Writer’s Block

Three steps to becoming more creative

CreativityMany people believe creativity is a trait you're born with. It's a gift. You either have it or you don't.

This is simply not true.

Each of us is creative. It's our natural state of being. As children, we don't hesitate to use our imagination in every aspect of life. We welcome creativity and embrace it as an integral part of who we are.

Unfortunately, too many of us stifle that sense of wonder and suppress our imaginations as we grow into adulthood. Caught up in the daily grind, we forget what it was like to be creative.

Even writers suffer from this problem on occasion. We get into a slump and begin to suspect we're not as creative as we once thought.

Today, I'm going to give you three simple steps for boosting your creativity. Follow these steps and you'll soon discover how easy it is to embrace your creative nature.

Step 1

Give yourself permission to be creative. Turn off the inner voice that says "I'm not a creative person."

This sounds like a simple thing to do, but it's the most challenging step. With creativity, mindset is everything. How you talk to yourself about being creative is nine tenths of the game. Your inner dialogue matters. From now on, make an effort to only allow thoughts that affirm your status as a creative individual.

Recognize creativity in everyday activities. Realize your creative nature is present at all times, not just when you're writing.

Step 2

Respect your muse. When you get an idea, don't immediately dismiss it or tell yourself "This idea stinks. Nobody is going to want to read this." If you tell yourself over and over again that your ideas stink, your muse will decide you don't appreciate its input. It will go into hibernation and the new ideas will stop coming.

Does this mean you have to pursue every story idea that pops into your head? No. It means you accept each idea as something worth considering.

Jot down every idea in your notebook or journal, or create an idea file on your computer and add a few notes about any new ideas that come to mind. I have a Word document named "Story Ideas" on my computer. Whenever I get a new idea, I open the file and add the details. I don't worry about whether the idea seems crazy or not. I can worry about that later when I'm deciding which ideas would make great stories. I also carry a pocket-sized notebook with me at all times for making notes about new story ideas, characters, scenes, or dialogue.

Step 3

Explore new situations. Eat something you've never eaten before. Visit new places. Listen to music from artists you're never heard of.

Get outside your comfort zone. Do things you wouldn't normally do. Go for a walk in the rain. Try an activity that intimidates you.

Feed your mind. Every new experience will nourish your creative soul.

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Six Techniques to Help Writers Overcome Procrastination

I've come to the conclusion I truly deserve to be crowned Queen of Procrastination. Procrastination is a big kingdom — especially with so many writers taking up residence there so often — so Queen of Procrastination is a title one would expect me to be proud of, yet somehow I don't feel quite as proud as I should. Instead, I'm burdened with the weight of the lurking feeling of guilt one gets after living in Procrastination far too long, which brings me to the topic of this entry: how to move away from Procrastination and into the much more rewarding place I like to call the Writing Zone.

The Writing Zone is a beautiful, magical place. It fills us with a vibrant excitement that gets our blood pumping and our skin tingling. It puts us on a high unlike any other. It's a powerfully addictive drug, only without all the messiness and legal problems.

Think back to the last time you wrote an incredible scene, a scene that just flowed from your mind and through your fingers onto the page. Think of how [click to read more]

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Writer’s Block Cure #1

In my last entry, I described my personal experience with writer's block. I had an abundance of story ideas but I froze every time I faced a blank page. I couldn't even start writing, let alone complete a chapter or a whole novel or screenplay.

There are two types of writer's block. Writers who experience the first type suffer from a lack of ideas. Writers dealing with the second type have no shortage of ideas but suffer from an inability to get into the flow of writing.

This technique is intended for writers bogged down by the second type of writer's block. It's a trick I learned a couple of years ago but at the time I thought it sounded a bit silly. It seems to work well for me now that I've given it a fair chance. Give it a try. It will help you get the words flowing again.

Step 1

Grab one of your favorite books, preferably in the same genre as the story you're trying to write. You'll only need the first two to six pages, so if you don't have a copy of the book handy, feel free to select an excerpt from the author's web site and [click to read more]

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Kiss Writer’s Block Goodbye

For the past year, I've suffered from a form of writer's block that is completely new to me. Actually, any form of writer's block is new to me because I've never had writer's block before. I've always had more ideas than I'll ever have time to write about, and I've always been able to sit down in front of my computer and write without hesitation. Then, a year ago, something changed.

At the time, I didn't know what changed. I only knew I'd suddenly lost my writing groove. The ideas came at me fast and furious, as always, but when I sat down to write, the words just wouldn't come.

I put my hands on the keyboard and froze. My mind drew a blank. I couldn't string two sentences together to save my life.

This went on for days, then days became weeks and weeks became months. I went through bouts of depression. I felt frustrated, angry, stifled, and confused. Writing was my outlet, and now that outlet was gone. It had slipped [click to read more]

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