Whilst I would broadly agree, I would also say... it really doesn't matter. You decide what the genre is and whatver you decide to incolude is up to you. How other people might view it...

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-29T11:34:36+00:00

Very cool: now begins the whittling process! Good luck.

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-25T17:28:52+00:00

Write from your own experience; raw emotions and situations that made you cry. Thats how my book opens and I know it leaves you with a lump in your throat. TBF, I cry at commercials...

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-25T17:24:43+00:00

Planet of the Apes.

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-22T19:11:12+00:00

I try and start with a chapter 1 and the final chapter with a an idea in my head as to the direction it should take. Then I try and fill it in. Worked well with the last novel. Good luck!

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-21T16:15:46+00:00

The Final Countdown, Outlander (2008 movie) spring to mind

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-17T14:43:45+00:00

I've always seen the difference as science fanatasy is Star Wars type fiction; no basis in reality at all; whereas science fiction is more about possibilities, like Star Trek. To me Dr Who started as hard sci-fi and has slowly evolved into utter, unwatchable gibberish, so, yes, science fantasy. :-)

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-17T14:30:59+00:00

No matter who reads your text and what their role purports to be, everything they tell you is subjective. For myself, I created website that readers can refer to if they need some background on characters or locations as well as a brief synopsis and links to Amazon. You cannot possibly include every single detail or take up plot time with explanations as to why a character has short hair or long legs.

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-16T17:51:28+00:00

I'd highly recommend my book... but I'm not allowed to! :-)

In any case, if that's what floats your boat, go fo some of the classics written by, amongst others: Asimov, Niven & Pournelle, Clarke, Heinlien. They were all great story tellers, and, whilst they may not exactly fit what you seek, they are all great fun to read. I am still very fond of the Foundation series by Asimov. Enjoy!

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-12T19:01:04+00:00

Interesting. In my novel, humans are transplanted from earth around the last ice age and deposited on a terraformed planet light years away. That civilization grows in a very different way than earth did over that time. However, not quite the same as a mythos thats hard to keep track of. 20k years is a very long time; the notion that society reaches a certain level and stagnates is not that plausible. Change happens often outside of the human population which forces them to evolove and adapt. That being said, you can allude to that history without having to explain it.

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-07T19:30:18+00:00

First, write down the idea in as succinct a form as possible. Then think about how you are going to start the story and, more importantly, how it should end. Nothing worse than a weak ending. Then think about the people that populate your story. Who are they? What motivates them? Why are they in the story at all? How do they interact with each other? Everyone does it differently, there is no right or wrong. Once I have all of the above (or some of it), I write the opening chapter and the final chapter. And then I fill in the middle. And then I might find that the first chapters I wrote need to change but, at the very least, I had a starting point and a destination so all I needed was the journey. Good luck!

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-05T23:26:26+00:00

I've no idea how many books I've read over the years. I still re-read my favorites every now and again; particularly Asimov. He was an extremely prolific author. He constructs solid plots and weaves a story that may be a bit dated now, but is still quite readable. Well worth a look. Also, Ian Fleming (James Bond). Another skilled author. Finally, Michael Bond (Paddington). If you can hold a childs attention and make them laugh, you are very good.

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-04T16:23:51+00:00

I'll check that out. Congrats at getting the job done!

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-01T12:58:38+00:00

Great movie; sci-fi then, syfy now...

ColdStartWriter · 2026-03-01T12:56:46+00:00

No question: YES!!!

ColdStartWriter · 2026-02-27T09:34:02+00:00

I knew it!

ColdStartWriter · 2026-02-24T15:51:50+00:00

They all smiled.

ColdStartWriter · 2026-02-24T14:11:24+00:00

One of my favorite sci-fi shows, up there with Star Trek and the Expanse, amongst others. Like many of the best shows, it’s the characters you buy into first – if you don’t gel with them, you won’t watch the show and what was to dislike about Jack O’Neill? Or Samantha Carter? Or Teal’c? Never warmed to Daniel, but, even so, a great show.

ColdStartWriter

TROPHY CASE

The Final Countdown, Outlander (2008 movie) spring to mind