As writers we all have to face the fact that at some point and time we may find ourselves sitting at a blank computer screen ready to go, but unfortunately nothing happens. Our fingers aren’t flying across the keyboard like they should be…at that moment panic strikes, or at least it does for me. The self-doubt and that evil “little me” sitting on my shoulder with the pitchfork laughs telling me to give it up. Of course that’s impossible because we are writers, and writers find it impossible to quit writing.
I too find every now and again that my creativity is like a message in a bottle and I’m unable to take the top off; when that happens, we have pull out our bag of tricks and tools to free that message.
So for those of you that are following this blog, here are some of my tips and I hope you’ll share yours with me also.
TURN ON THE TUNES AND WRITE!
Lock yourself in a place where you can’t be disturbed and listen to your favorite tunes! Everybody likes a certain type of music that can help evoke feelings. I usually find myself dancing around the room…thank heavens the door is locked! After a couple songs, turn your attention to a blank piece of paper or your keyboard. Now write for 10 minutes NON-STOP. Don’t remove your pen from the paper or stop your fingers from typing. Don’t worry about it making sense or making mistakes. Write anything and don’t stop…it could be about the color of your walls. When you’re done go back and read what you’ve just put down, chances are you will be able to pick out one sentence that has merit. By doing this exercise you’ve also given your mind the chance to be free from our normal constraints.
GO TO ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS – OUT SIDE!
For me that would involve water. I love water and mountains! Whatever that might be for you, let Mother Nature help set your senses free. Bask in the sun or go for a walk in the rain.
USING THE FIVE SENSES
Smell: This one works for everybody. Head to a flower store and make a point of stopping to savor the aroma. The key is to jot down your thoughts immediately after. Your spice rack can do the same thing. Cinnamon reminds me of snow. So head to your kitchen and start smelling…and writing!
Sight: Visit a mall, large department store or a food court. You’ll find everything you need here. Basically this is people watching, but do it without staring! Write a piece about people you see. What do you think their personality might be? What’s their favorite color? Imagine what their hobbies would be? What profession would they have? Remember no staring! Once again this is just another exercise to open your mind to unorganized creative thinking.
Taste: To do this one you need to be willing to experiment a little. Try a new food, chew slowly and appreciate the taste. It works best if you can have somebody else cook the food for you. Is it sweet, sour, bitter, or tart? Imagine where the food or recipe originated.
Hearing: Pick a few sounds, for example a wind chime, a car horn or a bird chirping. What thoughts come to mind? The key is to write your thoughts quickly to see where they take you.
Touch: This exercise works well if you can visit a fabric store. Feel the different types of material and write your thoughts down. For example, what does flannel feel like compared to burlap, then go one step further and ask yourself who would wear it? What do they look like?
This is my favorite exercise that I just learned in a workshop I attended. I hope I’ve saved the best for last. And because I’m a fantasy/paranormal writer, I’m going to use those types of characters. Here’s your task, but you must do it order of my instructions:
1. Write down five single words that describe a vampire’s mannerisms. For example, blood sucker, viscous, cruel, or cunning (whatever a vampire mean’s to you).
2. Now do the same thing for what you think a pixie’s character might be. For example, petite, carefree, or whimsical (whatever a pixie mean’s to you).
Here’s the fun part! Let’s make some creative characters. How about we swap them, so whatever traits you write down for a vampire, would now belong to a pixie and vice-versa. You’d then end up with a blood sucking, cruel, cunning pixie, and a vampire that was petite, whimsical and carefree.
This exercise is a lot of fun and can be done with many types of characters. You could describe, lawyers, nurses, police officers etc. then spice them up by switching their characteristics and creating your own very unique characters.
WELL, that was a lot! I hope it helps UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY!
If all else fails, then my standby is to eat an Aero chocolate bar, drink a glass of milk, fall asleep, and let my dreams create everything for me.
Happy writing everyone.