The Things Every Writer Needs to Hear

@Flower16Power

Curbing Writers block

We've all had that feeling where we really want to get that chapter down on paper but we have no ideas what so ever. Like, they've all just been blown completely away. This can be pretty discouraging, but don't give up! I'm here to help you get that chapter finished. Here are a few of my tried and tested methods of finding inspiration:

1.)           Stop writing. Yes I said to just put the pen-or word processor in our case, down and do something else. Read, play a game, take a walk- anything but writing. This will help calm your mind and allow random inspiration to enter at the most unexpected moments. I was really stuck for ideas while writing this one time, I mean stuck as in I hadn't uploaded in like 3 weeks because I couldn't think of anything. Then I took a hike in the local park and voila! Like magic I had spotted inspiration in the crunchy fall leaves that decorated the park floor. I took out a notebook on the ride home and by the time we got there I had 2 chapters finished.  Moral of the story is to just stop writing until you find a source of inspiration.

2.)           Edit and Proofread earlier chapters: Writers block always gives me the chance to pour over the work I've already written and spot any plot holes, grammar mistakes and random typos. Sometimes I'll get an idea of something I want to add to a future chapter after re-reading what I have so far.

3.)           Draw: If you're on the artistic side you might want to try and sketch out a drawing of your surroundings or come up with an original idea. I know that I'm horrible at drawing, but after attempting to draw a few ideas I usually resort to describing my drawing in the best way possible which then leads to inspirations for a chapter.

4.)           Catch up on homework: I don't know about everyone else, but I live for homework. Everyone tells me that I'm weird but I find inspiration in writing out an essay using SAT vocabulary words or describing the flow of blood through the human body. I once wrote a short story after completing a set of quadratic equations-it was about a girl trapped in a world of math problems-but that's a story for another time. My point is homework can help you gain inspiration for a story or a chapter-plus your getting work done!

5.)           Write a parody: Try and mix things up a bit by taking your character and writing a short story that has nothing to do with the plot. Take your star football player and make him a knight, turn your nerdy geek into an uber-rich supermodel. Changing the environment your characters are in and forcing them to change their personalities can be a great way to experiment with describing different settings and emotions.  

It can be really annoying when you can't think of anything to write so I hope these tips and tricks will help you come up with inspiration for your next chapter or book. Well Adios Amigos! Happy Writing!