I've been writing another miniature and I'm stuck. I can't figure out how to keep it going. I've got a decent amount of material but I haven't been able to write anything more to it. I've been stuck for weeks. How can I help this?

Hi Joel,

It is okay to be stuck for weeks.

In my belief it is best to not "force" compositions. If you put it away for a while and work on something else, eventually the right association of ideas will come to you - perhaps quite unexpectedly!


Mvh,
Michael

Joel,

Let it be...

I've been stuck in works for years (even decades in one case)... One of the works in my piano duets dates from the late 90s! So since I found a use for it, it's fine I think...

Keep a note, a draft, a recording, a midi file, something and move on to the next one!

I agree with Nikolas. If a person put forth a good effort, and it isn't working out, move on to the next piece. Start with a clean sheet of paper.

My best pieces tend to flow out, at least the main parts of it. Polishing may require a good deal of work, but the main ideas tend to sparkle like gems quickly. At times it is fools gold and it doesn't work out, then it is time to move to the next one.

Write lots. Spend time on it every day if possible. Some pieces will be better than others, and sometimes audiences will not agree with the composer. Sometimes an old idea will become very useful later, so keep the recordings and notes.

I don't know if it will work for you, Joel, but when this happens to me, I often get past it by just keeping the bit I already have in my head, and humming it when I'm doing other stuff. At some point, mostly when I'm only mostly focused on the other stuff, I start humming the next bit. But then, I consider most of my music to be in the form of "songs without words", so it makes sense to approach it from a vocal sense.

This would seem to be the story of my composing life. I've got a great 8-note phrase that I can't seem to do anything with (for over a year). Hopefully, you're able to move on to something else. Otherwise, you'll sit in frustration, and that's no good for the creative side.

Yep. Got me one of them

Most definitely. My D-flat miniature seemed to write itself. I'm not claiming it to be a good piece of music, but I'm happy with it, and it was a pleasure to compose. The frustrating thing is that when I'm writing a piece that I really like and am proud of, and then all of a sudden being totally stumped as to what to write next. I know I should just leave it alone like you said, but it creates a feeling of utter disappointment.

Yes - just leave it and start another one. File all the material under "good ideas - to be used in something later". It isn't wasted.