Tips & Tricks

Blaugust 2019: What Is Blank Page Syndrome

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Good morning writers, bloggers, and all those who have struggled with this freak phenomenon “The Blank Page Syndrome” you know that moment when writing you look up and realize you have absolutely no idea where to go, or what to do, or what to write about anymore.  Have you ever been there? Chances are if you write in any form or fashion, then yes you’ve experienced writer’s block!

It’s easy to become immobilized with writer’s block, but one of the best ways to get the creative juices flowing again is to give yourself just a few minutes to write creatively about something completely different.  Writer’s block is the brain’s way of saying “Hey I’m tired, I need a break you fool” so put the pen down, stop typing, and go get me a cup of coffee, or let me stare into space for a few minutes.  When writing we need mental breaks, and sometimes as writers, we get in the zone and forget that we need to step away for a bit and take those mental breaks.

Personally, I struggle with writer’s block all the time, but over the years I’ve learned what my brain needs to get past those things that trip me up.  Honestly, this is just something that takes time to discover about you personally and what trips you up when writing.  We could look at every self-help writing book out there, but truth be told, when the ole brain is tired it’s hard to push forward and force writing as it becomes tiresome, and you burn out quickly on what used to be enjoyment and passion.

So if you are at that wall-banging your head, here are a few things to think about and try.

1. Take The Step, Take The Risk

To be a writer means to take risks, putting yourself and your ideas out on a limb, making yourself vulnerable to criticism, maybe even ridicule. Does that make you step back and question if this is something you should be doing?  Just remember this is your little slice of the internet and you can make it what you want, but there will always be the Nay-Sayers lurking around!  You as a writer have to be willing to take that jump and just do what you love.  Remember that no writer can please everyone, and you will never benefit from trying to form your writing around that thought either.

2. Creating an Atmosphere

Open one of your favorite novels and pay attention to the techniques the author used to create atmosphere. What is it about the place referenced in the book that draws you? Drawing an atmosphere when writing can be one of the most creative and relaxing moments you will have when writing.  Whether it be a descriptive word or a creation of scenery for the reader to get sucked into; this is definitely a way to break the writer’s block.

3. What’s In Your Descriptions

Writing is a wonderful way to see the beauties of this world, and it’s a way to describe what you as a writer want the reader to see.  When you write look for new and fresh ways to describe what you want.  Use old drafts or stories you’ve written in the past to practice with or look up some poems to spark a new idea.  Either way getting out of your story for a bit, and looking at new ways to describe things is always a good way to improve one’s writing skills.

4. A Fantastic Fairy Tale

Fairy tales are also a good way to get the creative sparks popping! The whole point of a fairy tale was to dramatize struggles between good and evil for the most part.  So why not take a look at some of those classic gems, because at the heart of fairy tales is a reminder of pure storytelling.  Why not sit down with a good cup of tea, or coffee and try to do a play on one of your favorite fairy tales.  Make it personal and watch what happens.

5. Let That Imagination Run Wild

You don’t have to be a creative writing major to enjoy writing or a professional journalist to write about a passion you have.  You just need to be imaginative.  To have a good ghost story, the ghost needs a house to haunt, or some spooky hotel, right?  Well if that’s the case then what will you let your imagination create for this story to take shape?

Just remember the only one holding you back from writing is you.  Find what you enjoy, write like you’ve never written before, and make it fun while you do it.

Mind Mapping for Blaugust (Brainstorming Week)

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Kicking off week number two of with the topic of (BRAINSTORMING) has been interesting as I’ve seen topics all over the board so far!  With that said I have been wracking the brain on what to write about today!

I get a lot of questions around my system of note-taking, my sticky notes, and how I’ve used them to map out whatever I’m writing.   So today’s post is all about brain dumping and mind mapping.

If you are anything like me I’m sure you at one point and time struggle with the idea of what to write when to write, how to write and why would I write! Whether it’s a blog post or book….that can be a big hill to tackle on where to start.  For me, I finally just made the plunge and started writing, and a few years ago jumped in with the #NANOWRIMO group which was crazy good for getting with other writers and learning from them.

This is really where my book idea came to life as I was challenged by other writers to just jump in and begin.  Even though I had no idea really where to start, or what things looked like at the time; I did learn a system and have enjoyed the process of getting to where I am today.

A lot of people don’t write a book or blog post as they simply don’t know how to start.  They possess the idea for a book or a blog, but they don’t know what to do with it. They possess an idea for a book, but they don’t know what to do with it. They can’t imagine how they get from initial idea to a published blog post or that finished manuscript which isn’t a small feat at all so don’t think I’m playing this down.

