« Story Ideas and Writer’s Block – - Part 1 of 2 | BLOG HOME | What Else I’m Working On »
Story Ideas and Writer’s Block – - Part 2 of 2
By Deb Gallardo
FINDING STORY IDEAS —
THE DREADED BLANK PAGE (cont)
MORE Techniques for Overcoming Writer’s Block
By Deb Gallardo
In part one of this two-part series, we explored our personal environment with all five senses in order to come up with something to write about. Now let’s try three other techniques.
Free write
Set a timer for five minutes. That much time may seem interminable when you have nothing to say. Almost everyone feels that way, so don’t panic. This can work for YOU, too. Begin by writing anything that comes to mind, including “I don’t have any idea what to write. This feels stupid. I must be the world’s worst writer.”
Allow your mind to drift as you write, into a stream-of-consciousness state where nothing has to mean anything or connect to other thoughts. “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog,” can buy you some time, and if you are still stuck, then try “Four score and seven years ago,” and see how much of the Gettysburg Address you remember. Just keep typing (or writing) until the timer goes off. Chances are, something you write will spark an idea, even if it’s only a phrase.
Change your mindset.
Think of a blank page as a pristine canvas for you to paint upon with any color, any subject matter, any tool. The sky’s the limit. No restrictions, no rules. You cannot write anything that is wrong, since you get to make it up as you go along, plagiarize, quote or invent. You’re not writing for publication here. You’re just trying to get the words flowing, kind of like priming an old-fashioned pump by pouring in some water first.
If it helps, look at a painting or a seriograph print. Imagine what the artist thought when faced with a blank canvas. Where did he or she start? With a paper sketch? With charcoal directly on the canvas to lay out the perspective? How can this help you in planning what to write? Well, if nothing else, maybe the painting will inspire you! The point is to ask yourself questions, because your mind is programmed to answer them. It’s how we’re wired. Our minds will come up with answers, even if they are illogical, impractical or incorrect.
Remember, you can write in any style, any voice, any viewpoint. Your story can be set in any time, any place, any genre.
Ah, but do you have too many choices on a totally blank canvas? Then limit yourself. And if you start to rebel against restriction, that’s all right. If removing a restriction will fuel your creative self, then remove it. But don’t do it too quickly. You may find a way around restriction that will be a more interesting or even brilliant approach.
Limit yourself through form
How about a sonnet — talk about your restrictive format! Or something more accessible, like a limerick.
There once was a woman named Shelly
Who had such a lovely, flat belly.
She was envied by all
‘Til she had a great “fall,”
For she started to pig out on jelly.
You see, it needn’t be good. The idea is to just get started writing something.
Limit yourself through genre
Maybe you decide on a genre first. That’s good, because this defines your audience, and writing is futile without an audience, unless you are keeping a journal. Then it’s a record of your thoughts, meant for you alone. (Journaling is also another way to break through a blockage.)
Limit yourself by writing about one character
This can be a protagonist, antagonist, secondary character, sidekick, what have you. Write a biographical sketch, including brief family tree, childhood, education or lack thereof, profession, etc. That should get your creativity flowing. Describe an incident that stands out in the character’s mind, perhaps even one that defines the person s/he has become.
Limit yourself with a time period / era
It should be one you know something about, and which resonates with emotion. Possible Baby Boomer eras could be the time of Beatniks, Hippies, the Psychedelic Sixties, Viet Nam, the Civil Rights Movement, the Sexual Revolution, the Women’s Movement, the Green Movement, the Folk era, the Rock era, post-Beatles, etc.
Not a Boomer? Not a problem. Wax nostalgic about your childhood — traumas and delicious memories alike — about the good old days (whenever they were), and focus on societal conflicts — anything that divided people and their opinions. If you’re a history buff, pick your favorite epoch. Whatever time period you choose, start writing.
I hope the exercises in these two articles have helped to break you free of what was blocking you, and started your creativity flowing more freely. These are just a small sampling of ways to combat the dreaded blank page. If you think of more, be sure to let me know what works for you in a comment below.
Copyright 2007-2010 (c) Deborah K. Gallardo, All Rights Reserved
Related Posts
- Writer’s Block – 3 Ways to Overcome It
- Story Ideas and Writer’s Block – - Part 1 of 2
- Writer’s Block – Write a Little to Write a Lot
- Stuck for Story Ideas? Create a “Memory River” in 5 Minutes or Less
- Writer’s Block – 10 Tips to Combat It
No Comments »