Ooooookay, like I said last week (see Woe to the Block of the Writer in the sidebar under Hey, Check This Out!) writer’s block may just be a sign that God wants you working on something else and you should relax. ‘Cause they’re times to relax, times to do other things than write, times to exercise your creative abilities in different avenues. And ………
Yah, then there’re times you have to work through the blockage head-on armed with only your wit and a pencil honed to spear-like sharpness! Lol, so before I go completely nuts from my own blockage, here are a couple battle tactics on how I’ve gone about handling the curse of the block which is the writer’s…. this is my list of 10 Totally Tantalizing Tips to Unblocking Writer’s Block! (note: your results may vary ;P).
1) Take a long, mental vacation! Just shut off your monitor, stick in your ear buds, sit somewhere comfy and listen. Instead of trying to force the words, shut off that inner voice inside you, let your thoughts relax and breathe. Do it with me, ahhhh… haaaa. There ya go! My best ideas come to me when I let my thoughts wander beyond those mental boundaries, and I find music often helps me unleash my brain and makes my thoughts just flow.
J
2) Then, while you’re on your mental vacation, daydream! Just close your eyes and let your mind wander. Sounds too simple? That’s the idea! Giving your imagination free rein opens up the possibilities your writer’s block has, well, blocked. Most of my best stories and novels started with a daydream, it’s the sole root of my inspiration, the driving force behind my stories, and plus, it’s a fun writing exercise!
J
3) Stop trying! No, I didn’t say quit, just stop pushing and take the pressure off yourself. Art is never pretty when pressured, but if you take that pressure off yourself then the words find you. If you try too hard, or overwork and stress yourself out, it makes EVERYTHING harder. It’s really a vicious cycle (you know, “I can’t write cause I’m stressed but I’m stressed ‘cause I can’t write?”). So stop the cycle by taking a break and stop trying; don’t worry, it’ll come.
J
4) Read! Yep, read! Pick up a novel, short story or poem from your favorite author or poet and indulge in a little book-time. When you deprive yourself from that precious one-on-one time with a favorite story it seems to dry up the word-well and suddenly (oh-no) writer’s block is the result. But whetting your appetite for a proper book revives those creative juices.
J
5) Do something different! Put down your pencil and watch TV for a while or do something completely out of the norm. Dance around your room in your underwear or go outside on a bike ride. Anything! Especially if it’s physical movement and exercise, like shooting hoops or going for a swim, even better, get out of the house! A change of scenery always helps me. And besides, your best ideas will be triggered by inspiration and where do you find inspiration? Out there! Beyond your computer monitor and out in the real world, that’s where the stories are, so go out and find them. You never know, inspiration pops up in the most unexpected places.
J
6) Redirect your creative energy! Trade in your pencil for a paintbrush, pick up a camera and go out on a hunt for that perfect photo, doodle in a notebook, do anything else creative OTHER THAN writing! Sometimes, you just need to unplug and put your creative talents towards something completely different. And then go back and revisit your story once you have your creativity all loosened up.
J
7) Think outside the CPU! Maybe your surroundings are to blame. Desert your computer and grab a pen and some paper and change your surroundings. Sometimes, when I have a blockage I’ll take a notebook up into our tree house and spend an afternoon up there. The fresh air and sunshine is good for my body and the change of surroundings is good for my imagination. I don’t know what it is, but there’s just something about nature that’s truly inspiring.
J
8) Ask yourself: “Where do I draw my sole inspiration?” and then take your answer and do that. Like I’ve said, my root form of inspiration is daydreaming (I just sit at my computer, close my eyes and daydream till a story idea immerges and the words start flowing). However, maybe your root inspiration is found in movies or a certain place like the beach or the mall, so try asking yourself: what inspires me?
J
9) Keep it FUN! Because, isn’t the whole point of doing this because it’s fun? Readers can tell whether or not an author enjoys his/her work, the proof is in the print, and when it’s no longer fun then there is diffidently a problem. Find the problem, address it, solve it, and get back to the fun, because that’s what this is all about!
J
10) Pray! When all else fails, and even if they don’t, pray for the words and the inspiration with the faith knowing that if it’s meant to be God will provide just the right story for you, and He most often will ;).
Well, there ya go, my 10 Totally Tantalizing Tips to Unblocking Writer’s Block!
Writer’s block is hard, it’s like you’re writing abilities have a head cold; everything’s a bit foggy. But I hope these tips help you, like they’re helping me recover from my imagination-congestion, and wipe away the fog long enough to let the rays of inspiration shine through!
So, take forth your pencil, young warrior, and arm yourselves with this newfound knowledge. I wish you the best in your writer’s quest and pray you keep hope in these dire times! (Lol) We can beat this, because we are authors, are we not? And writing, ah, tis what we do!
Happy reading, y’all
J
