As I’ve said before, when you’re feeling blocked, or simply don’t know what to write about, it’s time to put the pen down and seek inspiration. The good news is that there are points of inspiration all around you.
One trick that has worked for me is to use books–specifically, photo and art books. We have a lot in our house, and they’ve served me well as an easy means for getting unblocked and moving again.
Find a book with a lot of photos or artwork, preferably one that is interesting to you in some way or another. Photo books work well, but any art book with lots of images will do.
Grab a pen and plenty of paper (I find this works better than a laptop). And a timer–this is important.
The idea is to spend one minute looking at one single photo in the book, and writing down whatever comes to mind. It might be details in that photo that grab your attention; or it might be a narrative, a ‘scene,’ that begins to unfold as you stare and stare at it. It might also simply be an image or set of actions completely manufactured in your head that have nothing directly to do with the photo in front of you.
If nothing comes right away, don’t fret. And be sure to stay on the page for the full minute anyway. Again, just look at the photo, scan its every tiny detail with your eyes, and write down whatever you see–even if it’s as simple as “rock,” “ocean,” “house,” or “highway.”
Give yourself 20 minutes for this exercise. Believe me, it goes by fast. When it comes to the timer, be strict with yourself, too. Keep to just a single minute per page, and when the timer goes off, flip to a new image in the book–and a new piece of paper for your thoughts and ideas. During the exercise, resist the temptation to return to a previous page or idea; there will be time for that later. Instead, keep moving forward, and stay focused on the photo in front of you.
When it’s over, take a short break to let your mind unwind. Then, when you’re ready, go through your stack of paper one by one and see what you have produced.
The final trick here is to then transcribe it. This allows you to revisit each page one at a time, and to see it with new eyes. At this point, if you feel so inclined, you can begin embellishing your text with additional thoughts, words, and ideas. You don’t have to go overboard, but if something in what you wrote truly inspires you to write more, please, by all means, go for it.
How did this writing exercise work out for you?