I'm having serious writer's block....?

[//Different//]

I'm in the early stages of developing a novel, though I'm having alot of trouble coming up with a plot idea or names for a protagonist(s) and antagonist(s). If anyone has any, even basic ideas, please tell me.
okay....well, its a fictional story about basically anything. And I have read stories, but still don't have a good idea of what to write. If someone could give me a simple plot, i could probably write a good story from it. I just have no idea of what to write about.
eh, you know what. never mind, I'll just wait for the writer's block to pass

 

[VioricaN]

Oh boy, do I understand.
This may sound weird but I always think about it before I go to sleep. Like I start with some sort of scenario and just roll with it.
I hope this helps, not sure if it will though.
Best of luck:]

 

[LoonyLuvgood]

To find names for your protagonists/antagonists, you must first create the characters' appearance and personality. For example, a popular, mean girl with blond hair and blue eyes would perhaps be called Victoria Scarlett/Courtney/Tiffany/Ashley etc. For a shy, sad and mysterious girl, maybe she'd be called Elizabeth or something. To get more ideas, go on these websites: http://www.babynames.com/character-names.php (tips for writers)
http://www.babynames.com/Names/search.php (names meaning search bar)

As for writers block, here's my experience:
I've been writing ever since I was three, and now I'm thirteen and nearly finished writing a fantasy novel about another world. I've heard from my friends about writer's block, but to tell the truth, I don't think I've ever had it before. Here's a tip: plan your storyline really carefully, and after you finish, divide it into parts and go over it in your head a few times to make sure everyting's explained. I know this may be difficult sometimes, but it's effective. Eg) J K Rowling (author of Harry Potter books) took years to plan out her books, but her hard work paid off in the end.

Lastly, don't give up, keep writing and good luck!

Cheers,
Clemence (a budding writer like u)

 

[rae]

For now, just write. Don't worry about using correct grammar or coherency or names ..
Just write whatever comes to mind, whether it makes sense or not.
Try describing a scene, an emotion, a memory ...
Brainstorming works great, as well. Just list any random word and branch off.

By doing this, you start thinking and searching your mind (rather than staring at the blank page/document hopelessly). With creativity comes great ideas; inspiration. One thought leads to another, and sooner or later you will find yourself will at least a sliver of an idea for a plot. From there you can fully develop the idea, by adding subplots, characters, etc.

Start small and build on the idea; don't try to come up with a huge, complex plot all in one go. Trust me when I say it's much more difficult. Take baby steps for now.

_________________________

For your characters/protagonists/antagonists, I have two suggestions for you.
You can choose #1, #2, or even both; whatever works best for you.

1. Ignore the name; label them X or B or something for now.
Build their personality, background, appearance, beliefs, etc - try to go into detail and create a vivid mental image for yourself (if you're feeling up to it, you could even sketch them out).

Some writers find that, after they have the actual character thought out, the name nearly jumps out at them as if it was meant to be. If not, well, you have other options.

2. Make a list of names you like; both male and female. You could start off by listing names of people you know, names you just like, etc. You can browse websites (such as babynames.com), or even scan the baby section here on Yahoo. There are hundreds of thousands of names out there; surely you'll find one you like eventually.


One last thing -- never use Yahoo as a last resort (or as an option at all, for that matter). Always keep brainstorming / developing / writing until you come up with something on your own.

The moment you begin to rely on Yahoo for ideas is the moment your entire story begins slipping. Don't let that happen.


I think I've covered everything I wanted to say. :}
Hope this helped.

.. I'm going to bed now. G'night.

 

[Unvaliant]

someone could be trying to find someone or something in order to prevent something from happening, or vice versa, make it happen. think about what you enjoyed reading a book (the concept, not what actually happened -- for example the heroine stepping in at the last moment) and then see how you can add to your basic plot to make readers feel what you felt

the more enjoyable things you include the more your reader will enjoy your book. think of anything you read in a book that was successful and copy the CONCEPT

cos thats basically what good writing is; copying concepts rather than actual stories. we like certain things and so we like to read them again and again but in different situations -- i.e. Fantasy, the feeling of a new magic world or the creatures that inhabit them, and love and being wanted in stories

Also character names dont really matter, you can change them later. I just use placeholders -- put down the closest thing to what you want and use that til the end, then use a word processor to replace every word with a name you choose then. You'll know your characters better by the end and will better know what name suits who they are.

When you DO pick a name, think about sounds -- they affect perception, for example Rakoth sounds more fantasyish and evil than Cecile

Seeya later alligator

 

[GodtheEditingDog]

If you can't come up with simple things such as names, you may just be a hopeless writer... Anyway, just think of something, and ponder on it.. Just use it for the time being and change it later if you have too.

 

[flossye]

I'm in the EXACT same situation as you are, kinda. I have a general, main plot, it just needs a lot of tweaking & I have to figure a lot of stuff out. I also only had the names of a few of my characters, but yesterday I posted a question on here, and I actually got a great answer & chose a name for one of my main characters!

Something that really helped me in picking out character names when they didn't just come to me, (Which actually, they usually do) was writing out a bio for each character, and then brainstorming names. I'd just google & find loads to pick from, or even you could post the bio's on here & get some ideas. Posting it in baby names would be better than in b&a though, imo. You get more answers.

As for the plot, that's just something you're going to have to work through on your own, no one can tell you what to write for YOUR story. A good start though would be to have some solid, dynamic characters, who have personality (NOT Mary-Sue's) & then problems will just create themselves between those characters & build onto your plot.

If you get stuck, just breath. Don't write for a day or two, or even a week. Writing has to be fun, it can't be a chore & you can't get fed up with it. It's a long process, and if you need a break, don't feel like you can't take one. Good luck.