Where it comes to writer’s block there are a number of theories flying around on how to deal with this condition. Some work, some don’t.
As someone once said, “The more you write, the more you want to write”. So even if you experience a case of writer’s block, the worst thing to do is to give up.
But what to write if you can’t write?
Having been in this situation, there’s one method I find particularly helpful.
Take a piece of paper and draw a circle. In that circle, write what your book is about in one word. For instance, lies, abuse, loss, murder, money, dancing, etc.
Branch out that one circle into four circles and write a word associated with the centre word. If you had written “dancing” associated words could be: shoes, music, stage, audience.
Next branch out those four circles into eight circles, and again use word association to the four words in the four circles. This could be: heel, tap, song, symphony, curtain, wings, applause, appreciation.
You can branch out into more circles if you like. The aim of this exercise is to give your brain a workout. You’ll find that, when you’re no longer thinking of how to move forward with your story, word association opens up possibilities.
Another trick to get your inspiration flowing is to turn your spellchecker off. Some people can ignore those red squiggly lines, others can’t concentrate until they fixed a particular misspelled word. By turning the spellchecker off, you can type without interrupting your train of thought.
If all else fails, turn your back on your computer and go back to basics … write with pen and paper. Many writers can’t think while looking at a computer screen and moving their fingers at the same time. By writing with a pen, that particular problem is eliminated.
Chances are, once you write, truly write, your inspiration will run like a train.
As someone once said, “The more you write, the more you want to write”. So even if you experience a case of writer’s block, the worst thing to do is to give up.
But what to write if you can’t write?
Having been in this situation, there’s one method I find particularly helpful.
Take a piece of paper and draw a circle. In that circle, write what your book is about in one word. For instance, lies, abuse, loss, murder, money, dancing, etc.
Branch out that one circle into four circles and write a word associated with the centre word. If you had written “dancing” associated words could be: shoes, music, stage, audience.
Next branch out those four circles into eight circles, and again use word association to the four words in the four circles. This could be: heel, tap, song, symphony, curtain, wings, applause, appreciation.
You can branch out into more circles if you like. The aim of this exercise is to give your brain a workout. You’ll find that, when you’re no longer thinking of how to move forward with your story, word association opens up possibilities.
Another trick to get your inspiration flowing is to turn your spellchecker off. Some people can ignore those red squiggly lines, others can’t concentrate until they fixed a particular misspelled word. By turning the spellchecker off, you can type without interrupting your train of thought.
If all else fails, turn your back on your computer and go back to basics … write with pen and paper. Many writers can’t think while looking at a computer screen and moving their fingers at the same time. By writing with a pen, that particular problem is eliminated.
Chances are, once you write, truly write, your inspiration will run like a train.
RSS Feed
