你们好。

[Steakpirate]

Greetings from the other side of the internet! I've been using Storyist for a while but only yesterday joined the forums.

Because I'm supposed to be studying for my Chinese final, I decided to come here and do something entirely different.

 

I'm a freshman in college. I'm a fan of most things internet related, video games, Joss Whedon and Joss Whedon accessories, fiction (my favorite authors at present being Douglas Adams, Feist, Orscon Card), television, and I currently plan to major in underwater basket-weaving.

 

If anyone has any cures for writer's block short of punching myself in the face repeatedly, I'd love to hear them. I average from thirty words to a page or so in the usual writing session

[Steve E]

Greetings from the Gnu Yak side of the Internet.

 

I didn't know they still gave degrees in underwater basket-weaving. The baskets get awfully soggy, as does my UB.D (doctor of...well, you get it).

 

As for cures for writers block, whole books have been written on the subject. (Irony? Consider The Writer's Block: 786 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Imagination by Jason Rekulak.) When I get blocked I work on a different part of the project for a while, or a different project for a while, or just nosh, or pop over to the Forum (which is how I racked up such an awesome number of posts), or just allow myself to daydream.

 

I'm sure you'll find your mental clog-buster. Just try a few things.

-Thoth.

 

P.S. Thanks for the digital bunny. The best I can do is a snake.___________________@

[marguerite]

Greetings from the Gnu Yak side of the Internet.

 

I didn't know they still gave degrees in underwater basket-weaving. The baskets get awfully soggy, as does my UB.D (doctor of...well, you get it).

 

As for cures for writers block, whole books have been written on the subject. (Irony? Consider The Writer's Block: 786 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Imagination by Jason Rekulak.) When I get blocked I work on a different part of the project for a while, or a different project for a while, or just nosh, or pop over to the Forum (which is how I racked up such an awesome number of posts), or just allow myself to daydream.

 

I'm sure you'll find your mental clog-buster. Just try a few things.

-Thoth.

 

P.S. Thanks for the digital bunny. The best I can do is a snake.___________________@

My own tactics (besides haunting the forums, which explains my large number of posts also) include:

1. sitting down and writing whatever comes into my head that has any connection with the story, no matter how bad;
2. going through the writing exercises in various books to spark ideas for plot, character development, etc. (my current favorite is John Truby, The Anatomy of Story, which for reasons only a therapist could untangle has somehow explained to me concepts that all other efforts at writing instruction failed to communicate);
3. searching for character images on the Internet that I can plug into Storyist in the hope of generating some good ideas;
4. filling in the plot/settings/character/section sheets (the only time I actually work on those); and
5. starting another, more congenial project, which explains why my Documents/Novels folder includes a Shelved Projects folder.

If all that fails, I work on my website, now six months out of date (which is the good news, I guess).

 

Welcome to the forums. Steakpirate is definitely on my short list of great user names!

Best,

Marguerite

[Steve E]

Apropos of nothing, the name "Steakpirate" conjures to my mind a rude dinner guest. (Whereas "Marguerite" initially conjured a 20-year-old flamenco dancer. I've since learned better. Oh, how I've learned. Hold the muffins, EAO*.)

 

-Thoth.

*In-joke Steakpirate. Read the forums. EAO stands for Evil Alien Overlady. Muffins are...muffins. Symbolic muffins, surely. But symbolic of what remains to be seen. If you find yourself blocked, you might want to take a moment to do a search on "muffins".

[marguerite]

Apropos of nothing, the name "Steakpirate" conjures to my mind a rude dinner guest. (Whereas "Marguerite" initially conjured a 20-year-old flamenco dancer. I've since learned better. Oh, how I've learned. Hold the muffins, EAO*.)

 

-Thoth.

*In-joke Steakpirate. Read the forums. EAO stands for Evil Alien Overlady. Muffins are...muffins. Symbolic muffins, surely. But symbolic of what remains to be seen. If you find yourself blocked, you might want to take a moment to do a search on "muffins".

Aw, come on. One teensy-tiny gingerbread overmuffin?! 'Tis the season to be jolly, you know.

 

You were right about the dancer. One out of three ain't bad.

 

And if you, Steakpirate or anyone else, want to track down the origins of the term Evil Alien Overlady, I suggest searching the forums not for muffins but for stiletto heels. A perusal of that particular thread is guaranteed to send you back to your keyboard eager to write (along the lines of "Yikes, I can do better than that!").

Hurling fingers twitching,

M

[Steve E]

Aw, come on. One teensy-tiny gingerbread overmuffin?! 'Tis the season to be jolly, you know.

 

You were right about the dancer. One out of three ain't bad.

 

And if you, Steakpirate or anyone else, want to track down the origins of the term Evil Alien Overlady, I suggest searching the forums not for muffins but for stiletto heels. A perusal of that particular thread is guaranteed send you back to your keyboard eager to write (along the lines of "Yikes, I can do better than that!").

Hurling fingers twitching,

M

/He had a broad butt like a gaggle of puffins, that shook, when he laughed, like gingerbread overmuffins./

For original, click here.

-Thoth.

(Dance for me M, dance for me.)

[marguerite]

/He had a broad butt like a gaggle of puffins, that shook, when he laughed, like gingerbread overmuffins./

For original, click here.

-Thoth.

(Dance for me M, dance for me.)

How 'bout I hurl the overmuffins while you dance (i.e., swing that wheelchair wildly trying to dodge them)? Doggerel like that deserves no less.

 

Gingerbread overmuffins incoming! Duck! Duck!

