Every once in a while, we all go through that period where the words don't come easily. Some writers will tell you they never suffer from writer's block and I think that's a great attitude. But work and life's little mishaps *do* get in the way of a writer's creative spark. Don't panic. This, too, shall pass. But you can help yourself with a few tips.
Music. Ever hear a song on the radio and you instantly click on a scene from a movie? For instance, every time I hear "Jump" by the Pointer Sisters, I immediately see (and sometimes do) Hugh Grant's dance from Love, Actually. Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" brings back memories of the football players doing the Electric Slide in a holding cell in The Replacements. And "Simply Irresistible" by Robert Palmer will always remind me of Queen Latifah's fight in the ladies room in Bringing Down the House. Soundtracks inspire, incite, and linger with us long after the movie is over. The same can be said about what you want when you're writing. So create a soundtrack for your book! Afraid you'll become distracted and sing along? Go for instrumentals! Check out Broadway and movie soundtracks at your library and choose music that will set the proper mood for each aspect of your story (introduction, conflict, crisis, climax, love scene, murder scene, etc.).
Exercise. Take a walk, go for a bike ride, punch a bag, do ab crunches. Get some endorphins flowing. Step away from the computer for a while. Your work will benefit from the break (and so will your body!)
Read. Re-read your WIP. Sometimes you lose the thread, but with a quick refresh of what you've written before, you can recapture what you've missed. Read another author's work. Leaf through magazines.
Play. I love crossword puzzles and word games like Scrabble and Balderdash that will ignite a new idea. And you can play online so you don't have to wait for partners.
Got a tip to respark your dormant creativity? Share it here!
No comments:
Post a Comment