# Writing > General Writing >  Getting your ideas into words?

## Lee_93

Does anyone else ever have trouble getting their thoughts/ feelings into words. I always have ideas knocking around in my head but when I go to write them nothing comes out. Its so frustrating! Lol

Anyone else have this, any tips or techniques you've learned?

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## MatthewFarlow

I have this when I am speaking of something important. When I write, its much easier, particularly because I am able to pause and think.

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## hillwalker

You need to practice writing when you have nothing special to say - exercise your creative writing muscle to spill out whatever garbage is lurking inside your subconscious. Ten minutes a day should be enough to free up the cogs.

That will serve two purposes - clear the constipation inside your skull so that when a new thought appears it's first in line on the conveyor belt to be transcribed, and also it should improve your confidence as a writer so that words flow naturally from your pen. 

If it's a case of poor articulation the answer is to read a lot - improve your vocabulary and see how other writers do it.

h

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## blank|verse

Maybe try and think of characters or circumstances which reflect what you're trying to say; or try and find a voice that fits; or just a phrase, a turn of speech....

I think it's often important just to get things down on paper. If they're no good, no-one else is going to see them at this stage, you've got the start of your idea down on the page, and you can then ask yourself 'how can that be improved? Why is it not good enough?' and take it from there. Keep working at it, don't expect it all to come out perfectly first time. Write. Edit. Write some more. Edit some more. Always keep being critical of yourself and make sure that what you are writing is achieving what you want it to. Don't expect to be good at this straight away.

On a slightly different point, if I'm writing a poem on a certain subject, I will think of everything that first comes to mind. So, eg. cheese - _mice, holes, the moon, yellow, rolling down a hill, smelly, Holland, Edam, Gloucestershire_... then I'll say to myself, right - none of those things can go in the poem, unless they're used in an original way, because, literally, they're the first things that came to mind. I find it's a good way to try to avoid being too obvious.

And there are plenty of books out there to help aspiring writers. See what your library has got on offer if you don't want to buy them. Hope that helps.

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## howtowriteabook

Starting out writing non-fiction, I've struggled with this through my first novel - and learned a lot from reading Dwight Swain's book on characters. It taught me about the importance of observing people (in real life) to notice mannerisms and appearance quirks, as well as to study the way other writers portray their characters and the feelings/emotions of those characters.

By a combination of becoming aware of one's own feelings, and studying how it is described by a more experienced author, a writer can gradually grow better at putting feelings and thoughts and emotions into words.

The 'impulse - instinct - intellect' sequence works. 

"He saw the leopard pouncing to spring. (Impulse) His heart hammered like a pile driver in his chest, beads of sweat springing onto his brow as his hands turned cold. (Instinct) What can I do? As soon as the question popped into his mind, his muscles tensed into action, and he leaped to grab the branch and swing across the chasm to safety. (Intellect)"

Mani

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