Wacky Ways to Windup Your Creativity

We’ve all been there. Deadlines are looming for our blog or our novels. A tingling in the pit of your stomach borders on nausea. We settle into our favorite chair and turn on our computer. Pull up our WIP. Position our fingers on the keyboard. And nothing.

We read the pages we wrote the day before.

We dive into our favorite source of caffeine.

We read the blogs on how to get past writer’s block.

One writer jogs three miles.

Another pulls weeds.

Read a few excerpts from a bestseller.

Watch a movie.

For some writers those ideas might not work. A twinge of fear sets it, and you search frantically for words that are chained deep inside your mind.

The time has come to look deeper and discover your own ways to spark your creativity. Take a look at seven out-of-the-box ways to break out of writer’s block.

1. Play with kids under the age of six. These little people have imaginations that soar into places we adults are afraid to go. A boy crouches on the sofa in the Spider Man position. A girl closes her eyes and sings from the movie Pose a story line and let them finish it.
2. Jump into the pool—with goggles. Look at the world beneath the water. What do you see? What do you feel? How can your writing take an unusual dip?
3. Study the world of a hummingbird by spending time around a feeder. Who’s in control? What makes you laugh? Picture yourself miniature size and climb on board a hummingbird. Which one would you choose?
4. Clean your garage. When I do this, I find things I’ve lost and things I wish I hadn’t found. Put your character beside you. How does his/her discoveries enhance the storyline?
5. View a cooking show where competition and a time limit means high stakes. Study the cooks’ What are the successes and failures? Where does their conflict take your character?
6. Plan a vacation, the one that’s at the top of your bucket list. Create a budget, research flight availability, consult the climate and weather, and decide who will accompany you. What about your character, can he/she use this information? How would their itinerary be different?
7. Visit a zoo. Take your time to study birds, animals, and reptiles. Their habits and peculiarities can force the writer to take an unusual approach to story.

Maybe some of these wacky ways to shake off the chains of writer’s block will appeal to you. Take a huge breath, try something new, and watch your fingers race over the keyboard with the next great American novel.