Don’t let writer’s block beat you.
One of the best ways to get motivated is to write as often as you can. Try to put pen to paper every day, don’t polish your work as you go, just write as the thoughts come to you.
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Some inspiring Words…..
Courtesy of Kate Eltham, Chief Executive Officer
Queensland Writers Centre (2012)
(In this excerpt, Kate compares the process of writing with the training regimen of an Olympic Swimmer).
The part that we, as spectators, tune in for is the nail-biting race and the medal ceremony. We’re used to thinking of it as the end, or the climax, but for a career athlete it is actually just one part of an ongoing process, one that will continue unabated after each big race for as long as that athlete’s body can propel them faster, further, higher. After each big competition, it’s back to the pool, back to the training regimen and the endless black line.
Writing is a bit like that. I suppose almost anything is. Publishing a novel or story, or even finishing one, is a tremendous achievement but it is still just one part of a process that will continue unabated as long as we have stories to tell. And other parts of the process include regular writing activities, flexing our literary muscles by trying new styles and genres, and reading as much and as widely as possible. But mostly it involves showing up to the page, putting words down one after the other. And maybe we don’t do it every day, or even every week. Maybe we don’t even write regularly to finish a particular work, but simply to write. But it’s definitely a process, a practice, perhaps even a ritual.
And just like [the Olympic swimmer] achievements can be counted not only in the number of hundredths of a second between them and a record but also in the sheer number of tumble turns [they] did in the lead up to the race, writing achievements are as much about the number of words composed and discarded as they are about publication achievements.
So, for me, 2012 is not about writing resolutions, or any resolutions. It is about process. It’s about whatever I can do to honour a regular, systematic writing practice. Because by the end of the year, whether I’ve finished a book or published anything at all, there’ll be thousands of words behind me and my writing will propel me faster, further, higher.
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Are you searching for a way to make writing a regular routine in your life?
If so, then attend Bush Curlews weekly meetings.
We have a writing activity every week, each task allows us to explore new styles and genres.
For our regular attending members, the Bush Curlews is more than just a gathering of friendly, like-minded people:
It’s a process, a practice, perhaps even a ritual.
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Are you tired of staring at a blank page or screen?
Here are a few ideas to help inspire the writer within...
Select several random items, for example, a hat, a shoe, a rock, a pencil case and include all items in a story or poem.
“My Favourite Thing” – select an item, for example an eraser or a scarf and then construct a story or poem about why you “love” this particular item. Try to be as creative as possible. Instead of stating you love the eraser because it has a pretty picture on the front, write something ludicrous i.e. World War III was prevented because the eraser wiped out a typo on a very important document.
Select a word (use the dictionary if need be), then write a story or poem in which that specific word is used at least three times. The more unusual the word, the bigger the challenge.
Are you still looking for inspiration?
Getting started...
1. Write for 60 seconds without stopping = Just write exactly what comes into your head, even if it's only "I can't think of anything to write". Do not write in proper sentences or proper punctuation unless it comes out that way. The key is simply to write.
2. Self-portrait = write about yourself as you are at this moment using all five senses. What are you seeing? What are you hearing? etc
3. I remember = write the words "I remember" at the top of a piece of paper and see what comes out.
4. Yesterday = write the word "Yesterday" at the top of a piece of paper and see what comes out.
5. Dream = write about a dream you had recently or perhaps a dream/goal you would like to achieve.
6. Character building = without even thinking of a story, describe a character (male or female, their age, race, occupation, physical appearance and mood). Then do the same for a second character. Next, connect these two characters. How do they interact? Where do they meet? Are they strangers, friends or lovers?
7. Location, location = describe a place, a room or a landscape or some other kind of environment. Next, describe a person in this scene. Why are they there? How did they get there? What happens while they are there?
8. Re-tell a story = retell a story you read or heard somewhere: a newspaper article, a myth, a fairytale, a joke, a story told by a parent.... Why did you choose the story? What makes the story so memorable to you?
9. Omit the E = Write a paragraph without using the letter "E".
10. Alphabet style = Write a paragraph in which the first word starts with "A", the second word starts with "B", an so on through the alphabet.
11. The dictionary technique = Go through the dictionary and collect ten words that catch your eye. Write a piece that will use them all.
12. A different perspective = Write about yourself from a different perspective. How would your parents view you? How would a friend or an enemy view you? Or write a portrait of yourself in the third person, in the form of an obituary.
Writing for Fun...
1. Around the Table = each person says a word or 2. Once everyone has provided their word(s) the group must write a story or poem including all of the said words.
2. Image inspiration = use photographs taken from magazines or the internet. Pictures can be beautiful or just plain weird. Write a story inspired by that image. Either members each write from a different picture or all at the table use the one photograph.
3. Polti's Plot = Choose numbers at random (5-7 numbers each between 1-25). Each number corresponds with a pre-set item/occupation/location/theme. You then have the set requirements for a story to be based upon.
4. Object inspiration = select an item e.g. a packet of biscuits or a vase - whatever is in view - and write a poem or story based on that object. For example, it could be a crucial element in a crime story or simply in the backdrop of your character's location.
5. Sentence starter = Choose the first line from a chapter in a book and write your own tale.
6. Twisted fairytales = Select a well-known fairytale and write the story from a different perspective, or perhaps write a completely new ending.
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