Creating a Spark: Exercises and Routines for Writers

Hello Readers!

We hope all our SoCal readers are ready for the atmospheric river that's about to unload on us. The last storm brought some nasty flooding to our area near San Diego, so we'll have our fingers crossed for the next week or so. 

Our blog for today is focused on our fellow writers. We wanted to offer y'all some ideas for sparking creativity. If you're looking to form a routine or break out of a slump, we have some suggestions to get yourself going and flowing--unblocked and free. Here are four of them.

Even Clark Kent had trouble writing sometimes

1) Go for a walk 

Our first suggestion couldn't be simpler. Walk. Going for a walk before you sit down to write can be very stimulating. Especially if you make a routine of it. Walking for 15-30 minutes gets the juices flowing and your brain thinking. It's like magic--except it's been well-documented already that walking improves cognitive performance. Another thing you could do is copy Hemingway, who famously wrote standing up. Instead of walking and then writing, write while also exerting physical energy. We'll stick with our ergonomic office chair, but the concept is the same. 

2) Read an author you enjoy

The second suggestion is simple as well. Before you sit down to write, spend some time reading an author whose style you enjoy. This puts you in the mood. If you want to take it a step further and make it an exercise, read a specific scene or chapter, and then attempt to break it down structurally. Analyze how it advances the story from the author's view. What were their goals? How did they worldbuild? What literary devices can you see? Game recognizes game. 

Now, when it's actually time to sit down and write, try this exercise before attacking your novel:

3) Write unfiltered for a half hour

Set a timer for 30 minutes. Play music in the background. Pick a random word or use a word that the music evokes. Then write. Just write. Don't worry about commas and periods, or structure, or even capital letters. Just get down whatever is coming into your mind. If you can do that for 30 minutes, we guarantee there will be phrases or sentences that you can use later for your story. 

Alternatively (or additionally), you can use the technique we learned from Ray Bradbury. 

4) Keep a bedside notebook for the morning

Keep a notebook by your bed, and as soon as you wake, before you check your phone or do anything else, write down whatever comes through your mind. No edits, just plain uncensored writing. Gibberish is even ok if that's what's going through your mind. Then put it away for at least two weeks before looking at it. You'll be shocked at what that stream-of-consciousness exercise can do for your creativity. 

If you do even one of these, you should see a little change. If you make a habit of doing all four? We bet you'll be writing nonstop in no time. 

That's all for now, gang. Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

~2authors