What to write, what to write? I've wracked my brain to come up with some pithy illustration or valuable lesson to bestow on you Bloggees. I could share one of the highlights of my trip to Kansas City last week (too boring). . .or dissect my latest editing project (too monumental). . .or critique the Academy Awards attendees' attire (too overdone) or commiserate about my dieting woes (too all-of-the-above). But none of these topics are ringing the bell for me.
Do you ever have writing days like this--when every attempt at creativity leads you down a dark alley, with no way out but back the way you came?
Professional writers can seldom afford to let writer's block run its course naturally. When I faced a deadline as an author and writer's block set in, I tried every trick in the book to rev my creativity back to life--some with greater success than others. Often, writer's block is overcome by simply writing whatever comes to mind, nonsense or not, until an Ah-ha! moment strikes. Sometimes, a research break allows an author just enough of a change of pace to kick their creativity back into high gear again. Then, there are those days when nothing but a power nap will do to wake up that sleeping inspiration.
What are some of your "personal favorite" methods for breaking through writer's block?
Until next Monday . . . may words flow freely from your thoughts to the page. . .
Susan
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." --John 8: 36, NIV.
4 comments:
A walk especially out in the country. I seem distracted in town by the flowers, decorations, traffic-whatever. A power nap is great. So is coming at the page from a different direction. I like to open a new document and write in first person. Or write from the pov of a secondary character, or pretend I'm explaining to someone what I need to do in this story. Mostly I just need to apply bottom to chair and fingers to keyboard. Either that or pause to figure out why I can't move forward. Sometimes it is because I'm headed the wrong direction and everything--story, characters, God--is trying to tell me. Which brings me to the biggest help for the blockage--prayer. Good topic, Susan.
Linda F
A total change of scenery. Hard, pounding exercise. Laughing with a friend. Reading an excellent book.
I guess I'm a trivia person, but I like posts like this one. It lets me peek into your brain, shows me some things you're going through, the nitty gritty. Thanks for sharing!
I haven't sat down to write a story in a while, but characters always seem to start talking in my head when I'm mowing the lawn. I'm rather relaxed and doing an activity that I feel is accomplshing something. The combination of riding lawn mower and bright sunshine seems to open my creative brain flow better than anything else. If only I had a way of recording those ideas while in the moment.
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