I think I can say that every writer at some time experiences writer's block. It's that time when our writers? brains seem to shut down and refuse to work. You may experience it frequently Erik McCoy Youth Jersey , or almost never. Still, it's a problem every writer faces at some point. Because it causes so many problems so often, it takes some creativity to conquer it?or at least work around it.
One of the most difficult steps to take during writer's block is also the best?sit down and write.
Free Writing To get through writer's block, some authors advocate free writing. Free writing is the process of putting pen (or pencil) to paper and writing anything that comes into your head. The idea is that, after some time, what you write will begin to turn into something useful. I can't vouch for this method because I've never used it myself. However Alvin Kamara Youth Jersey , it works for many writers, and it may work for you.
A related method used to clear writer's block is to take whatever project you're working on and start writing, writer's block or not. After a few pages, the process should begin to flow. Your writer's block will be broken. Of course, you'll probably end up trashing those first few pages, but at least you're back to writing.
Writing Prompts Okay Marshon Lattimore Youth Jersey , I've talked about free writing and associated methods to break writer's block. Now I'll tell you how to use writing prompts to spark your creativity.
One of the tools I love to use is the starter sentence. The Writers? Journal is a great resource for starter sentences. In their contest section, they have a contest called ?Write to Win.? One of the requirements is that you use one of their starter sentences, such as ?The lemonade was?? or ?It was a small box, but?? These sentences, or sentence beginnings, don't give you a topic Tre'Quan Smith Youth Jersey , but using forcing yourself to write around them can give you the push you need to get out of your writing quagmire. The exercise of completing each sentence starter in several ways will force you brain to start coming up with new ways of looking at a scene. For instance, let's take the lemonade sentence:
"The lemonade was acrid, and bitter to the taste."
"The lemonade was cool and refreshing on the lazy Georgia afternoon."
"The lemonade was an acidic reminder of his lost childhood."
Even if you don't enter the contest, this exercise can be invaluable for putting a fire under your writing. Once you see the possibilities for many plots from one sentence, your brain will be cooking up those plots in no time. If you don't enter the contest, you don't even need to keep that starter sentence when you're done?it may no longer fit your story. Still Marcus Davenport Youth Jersey , you owe it a debt for the part it played in getting the process started.
By the way, I'm using a fiction example here, but there's no reason you can't use it for nonfiction. An even tougher challenge is to take the same starter sentence and use it to begin both a fiction and nonfiction piece. Try it with the lemonade sentence, and you'll see what I mean.
One other way to use a starter sentence is to have a friend or loved one come up with the sentence for you. The rest of the process is the same.
To finish, here's how I used that same lemonade starter sentence to start a short story:
?The lemonade had an acidic, watered-down taste Michael Thomas Youth Jersey , like day-old tears on ice. Carl grimaced and set it down on the table, pushing the glass away with revulsion. He glanced at his watch. He flicked a bead of condensation off the glass and nervously wiped his hands on his jeans. Conflicting thoughts played a nervous game of tag in his head. She didn't want you then and she won't want you now, said one, only to be tagged by, She wanted to keep you; she was forced to give you up. He peeked at his watch again, then started making designs in the puddle of water formed by the glass of lemonade. The diner was almost empty Drew Brees Youth Jersey , apparently caught in a lull between the noon rush and the first evening customers. It was the drowsy silence of a summer afternoon, but it felt stifling until, at last, it was broken by the clang of the old cowbell over the door. Carl looked up. It wasn't her, only an old farmer who shuffled up to the counter and ordered a coffee with cream. Carl settled back in his booth and waited.?
I'd love to hear how you used the same idea. If you want to share, email me at andrea@ .
Kite Surfing Association to Name ?Best of Kitesurfing? Categories Sports Articles | June 9 Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Womens Jersey , 2006 American Kite Surfing Association is the leading organization for kite surfers in North America. Founded in 2006 by two extreme sport enthusiasts, membership is anticipated to exceed 30,000 before the end of the year. The purpose of the enterprise is to bring heightened awareness to this fast-growing, dynamic, and fun sport.
A vast array of information, products Erik McCoy Womens Jersey , and techniques are available to the visitors of the AKSA website, www.kite-surfingusa. After more than a decade of popularity through Europe and Australia, active North American extreme sport athletes are recognizing the maximum adrenaline rush through kite surfing. According to Cathi Long, co-founder of AKSA, ?AKSA will select 50 leading industry product manufacturers to highlight and profile throughout an extensive national media outreach campaign. Our members need to know the best of the best.?
Long detailed the categories that will be names best by the AKSA Executive Board for 2006: