writer

How to Fight Writer’s Block

/ inkspeare / 2 Comments

With these easy to do techniques, you can say goodbye to the dreaded dark cloud – writer’s block.

  1. The dream approach – Dreams are a great source of inspiration.  Keep a notebook and pen next to your bed; and as soon as you wake up, write down your dreams.  Anything that you remember will become fuel for your writing.
  2. The word approach – Take a word, any word, and play with it in your mind.  Write down the ideas that the word generates.  These ideas will become themes for your writing.
  3. The “throw it out there” approach – This method is fun!  Utilize your email or better, your social networks for feedback.  Just put out a sentence and invite people to comment about it.  Limit their comment to a short sentence.  Their input can generate ideas that can in turn, become excellent topics for writing.
  4. The mind approach – Thoughts are bouncing all the time in your mind.  This process is non-stop, even if you are not aware of it.  Become a watcher of your thoughts, write them down, and use them for inspiration.
  5. The conversation approach – When you are running your errands, standing on line, at a restaurant, or any other place, listen to what people are saying around you.  This is a great source for writing material.
  6. The newsworthy approach – What is going on the news?  What do people seem to care about?  Write about that.
  7. The” from bad to good approach” – Listen to the news and pick up a sad story.  Now, what would that story look like with a happy ending?  Use the inspiration from the story to create your own.
  8. The “what I love” approach – This is simple; just write about themes that you love.  It should be effortless, since you have a passion for the subject.
  9. The “against my grain” approach – Write about subjects that you totally dislike.  This will force you to do some research, you will learn something in the process, and will have plenty of material to write.
  10. The sentence approach – Take any sentence, any, and develop a story from it.

Inspiration is everywhere; you just have to attune your senses.  So, wake up your pen (or your PC), and start writing!

Writer’s Wisdom 5

/ inkspeare

“It is a huge honor to have your book made into a movie; but, it is a totally different animal.”

I heard a best-selling author say this in an interview; I wish I remember who. Many best selling authors have had this honor.  This is one of the best things that can happen to you as a writer (besides being published for the first time).  Some writers are actively involved in the process, while others are completely disconnected, by choice.  Most of them agree that making a movie out of a book is a totally different animal, and that you should let the “movie makers” work their magic.  Others agree that the integrity of the story should be kept, they welcome instances where the magic of the movies has made the story dynamic, or a particular part, better.

For us fans of best selling authors, we can’t wait for the movie to be made.  We got a good taste of a good book and now, we wait for the dessert.

Writer’s Wisdom 4

/ inkspeare

“The characters will take a life of their own; they will lead you, but you are in control.”

As you get deep into the story, each character will start interacting with you in its own way.  Sometimes, a character will refuse to do what you want them to do, and will suggest other ways.  It is up to you to listen to that character, feel what he/she is feeling, get a better understanding of where he/she is coming from.  Sometimes, characters will surprise you, they will step forward in the story, or they will stay back.  Sometimes, characters will help you in a story dilemma; you might be stuck with an issue, and suddenly, a character jumps out with the appropriate answer.  So, listen to your characters, talk to them.  However, you are still in control of the story.  You choose to accept or refuse their input, and you certainly have the last written word.