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Post by richila on May 2, 2018 14:09:20 GMT
I love to write, but some days it is so hard to write. I was caught up, but got behind again because I couldn't put pen to paper. Usually, I have running letters going to my favorite pen pals, but right now, I've got nothing. I haven't even opened the last four letters I have received because I'm stuck on the first that I received. Today, I will open and read everything and answer the one that is easiest to respond to.
What do you do to get "un-stuck" when at a loss while trying to write?
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Post by christyotwisty on May 2, 2018 16:01:52 GMT
When I am "stuck" and at a loss while trying to write, I: - read the letter I'm responding to, looking for opportunity for comment or further questioning.
- steal forum contributors' 5Qs if I'm writing to people I assume are not on this forum.
- generate topics from an eBook of Questions I downloaded years ago to help open conversation in 'cold-open' letters.
When I am stuck, it can also be because I'm convinced I can't write anything as lovely as the letter I received, or my mind is stuck in an unhealthy loop of unproductive suppositions.
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Post by sails on May 2, 2018 16:14:33 GMT
When that happens, it's usually a signal that I need a brief rest. When I open a letter, and read it, whatever strikes me at the time gets scribbled on the envelope to further develop when I do respond.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2018 17:02:04 GMT
We probably all know such periods. Mostly they are over after a couple of days, but a few years back I didn't manage to write for 1 1/2 years. I usually have difficulties to write letters when there are too many negative things on my mind, that I don't want to bother other people with.
What can you do? Starting with the letter that is easiest to respond to, is a good approach.
Sometimes I start with an easy topic in order to warm up: I write a few sentences about the weather or about what's going on in my garden. Saying something nice about the letter you received (paper, ink, stamps, handwriting etc.) also makes a good start.
A few days off from letter-writing might also help. Go for a walk in a nice environment, focus on something different (nature etc.) and give yourself time to get in touch with yourself. Perhaps some thoughts arise from that, which you'd like to share with your penpal.
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Post by schnacks on May 3, 2018 13:07:32 GMT
When I am stuck, it can also be because I'm convinced I can't write anything as lovely as the letter I received, or my mind is stuck in an unhealthy loop of unproductive suppositions. Totes this. It’s like performance anxiety. Lol. I get it into my head that this has to be the most amazing letter I’ve ever written. I used to have this problem occasionally at restaurants, suffering from indecision because everything looked amazing and I couldn’t choose what to order. One of my friends reminded me that “there will be other meals” and if I can try to remember that when I’m balking on a response, it can help.
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Post by richila on May 3, 2018 13:53:54 GMT
Thank you for your responses. I was reading the thread "Writing pen pals- any do's and don'ts" and found pen pal prompts. I now have a compiled list of 100 prompts tucked in my letter bag. Pen Pal Prompts
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Post by DJW1066 on May 4, 2018 12:04:32 GMT
Sometimes writing a letter is like going for a run: you really just want to sit on the couch in your pajamas, but once you get your sneakers on and get out the door, then you're so happy you made the effort. So, you pick up your pen, and start to write........
A typical remedy to writer's block is to start writing about anything, as a way to prime the pump and get the creative juices flowing. On a word-processor, one then goes back and edits out the junk. Herein lies one of the challenges with handwritten (or handtyped) letters, where editing entails a lot more re-writing. And getting the first words on that nice clean page can be intimidating.
Letters are like slow conversations, and conversations often have pauses and sometimes involve pretty mundane content. So a letter can be written in installments of small chunks over several hours or days. And what Schnacks said is so true, every paragraph doesn't have to be, and won't be, a masterpiece.
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Post by stompie on May 16, 2018 17:08:55 GMT
Keep a Scribble note book. When you do or see something that interests you, for whatever reason, make a note. That way you can refer back to it, get a memory jog and write it out in a letter to a pal.
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