All right, maybe that’s too dramatic, but face it; there is nothing worse when one finally finds that precious free time, make a mega cup of coffee, get a comfortable spot, flip open your laptop and …..
Exactly that! You just stare at the screen. I usually type some words, just to get frustrated and delete them, or I force myself to continue typing and almost always when, in a few days or so, I review everything I’ve written so far, I end up deleting this strained dribble. And don’t give me that ‘I never get writer’s block’ nonsense, I use to say that, but then I realized I might not hit a wall, or my mind may not go completely blank, but when the ideas are mandatory, put-on and don’t flow easily from your prospective imagination onto the page – well, that’s also included as writer’s block in my opinion.
Now how to solve this problem? Well I will list some suggestions that friends have given me, and that I have found to work or not work:
- My friend said: take a long hot bath, seep in the water and let your mind wonder and the ideas will flow in - well this method is utterly ineffective for me as I’m not the type to ‘seep’, and I find the hot environment and the not so comfortable bath, unproductive to creating ideas. I have tried a hot shower but then the hot shower scene in my second book just keeps popping into my head and no, it’s not kinky in any way.
- Brainstorming - just jot down ideas of where you want to go with your story or your character, and it will help you form ideas and plots - this is effective to a point with me, but then when I write, I tend to constantly stop to check that I am following my ‘mind maps’ and it does disrupt the flow, I also tend to lose these pieces of paper.
- The next method, and one that I have found many writers use, is to listen to music when you write, I tend to listen to Rob Thomas when I write sad scenes, Taylor Swift when I write intimate scenes etc - it is effective and helps to put one in the correct mood. But generally my infinite - though still not long enough - playlist on my laptop is set at random, and there is nothing better than a good ‘mood’ song starting to play just as you start to write the scene, it’s like the universe giving you a leg -up.
- Another way to get the juices flowing, and one that is terribly important in my opinion, is to read! Reading a writer that writes in a similar genre to you or in a similar style, helps to put one in the right frame of mind and helps the process flow more.
- On the same note, watching TV shows or films that inspire your writing is always a good way to go and a sure-fire way for me to get ‘writing fever’. Though I am not so fond of the show, but since my main book that I’m focusing on at the moment is about a werewolf, I watch Teen Wolf. The story annoys me, the acting is terrible, except ‘Stiles’ - I practically only pay attention when he is shown - but it does inspire me and almost guarantees that I end my Monday nights writing feverously until the early hours of the next day.
- Now the last method I use is one that I have found takes time, and usually I don’t get to writing until my next free time session, but it works really well for me. If I am in a scrupulous ‘funk’ on how to write through a particular scene: I stop my writing, close my eyes or leave them open (warning dazed look will result) and imaging the main character of that scene waiting for me in the sunlight, at the end of a path that has wound its way through dense, dark wood. I approach and greet him and we stand on top a hill, below us is a grass field and beyond that is the scene I’m having trouble with. I and my character start to descend the hill together and walk through the field. On the way I ask him questions like ‘how he will think it will play out’, and he asks me questions like ‘why I want him to do a certain action’ excreta. If your character is very developed and true to his personality, the answers will help one find out what is wrong and right about the scene and usually by the time we have arrived at the edge of the field, I have bantered enough with him to know what I have to write next and where I am going. This method is highly effective and works very well for me, but I have not heard of anyone else using it and I have gotten a few quire looks when I mentioned it to friends.
- Another method is to just forget about writing for now, put one of your favourite ‘uppity’ songs on loud and dance around your room not caring if anyone sees you and leave writing for another day – I recommend ‘Determinate’ by Lemonade Mouth for this!
Ok now back to writing. All the best with your writing and cheers for now – C M
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