Jumpstarting Creative Writing Evanston IL

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Among the many topics frequently discussed by writing groups is the topic of writer's block. How can a writer who feels stuck in the writing process jumpstart her creative writing engine and get back to work? What are some ways, for instance, to generate ideas? How do you get past passages in your work that have you stuck? How can you inspire yourself to push forward when you don't know what's next? Well, if I knew any definitive answers to all these questions, I would have a lot more creative writing to show for myself. But I will pass on some tips other people have shared with me about how to jumpstart the creative writing process. I will break these into two categories: How to find ideas and how to get past a rough patch.

Jumpstarting the idea generator

1. Look around you. Many writers I know are never at a loss for ideas. In fact, they sometimes complain about having too many ideas demanding their attention at the same time. But if you are having a problem finding ideas to write about, my best advice is to look around you. What do you find interesting, beautiful, ugly, scary? Can these things be turned into stories, poems, drama or literary non-fiction? What about your daily life? Are there events that seem mundane but which, on closer inspection, carry significance? What about people you see? Can you imagine who that man is meeting, what that woman has in her suitcase, how long that couple will stay together? The everyday world provides all sorts of potential inspirations. Sometimes, you just have to focus in on something and sit down and do a brainstorming exercise--write about what it looks like, how it makes you feel, what it reminds you of--and see where this leads you. It may be your next project, or it may simply get you in the right frame of mind to write.
   
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Author: B. Danesco