Scriptwriting- Breaking through Writers Block

Writing an engaging script isn’t easy – like many creative tasks out there, we tend to wait for the inspiration bug to bite us before letting our fingers tap away at the keyboard, furiously trying to keep pace with our racing minds. But that inspiration bug just isn’t predictable, reliable or convenient!

So let’s be realistic, let’s be practical – something us here at Bus Stop Films are all about: providing life skills, and useful tips & tricks for our community. Below we’ve got some ideas for creating a bug net, so you won’t always have to wait for that elusive, inspiration bug.

1. Get out of your comfort zone
   Change it up! Read a genre you’re not used to (or one translated from a different country), walk a different route home or even buy a stranger a coffee. The point of this activity is to get you to feel, to wake up from the daily grind that you can fall so deeply into that you end up basically experiencing REM sleep while awake.
2. Research
   Look at the works of people you admire, applaud and revere. Ask yourself what about their work resonates with you? What can you learn from their work? Don’t be stingy with how obsessed you get in this activity. But also challenge yourself and check out pieces which aren’t on the well-worn path; follow your personal interests, feel free to know too much about the history of chocolate or the discovery of fireflies – it might lead you to a story about the clandestine trading of cocoa beans co-mingling with a conspiracy that uses fireflies as their emblem!
3. Write, write, write
   Write down that big idea, write down that small light-bulb, write down that twitch in your senses — WRITE IT DOWN. It may just become that award winning script you’ve always dreamed of! Start that script of yours, and continue it whenever possible. The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect, neither does the second or third. In fact, it could be a complete dud, but at least you’ve got a complete script under your belt! Don’t give up and keep scribbling away, get used to the feeling of ideas seeping through your fingers, out of your mind, and onto something outside of you. Think of Bill, from this story on Wordplay.com – he’d been writing for 10 years, committed to his passion, before he’d finally gotten his big break.
4. Make a habit of it
   And really treasure it! In this article with tips for writer’s block, they’ve highlighted famous writers such as Stephen King and J.K. Rowling, who’ve set aside specific times or days dedicated to writing. Also, the habit will help you out with #3, as they’ve noted how these repeated actions can eventually turn into a stimulus for our minds.
5. Look after yourself
   Lastly, but importantly, maintain your health – and your vitality, your thirst for life. Our minds are as inextricably linked to our bodies, and vice versa. Sleep, physical activity and good food are all part of the process to get us on the right track and spark those creative writing juices.

Written by Belinda Tang
Edited by Dianna La Grassa