Writer’s Block?
Here is a simple exercise which may help fix writer’s block.
Have you ever lost your muse? As a result, did you sit trembling in front of a wordless screen, brain squeezed in the vice of a pressing deadline. In such cases how silent are your screams?
- How do you relight a dormant imaginative spark?
- Where is your creative-stream when you need it?
Let’s do an experiment
“Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say?” Kurt Vonnegut
Blocked? Lost? Inert? If the cap fits, why not try this wee experiment?
Simple task
“writing about writer’s block is better than not writing at all.”
Charles Bukowski
- Open the first email in your inbox
- Go five lines down, seven words in and find your starter word
- Write 250 words based on your word
- Complete the rough text in under half an hour
- Have a correction session if you’ve time
… “for” self-selected as my word …
Dare to begin
“Don’t waste time waiting for inspiration. Begin, and inspiration will find you.”
H Jackson Brown Jr
If you decide to have a go, one piece of advice, just start! Unblock your writers block.
As a matter of fact, I started at 09:21 and finished at 09:46. In this case I’d suggest length is less important than writing.
‘You need something for that …’
… A mumbled statement and I missed the first part. Something for what?
I rushed to the mirror and stared at myself. Was it the reddish-purple pimple with the yellow tip at the end of my slightly gnarled nose? Or my black, cracked, rough-edged fingernails? God, they looked like crumbly tombstones (talk about pizzazz) . Then there were my slightly cheesy feet stuffed into my creaky black lizard boots; sooo comfy and, okay, they’re slightly dilapidated, but the heels give me an impressive, rather intimidating height.
Something for that! Something for what? My fabulous, furry, feral feline? Anyone can tell he’s an appropriate cat for someone like me, you know: big and ugly, like a few pounds of greenish tripe. Of course, he smells better than cows innards most of the time.
Apart from scaring children … he sneaks up on them, making loud, alternate growls and hissy-spits, while arching his craggy, clumpy, mangy back. When up close, he bulges his dirty red eyes and lunges with menace as little horrors shriek ‘MUMEEEeee!’ What a wonderful familiar presence for a girl to have.
In fact, there’s only one real problem with him … flatulence! At that moent, Inferno fragranced the air with a hiss from a nether place. That was it! It was the scent of sulphur I needed something for.
It’s always good to solve a problem. I’m glad my friend didn’t insult me because I’d have been forced to turn her into something vile: a leprous frog, a squishy caterpillar … a politician …
I drafted the above 250+ words in twenty-five minutes. I followed this with a correctional review, within the timeframe.
Let me know how you get on. Please share. Would you like more exercises?
Please respond to the poll.
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© Mac Logan