 

Bet I have some candy-cane ones 'round here somewhere, too.

 

Your local EAO

 

P.S. I hear Isaac is having a post-Christmas sale. Maybe he'll take your latest bunch on consignment.

[astillac]

I sort of want to make gingerbread muffins now.

 

Hm.

- Calli

 

PS - Yo ho ho, Steak.

[Steve E]

How 'bout I hurl the overmuffins while you dance (i.e., swing that wheelchair wildly trying to dodge them)? Doggerel like that deserves no less.

 

Gingerbread overmuffins incoming! Duck! Duck!

 

Bet I have some candy-cane ones 'round here somewhere, too.

 

Your local EAO

 

P.S. I hear Isaac is having a post-Christmas sale. Maybe he'll take your latest bunch on consignment.

Commencing wheelchair dance...OUCH! Caught an overmuffin right in the puffin!

 

"Doggerel"? I'll have you know that there was nothing irregular in that rhythm:

He had a broad butt like a gaggle of puffins, that shook, when he laughed, like gingerbread overmuffins.

 

Hoarding my muffins for the next Great Depression.

-Thoth.

[Steve E]

I sort of want to make gingerbread muffins now.

 

Hm.

- Calli

 

PS - Yo ho ho, Steak.

If it's possible, please post the recipe.

Thanks Calli.

-Thoth.

[astillac]

Here you are, Dear Thoth.

 

http://www.recipezaar.com/Gingerbread-Muffins-66209

 

- Calli

[Steve E]

Here you are, Dear Thoth.

 

http://www.recipezaar.com/Gingerbread-Muffins-66209

 

- Calli

Wow. Much thanks, esteemed Calli.

-Thoth

[Steakpirate]

But how are overladies and muffins related?

[Steve E]

But how are overladies and muffins related?

I'm going to let Lady M and The Calli answer that one. (The symbolism is fraught with peril for us mere under-people*.)

-Thoth.

*Reference Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith.

[marguerite]

But how are overladies and muffins related?

The overladies use the muffins, sometimes referred to as overmuffins to indicate the nefarious purpose that lurks beneath their superficial status of harmless baked goods, as means of manipulation, control, and (most often with Thoth ) punishment. The victims of the EAOs--usually males, as females are either EAOs in training, full-fledged EAOs, or naturally resistant to EAO wiles--find themselves lured by the overmuffins, awakening only too late to the realization that an EAO now has them in her power.

 

Annoying an EAO causes her to hurl overmuffins at the offender, although no bodily harm ensues as the overmuffins have to travel through cyberspace. On the long-term mental effects, only the victims can speak. But I would note that Thoth, despite repeated pummelings by overmuffins, seems unchastened and relatively undamaged.

 

Isaac, whom I don't think you've "met" yet--he has jobs galore and thus only checks in on the forums once in a while--has been collecting used overmuffins and using the proceeds of their sale to feed his growing family.

 

And now you know why the forums offer an excellent source of procrastination options as well as a cure for writer's block, if only to escape the silliness and return to your own creative world, however flawed.

 

Congratulations on your second square, Steakpirate. Thoth, how did you top 1,200 posts without anyone noticing? A special chocolate candy-cane overmuffin (in its own special box, not hurled) for you!

Best to all,

Marguerite

[Steakpirate]

You could probably tie all that into an economics course.

[Steve E]

Thoth, how did you top 1,200 posts without anyone noticing? A special chocolate candy-cane overmuffin (in its own special box, not hurled) for you!

Lady M, you are too kind.

 

Note to Steakpirate: with every hurled muffin comes a little love.

-Thoth.

[marguerite]

Note to Steakpirate: with every hurled muffin comes a little love.

-Thoth.

Well, of course. How else could we keep y'all in thrall?

M

[Steve E]

Well, of course. How else could we keep y'all in thrall?

M

Oh! Spank me!

-Thoth.

[codemer]

Greetings from the other side of the internet! I've been using Storyist for a while but only yesterday joined the forums.

Because I'm supposed to be studying for my Chinese final, I decided to come here and do something entirely different.

 

I'm a freshman in college. I'm a fan of most things internet related, video games, Joss Whedon and Joss Whedon accessories, fiction (my favorite authors at present being Douglas Adams, Feist, Orscon Card), television, and I currently plan to major in underwater basket-weaving.

 

If anyone has any cures for writer's block short of punching myself in the face repeatedly, I'd love to hear them. I average from thirty words to a page or so in the usual writing session

 

A belated welcome to you, and an apology for the silliness that this thread degraded into. I have not known my esteemed colleagues to behave so raucously, and I can assure you that I would never let my behavior fall to such a level.

 

My cure for writer's block. Go away for a month or two doing everything but writing. Reach the point where the ideas are practically bursting out of your head. Sit down to write and realize it's all gone again.

 

IF

[Steve E]

... I can assure you that I would never let my behavior fall to such a level.

Rendered speechless (as I am sure you intended),

-Thoth.

[codemer]

Rendered speechless (as I am sure you intended),

-Thoth.

 

 

IF

[marguerite]

I have not known my esteemed colleagues to behave so raucously, and I can assure you that I would never let my behavior fall to such a level.

IF

Oh, Isaac, of course you wouldn't. But that person/extraterrestrial who introduced the Evil Alien Overlords into our nice academic discussion of ties and corsets was operating under your user name, as I recall.

 

Long time no type (at least, no type here). Welcome back, and many good wishes for the holidays (hope you and Steakpirate don't totally destroy the freeways).

Best,

M