Oh So Simpatico!

Have you ever sat at your computer and simply stared at the screen, desperately hoping for a magnificent story to magically appear in front of your very eyes?  Then you, my friend, have suffered from the bane of a writer?s existence:  Writer?s Block.

We can poke fun at it, but writer?s block is serious business and can mean the difference between writing that great story/novel, and shutting down the computer in frustration and calling it a day.  Here are a few tidbits that might get you jumping in the ?write? direction:

Brainstorming

Sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper (or, of course, use your computer), and just start writing whatever comes to mind.  Words; phrases; whatever.  Next, start building around these words and phrases with associated ideas.  This is how I started writing a short story that took me a total of 90 minutes to draft, edit and finalize.  The story eventually received 2nd place honors in a writing competition.  Curious as to what that one word was?  ?Moxie? ? and the story was ?Sweet Innocence? (click HERE to read the story).

Get creative and experiment!

Perhaps you?re in a rut: writing in the same place, at the same time everyday.  Shake things up a little.  Instead of sitting at your computer in your home office, grab that laptop and head to a coffee shop or the park.  Or better yet, leave the computer at home and write the old fashioned way?pen and paper.

Outlining

Create a simple outline to help clarify your thoughts.  It doesn?t have to be super structured and formal; just something that states what you want your subject to be.  It may not seem like much, but it?s a start.  And once you start, sometimes the ideas just flow freely.

Write about what you know

Have your heart set on a story about being stuffed inside of a spaceship and shot into space?  Have you ever been shot into space?  Chances are, probably not.  While your imagination can go crazy with something like that, it obviously isn?t working for you at that time.  So write about familiar things:  the high school you went to, what it?s like to be single, etc.  Until you can get your creative juices flowing, perhaps go with what you know.  But don?t worry?you?ll hit your creativity streak in no time.

Step away from the computer for a while

Take a break and make yourself a sandwich, go for a jog, call a relative, re-grout your tub tile?whatever gets your mind off of writing temporarily. 

Relax!

Don?t let your fear of a blank page or screen be the end of your writing career.  Take a few cleansing breaths of fresh air?breathe deep!  Jump around for a bit and tell yourself you?re> in charge here, not fear.  You?d be surprised how the anxiety of trying to figure out what to write about can completely block your creativity.  So relax.

Listen to music

Are you into jazz music?  How about love songs and ballads?  Or heavy-hitting heavy metal?  Personally, soothing jazz instrumentals does the trick for me when I?m suffering from writer?s block, but you may be motivated by whatever your own particular musical tastes.

I hope these little gems of information motivate you and help you overcome your writer?s block.