guest post by Inkwell member Medjine Barionette
I woke up early today, ready and wanting to write. And not just write but make purposeful headway on the outline for a specific project that I want to turn into a full length book or even a series.
Unfortunately, there was nothing in my head that I could coherently put on paper
Times like these frustrate the everloving crap out of me. On the days I’m unmotivated or don’t have time to write, I can think up a million stories, scenes, characters, and worlds. But on the days I get up early and sit at my computer like a professional, like someone who’s ready to conquer the world, all that’s in my head is that one scene from The Bee Movie where Ken is losing it over his wife falling in love with a bee.
That’s what is in my head, on repeat. That one scene.
So, instead of working on that outline, here I am talking to all of you. What is one supposed to do when their creativity is stuck, and their brain is just looping through unhelpful distractions? I don’t want to give up and just go back to bed. That would feel like quitting, and I’m not a quitter.
So what do I do?
I’ve met a couple of wonderful writers in the last few months who have given some meaningful advice on how to get out of a rut or moments like this, where the desire is there but the focus isn’t.
1. Use prompts to get the creative juices going.
They could be short'; they could be long; they could be ridiculous. “Pick a piece of trash and describe its journey from last moment of usefulness to the garbage bin.” Literally, personifying some trash helped me create a hero arc for one of my characters.
2. Attend a writing workshop or join a writers group.
Being around people who love what they do is a great way to remind yourself of why you love to write and why you’re doing it in the first place. Let yourself be inspired by those around you. They might even remind you why you’re an inspiration as well. If you’re here you know about Inkdrop Lit, but The Inkwell is a great opportunity to find low-effort chunks of time to write with people. While you’re there, you can ask them about their writing and ask for some advice about yours!
3. Do a brain dump.
This has been the most helpful advice I’ve heard for these empty-brain mornings: letting it all out, like throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks.
Let me just say, I’ve gotten really good at throwing spaghetti.
Has it helped me write a cohesive outline? No, but my characters are developing depth, and the important, exciting pieces of my story are taking on lives of their own. When I throw spaghetti, I let all the crazy dialogue, scenes, and sentences lead me, with no parameters and no inhibitions. I let my ideas be wild, without any judgement about how good or worthy they are.
This exercise let me be the unstructured writer I was when I was eight years old. And eight-year-old Medjine didn’t need an outline to feel like she was great.
All these tips and tricks all have one thing in common:
They get you writing something! Even if you veer from your initial intentions, you’re putting words on the page or screen, and you can create structure later. These tips work for me, but I want to hear what works for you, too! The more the merrier.
Now, I’ve got a fresh pot of spaghetti on, and I’m off to messy up my mental walls.