Writers Block

Blaugust 2019: What Is Blank Page Syndrome

/ Detached / Leave a comment

Blaugust-2019-Fullsize

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.

Blaugust Reborn – It Has Begun

/ Detached / Leave a comment

BlaugustRebornLogo2018Today officially kicks off day 1 of Blaugust Reborn my friends!

I hope you all have plenty of snacks and coffee, or whatever drink of choice you enjoy while writing as this month is going to be amazing!  It’s going to require some focus and brain power for sure….hence the snacks and drinks.

Today we are jumping in and discussing writing prompts as one of the hardest things about blogging is that some days are mentally tough, and you’ll have writers block.  It happens to the best of us and it’s just part of the journey us writers are part of.  Checkout a write up I did years ago about Writers Block and some easy tips of how to break through.

Sometimes the opposite can happen though and you have so many ideas and topics spawning in your head that you don’t know what to do with them.  Think of it like a water dam that is partially open and only letting a small portion of the water come through.  My best advice for situations like this is have a journal or some place like a back log of topics and ideas you jot down.  This will definitely help with those thought clogs and ease up some moments of frustration when those fingers don’t know what to type.

Let’s jump into those writing prompts as blogging for 31 days in a row is a challenge no matter how long you’ve been writing.  I’m hoping these prompts will help you with ideas through the month, and maybe even break some writers block you might have or experience along the way.

Here Are Nine Random Writing Prompts

  • Write about your favorite coffee you drink while writing!
  • Write about a friendship that was made from gaming and some of your favorite memories.
  • Write about a favorite book series and a character within that book series you enjoy.
  • Write about your favorite nostalgic video game and what you most enjoyed about it.
  • Share about a passion you have outside of gaming or reading / writing.  Maybe it’s cooking, or wood working, or whatever you like.  It can be whatever you are crazy passionate about.
  • Write about your favorite movies regardless of genre and what specifically about the films you enjoyed.
  • Write about why you enjoy writing.  Why are you so passionate about it and what would you say to someone new getting into writing?  More for the veteran blogger/writer but can be a fun journey to explore no matter your experience.
  • Write about the lore of a favorite video game, or book series you are passionate about.  If you are like me, then lore is your thing and you love to research and write about it.
  • Write about upcoming technology in the gaming industry, film industry, or whatever nerdy industry you enjoy.

I hope these prompts will help you get started and open up those creative sparks for this blogging journey.  Personally I have a ton of material planned out and jotted down in my journal so I don’t have to feel crunched for time.  Take the time to prep for the month and get ahead of things best you can so you don’t feel overwhelmed by trying to post every day.  It can be a daunting task, but also an amazing challenge to push yourself in an event like this.  Don’t forget to have fun while doing this challenge, and shamelessly look through all the writing prompts the events mentors are posting as you don’t have to re-create a brand new wheel every time you want to post something.  Those writing prompts are there to help us all spawn new ideas and make this journey a bit easier.

Jump in, enjoy, challenge yourself and most of all have fun!

Writers Block!

/ Detached / 2 Comments

Today I’ve been free writing due to having so many ideas floating around in my head I wanted to write about.  Free writing is something I’ll mention a bit lower down in this post.  Today has been very creative and I’ve gotten a lot accomplished from a writers/bloggers point of view.  But in the same sense just last week I had a “bloggers block” like you wouldn’t believe.  Being creative and bringing new ideas to the table when a bloggers/writers block happens is like fishing for that prized deep see marlin in the local pond….you just aren’t going to catch what you want.  Below are just a few ways I like to get out of that writing funk and I hope they help you as well.

?????????????????????????????????Change your Environment

Step away from the computer is what I have to tell myself!

If I run out of ideas and inspiration which happens pretty frequently as my mind wonders so easy, I like to get out of the house for a bit.  I find that when my environment changes the ideas start spawning again.  Their is a wonderful Art Museum where I live called Crystal Bridges that my family and I love to visit which is one place I go for an environment change. It’s a great place to people watch, grab a coffee, or just go and walk around and honestly not really think about anything.  Low and behold when I do this, I usually get back on track for ideas on what I was writing or get new ideas for things in the future I want to write about.

Getting away from your computer and blog can definitely help but so can blogging from a different location.  About once a month I will write in a new location just to keep things different and not get stuck in a rut.

  • Coffee Shops  – I have multiple coffee shops in my area that I visit quite frequently.  Some have free WiFi, and some don’t.  I like going to both, but I choose to go to places that don’t have free WiFi for a reason.  It forces me to remember how to write with a pen and paper.  I try to always keep a journal and a pen handy just for this occasion.
  • Public Libraries – I went to our public library for a couple of weeks straight as it gave me a new perspective on writing.  So much information to read and it’s all at your fingertips to read.  Ideas came by the truck loads on what to write about.
  • Multiple locations in your house – I am not really a creature of habit, but a creature of randomness but my wife says I have writing habits while at the house.  If I am home and want to write I usually start in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and a laptop staring me in the face.  If nothing works there, it’s on to my office, then the living room couch, and last is usually the patio furniture.  This is a constant changing environment within a personal space….wireless is great isn’t it.

Change up your environment and see what wonders it does for the writing block and hopefully a new perspective it brings for your creative skills.

 

hard_black_collection_1Keep a Journal

I have little Moleskine notebooks laying around everywhere it seems filled with ideas.  I use it for those random thoughts that pop in that may one day turn into something I use for writing a piece on the blog.

Journals are great as they are great for popping those random things I think about all day long.  These become a creation of ‘to do’ lists for me…though some of my thoughts i’ve jotted down are just unused creative ideas that I never get around to doing anything with..

It’s often when reading through my journals that an idea hits me in the face. It’s usually days, weeks, even months after an idea is written down that it seems to come to life at times.  Perfect example is on a book i’m writing….I went back through an old idea log I was keeping on character creation and “BAM” why didn’t I see this before moment hit me!

 

 

right-brain-free-writeFree Writing

Remember in the top portion of this blog…I said I would talk about “Free Writing” which is what writers call – writing when the idea pops into your head.  This is the hardest style of writing for me as I have a hard time staying focused long enough to remember why I started writing.

I do this every once in a while just to see what pops out of my brain honestly, plus it really does help the creative come to life.  Forcing myself to write has been a great tool as it challenges my randomness and keeps my brain challenged to create a story.

It’s amazing to see what comes from this type of writing….there have been times I’ll start writing on a topic and it flows great, and others seem to go no where.  It’s a fun challenge to take and it truly will make you a better writer.