I've Got Nothing...
Sometimes, I get stuck. It's usually that I don't know where to begin, or I don't know where to go. These are the things that I try to get moving again.
- Do a free association exercise for 3-5 minutes. Get a pen and paper or a blank screen. (I usually go for pen and paper. I just like the feeling of words flowing out of my pen.) Write the first thing that comes to your mind. Don't edit or proofread. Just write. Write about anything you think of. Write a list of words or paragraphs. Let it be a mishmash of your thoughts. When you're done, look it over. There might be something worth saving. Sometimes, it's funny; other times, it reveals a lot about your thoughts. Then give yourself permission to throw it away if it's not worth saving.
- I found some really neat books of creating writing exercises. A presenter at a technical writing conference recommended these. My favorites are Panning for Gold in the Kitchen Sink: Everyday Creative Writing by Michael C. Smith and Susan Greenberg and Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life by Natalie Goldberg. Sometimes, I pull out my copies and pick a page. It's a nice warm-up exercise.
- Make yourself an idea folder (or shoe box). I rip out pictures from magazines and newspapers. Sometimes, I include the results of a writing exercise. I peruse this collection of stuff sometimes for a spark of inspiration.
- Go do something else that's creative. Write a letter, work on a scrapbook, paint, or bake a cake. Sometimes, you have to step away for a little while.
- Turn off the TV. I love its company sometimes, but the distraction is enough to derail or consume my writing time.
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