There are times when thoughts can’t fully come out of my mind, and can’t fit into words. Either searching for a scene or finding the right pitch, when you get a writer’s block. It seems difficult to get away from it.
As a young aspiring writer, I usually get stuck with an empty screen and blinking cursor because I can’t seem to find anything to write about. There are times that I just sigh and feel so down. So, I take a break and try to relax.
My professor in the university used to let us have a short exercise.
1. Take out a piece of paper.
2. Put a timer on for one or two minutes.
3. Press start then write anything. Any word, phrase, object that you can see, feel, or think about.
Don’t worry about the tenses, grammar, or any other rules. But remember NOT to write A COMPLETE SENTENCE. (You may if you really feel like doing so, but I prefer being so random at this time) 🙂
Don’t force to make the words sound like a poem. Just DON’T FORCE IT.
Free yourself with random words: objects, names, colors, smell, taste, adjective, adverb, conjunctions, … When the alarm goes off, put down your pen. STOP.
Look at the words you’ve written. This is a good start for your writing. Those words or phrases can give you now an idea to continue writing. This exercise helped me whenever I get stuck on doing an output. It was (and still is) a good break which let me inhale some fresh air to my thoughts. Then I know that my writing can only be done once I actually start writing something.
Don’t stay stuck for long. Start moving. Move your hands and let them dance with the pen and leave a mark. 😉
Yakapin 