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Writing Tips for by Melanie Anne Phillips Beating Writer's Block Receive Melanie's Writing Tip Newsletter There are many techniques for beating Writers Block. The focus of this month's writing tip is on one technique you may never have encountered before. It sounds silly - but put it to the test and you'll likely be amazed at how well it gets the Muse in gear! Step One:
Random Words First, write down three
nonsense words. Don't stop
to think it over, just jot down the first words that come to mind, as in
a word-association test. Example: Cat, Running, Green NOTE:
You might want to include a mix of nouns, verbs, adverbs, and
adjectives Write your nonsense words
below, then proceed to the next step to turn your nonsense words into an
inspiration.... Step
Two: Meaning Now, imagine that all of
your nonsense words are part of the same phrase.
What sense can you make out of it?
How many different ideas can you come up with that explain that
phrase? Briefly describe
each interpretation that comes to mind. Example: Cat, Running, Green could
mean: 1.
The cat fell in the bucket of green paint and ran off. 2.
An animated cat is a numbers runner for the mob, carrying the
money (green) to the bookie. 3.
Pet kidnappers engaged in "cat-running," are tagged by
animal rights activists with spray paint to identify them, a color that
comes to be known as Cat Running Green. 4.
A stop light turns green, and a whole "herd" of cats
run across the street. Background: We all try to find meaning
in what we see. That is why
we identify pictures in inkblots, see faces in wood grain, and animal
shapes in clouds. So even
when no meaning is intended, our minds can't help but impose it. By picking words at random,
stringing them together and then looking for meaning, we move our minds
out of creative block and into analysis mode.
In other words, we temporarily shift from creation to
interpretation. In so doing, our
subconscious automatically creates alternative meanings that fit what we
see. So, write as many
interpretations as you can based on the nonsense words you. Step
Three: Integrating Ideas Next, try to incorporate
into a single story idea as much as you find interesting from all the
new ideas you've just created. Example: Let's integrate into a
single story concept the ideas we came up with from the nonsense words,
"Cat, Running, Green." As a reminder, the
"Cat, Running, Green" meanings were: 1.
The cat fell in the bucket of green paint and ran off. 2.
An animated cat is a numbers runner for the mob, carrying the
money (green) to the bookie. 3.
Pet kidnappers engaged in "cat-running," are tagged by
animal rights activists with spray paint to identify them, a color that
comes to be known as Cat Running Green. 4.
A stop light turns green and a whole "herd" of cats run
across the street. One way to integrate many
of the concepts together could be: Animated cats who are
numbers-running for the mob are being picked off by pet kidnappers,
unaware of the cats' mob connection.
Also unaware of the cats' underworld ties, a group of animal
rights activists mounts a campaign to identify the kidnappers by
spraying them with green paint whenever they catch them in the act. Unfortunately, this puts a
crimp in the cats' plans, making it almost impossible to continue their
illegal activities. Tripping
over a bucket of green paint in the alley, the "head cat" is
inspired with a plan of his own. The cats all wait around
the corner of the animal rights activists' headquarters.
As soon as the cats see them drive out, they hot-wire the
streetlight to stop the van, then run out from behind the corner, across
the street. The head cat
has had himself painted with green handprints on his sides, looking as
if the kidnappers have tried to grab him. The van screeches off in
the direction the cats were running from, in search of the kidnappers,
leaving the whole uptown area free of their interference so the cats can
get back to running numbers without interference. Background: Of course, some of the
meanings you came up with may be completely ridiculous and not useful at
all. And, there may be no
way to work them all in, yet several ways to include some of your
inspirations. If you have several ideas,
list them all. But if you
can't think of any way to bring these ideas together, don't worry! The purpose of this
exercise is break free of Writer's Block, and the very process of
shifting out of forced creative mode and into analysis mode usually does
the trick. Even if none of the
nonsense interpretations are usable in and of themselves, when you
return to your original ideas, you'll probably find whole new
inspirations easily come to mind. Whenever you find yourself
stuck, return to this method and (more times than not) the ideas will
flow again. So now, incorporate as many
of your nonsense word interpretations into a single idea, blending it
with your original story idea (if any) as may be appropriate. Step
Four: Finding the Holes Referring to the revised
story concept you just created, you'll probably see a lot of obvious
holes where ideas ought to be. For a moment, step out of
your role as author, and put yourself in the position of your reader or
audience. Read over your
story synopsis. Then, list all the
unanswered questions that readily come to mind as you read through your
story as it stands so far. Your
audience will be unforgiving, so be harsh!
If something doesn't make sense, is off kilter, or missing, make
a note of it. Use the example below for
an idea of some of the kinds of questions that might come up.
Then pick your own ideas apart as thoroughly as you can. Example: Animated cats who are numbers-running for the mob are being picked off by pet kidnappers, unaware of the cats' mob connection. (Why
are they kidnapping pets? What
do they hope to gain or to do with them?) Also unaware of the cats' underworld ties, a group of animal rights activists mounts a campaign to identify the kidnappers by spraying them with green paint whenever they catch them in the act. (What
does pet-napping have to do with animal activists?) Unfortunately, this puts a
crimp in the cats' plans, making it almost impossible to continue their
illegal activities. Tripping
over a bucket of green paint in the alley, (Where
did the green paint bucket come from?) the "head cat"
is inspired with a plan of his own. The cats all wait around
the corner of the animal rights activists' headquarters.
As soon as the cats see them drive out, they hot-wire the
streetlight to stop the van, then run out from behind the corner, across
the street. The head cat
has had himself painted with green handprints on his sides, looking as
if the kidnappers have tried to grab him.
(Why would the paint on the kidnappers be
wet enough to still come off on the cat?
Since it would be dry, it makes no sense that this would fool the
activists.) The van screeches off in
the direction the cats were running from, in search of the kidnappers,
leaving the whole uptown area free of their interference so the cats can
get back to running numbers without interference.
(Fine, but that only solves the problem
momentarily - what solves the problem for good?) Background: An author tends to look at
what a story will be. Readers
and audiences look at what it is. Therefore,
they tend to more easily see the holes. Put yourself in the
reader/audience position. If
all you knew about your story was what you have already written, what
questions would you, the reader or audience, immediately want answered? Step
Five: Filling the Holes Now the job is simple.
Go into analysis mode - the same as when you came up with your
initial meanings for your nonsense words - and figure out as many ways
as possible to answer each question you just asked.
Your answers don't have to be brilliantly clever, just sufficient
to fill in the holes. Why analysis mode?
Because creativity is hard to trigger on demand.
But logic is always available.
You've already been creative in coming up with the ideas in the
first place. So, you don't
need to rack your brain for wonderful ideas.
Just plug the holes with reasonable ideas that get the job done Step
Six: Putting It All Together Referring now to your
answers to the questions about your story, revise your story description
to include as many of those answers as possible. This new description is the first draft of your story synopsis: a brief outline of your plot and the first step in developing your completed story. And to reiterate, even if
you don't want to develop the story you've just outlined, the very
process of working your writer's mind through this exercise will shake
off the shackles on your creativity. Copyright Melanie Anne Phillips The Top 10 Most Popular Articles Be a Story Weaver - NOT a Story Mechanic! How to Create Great Characters! Conflict Can Limit Your Characters Writing From A Character's Point Of View Writing Characters Of The Opposite Sex Our Most Popular Products |
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