It wasn’t until I began using the “Brain Dump” method to get my ideas that were just floating around that space in my head, to the paper so I could have a visual.  Some call this mind mapping, but for me, this is just an old fashioned Brain Dump.  Whatever you like to call it doesn’t really matter, just the methodology and way it’s used. Brain dumping will take you from a few grand book ideas to a detailed book outline you can work from to make a manuscript.  This ultimately becomes the go-to place for when you need a guide to take you from start to finish of this novel you’ve dived into.

It’s funny how our brains work as we have an analytical and creative side, so mapping those ideas out for a book or blog post when thinking about that can be tough.  Basically, mind mapping allows you to bring the two sides of your brain together in one location so that all the thoughts and information are easily visual and accessible. Once you’ve learned how to wrangle those thoughts it’s time to take a look at the actual brain dump.  This is the point where the thought has to become a reality.  So….how do you make the brain dump happen?

My favorites and staples when writing is using a large whiteboard to map out my ideas and plot pieces of the story together.  My journal is always a go-to, though lately it’s littered with sticky notes from ideas I need to go back and form into the story section I need it in.  Another favorite is the sticky note and poster board which is always fun for me as you get to move the sticky notes around and write on the poster board as well.

Examples below of my “Plot Board” and “Whiteboard”

On the left is an old push pin board my wife used to use that is currently littered with sticky notes which are all major, and minor plot points of the book. On the right is a large whiteboard that I use frequently…again with the sticky notes.  Each of the sticky notes on the whiteboard represents a portion of the book such as chapter, plot, sub-plot, character info, etc and where they fit into the timeline of the book.  May seem bonkers but visually it has helped me write clearer, cleaner and faster then I ever had before.

Maybe this is a super writing nerd kinda thing, but this is very relaxing and enjoyable for me and that’s why I’m writing this post.  I’m hoping this sparks some ideas for you as well and lights a fire so you can get to moving on that great book idea you have.

Think of the brain like this and hopefully it will help you picture what needs to happen.

Brain Dump Process

  • Creative Right Brain is where the ideas flow from and all the magic happens.  The fun stuff clicks on this side of the brain.
  • Analytical Left Brain is where the organization of all that creative material you just dumped to the paper happens.  This is where the structure of the book comes from and where your – table of contents and outline of the book will look like.

If you’ve lined everything out and keep a good record of the book and use this process then you can produce some very detailed information and great chapter outlines for your book.

Now let’s look back at the Sticky Notes and how they will help you map this book out. This is the easiest way to make a mind map of your book.

My Favorite Mind Mapping Process:

  • Grab yourself a large poster board or poster boards, or even a large whiteboard will work. Get yourself a big stack of sticky notes….multi-colored is what I like to use as I color coordinate topics to specific colors.
  • Take a single sticky note in the middle of the poster board and write your topic on it, or a book title, just depending on what you are working on.
  • Write all the related topics you can think of on sticky notes and place them anywhere on the poster board.  Sounds like chaos I know, but don’t worry about where you place them, or about organizing them, unless you are absolutely sure the topics relate to one another.
  • Fill the board with as many topics as you can possibly think of as this is the “Brain Dump” phase and when you think you’re done, look again as you will more than likely come up with more topics after taking a break, or a step back.
  • At this point, I like to take a picture of the board for reference purposes in case I have to take a break or get pulled away for something.  They are called sticky notes, not permanently held in spot notes.
  • Ok now comes the organization of the topics.  The analytical side of the brain is ready to be worked right? Look for related topics. Pick up the notes and move them around. Take a close look at what you have grouped together as they just might become the chapters of your book. More than likely, this will be the groups with the most information lumped together.  Just remember this is your book and your board so move things around how you feel fits best, and don’t be afraid to break apart groups into multiple chapters if one is too large. Just make sure you use a different colored sticky note to mark that chapter and don’t forget to name the chapter.
  • Use each of the sticky notes you have grouped together under a chapter as a sub-topic that you want to write about in that chapter.  This is where the fun begins as writing guides and book maps are a must at this point.  Sub-plots of a story can make things confusing if you don’t.

Hopefully, these few tips and my insanity have sparked some creativity for you all.  Mind mapping for me is a blast and brings a lot of enjoyment to my writing.  It takes a lot to get a story from your brain to that paper.  Sit down, start slow, find something that works for you and enjoy the process of making the next best book or blog post!