Getting Unstuck: Ideas for Jumpstarting the Creative Writing Process

When you feel like you're at a lost for how to get "unstuck" from a bad case of the blahs, perhaps the single most important thing to remember about creating written content is that writers write.

Whereas that might seem incredibly obvious, it's a fundamental truism that's often overlooked even by seasoned writers when they come face to face with a slump in creativity- or even the dreaded "Writer's Block."

A brief look at the underlying issues

There are a number of reasons why writing creativity seems to dry up. Most of the time, however, the mere fact that our writing and creativity stagnates doesn't mean that we are actually "out of words."

Often the real reason we feel stuck has to do with a (usually false) impression that we can't think of anything good or "inspired" to write. And we remain stuck because we are waiting for something "significant" to come into our minds. Sometimes our stuckness has to do with feeling distracted by other things in our lives; things completely unrelated to writing.

Creativity — in writing, and in other fields — is a very unstructured process. It doesn't happen "on demand." Sometimes we get stuck because because we are facing a writing assignment that's very limiting and narrowly defined, and our creative spark is actually at odds with the task we are facing. 

Unstructured writing as a path to getting unstuck

In the course of an almost 40-year career of writing, I've found that the single most effective way to get the words to flow again is to simply "write." Get away from prompts, topics and assignments! And get away from any ideas that you're writing for publication-- even for your informal blog.

The following exercise is loosely adapted from creativity expert Julia Cameron's popular "Artist's Way" book and workshop series, in which she suggests journaling every morning before you do anything else. This exercise is different, in that it can be started at any time. You might think of it as a "brain flush," although it doesn't have an official name.

Just sit down at your keyboard (or with pen and ink, if your preference is to write longhand) and start writing. That is, just commit words to keyboard or paper. They don't have to make sense in any way — complete nonsense is OK. In fact, your exercise might start off looking something like this:

This is really stupid. I am wasting my time. I am so stuck. Stuck, stuck, stuck, stuckety-stuck. Cows eat green grass. I must remember to buy ketchup. This guy doesn't know what he is talking about. I bet he isn't even a writer. I bet he can't write his way out of a paper bag. And now I am doing this dumb thing. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. I hate looking dumb. Toes are really dumb looking. Have you ever noticed that? I wonder who invented shoes... cavemen? So Easy, A Caveman Could Do It... those were funny ads. I wonder if they increased sales? I wonder if iconic ads even work? 

Next thing you know, your mind is off exploring the history of footwear, or the way TV commercials can become cultural icons, or stone age clan structures, or something else. The only "rules" of this exercise are that you must agree to keep going for three pages. Most of the time, people discover that they rarely even get to the second page before they are writing something that's (at least) semi-interesting.

Why the Brain Flush exercise works

As I mentioned before, creativity and writing creatively seldom happen "on command." Sudden insight and inspiration generally do not suddenly arrive out of empty space while staring at a blank screen or page; they are typically triggered by something external, often an unrelated (and sometimes quite silly) thing we were thinking about, or even distracted by.

Consider this: How often have you sat in traffic and gotten a great idea for an article or blog post, and wished you were in front of your computer? 

This happens because your thought patterns are "unforced" in that moment, and your idea is triggered by a funny billboard, a bumper sticker, or a woman wheeling a Dalmatian puppy around in a stroller. They are not triggered by a blank screen.

The exercise works quite well regardless of whether your writing tends to be fiction, or non-fiction. Fiction writers may find it helpful (which can also assist with character development) to turn this writing exercise into an actual pretend dialogue between yourself and one of your characters. Not only can you often "learn" something about that character (are they sympathetic, impatient, indifferent, to your predicament?), but you also get to practice writing dialogue.

"Structured" vs. "Unstructured" writing exercises

There is lots of writing advice that recommends "writing to prompts" and going through a series of structured steps as the path to getting your creative writing flowing.

The problem with structured approaches is that they typically ignore the underlying psychology of why writers get stuck. Whereas it might be a great idea to "write 300 words about a backyard BBQ," if you were stuck because you lacked the perfect creative words, you'll now simply be stuck looking for the perfect description of a backyard BBQ. It might work if you're not completely stuck, however. 

Unstructured approaches work well when you are drawing a complete blank because you have no "rules" at all to worry about.

If you are STILL stuck, walk away!

No method is perfect, and sometimes you will get to the end of the exercise, and have pretty much nothing but gibberish and zero inspiration. And that's OK, because some days are simply "like that."

The best thing to do to help your creativity in such a situation is to simply "break state" and walk away. Don't even think about writing. If possible, do something physical like working out, taking your dog for a walk or even cleaning house. Physical (and aerobic) activity engages a completely different part of your brain, and can sometimes serve as a "reset button" for your creative flow.

Which means there's a really good chance that inspiration will strike when you're half a mile from your house, walking your dog or in the middle of vacuuming your stairs!

A final tip is to simply "allow" these new thoughts without acting on them, rather than compulsively run to your computer or your journal. If you feel so inclined, scribble a few very rough notes "in the moment" (to be used later) but then resume whatever non-writing activity you were busy with. This allows the creative space in your brain to expand and express itself, without pressure... which is the key to jumpstarting creativity.

How about YOU? Is so-called "writer's block" ever an issue for you? How difficult is it for you to get unstuck? Do you have any tools and tips for times when your creativity is running low? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- start the conversation!

(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. A previous version of this article published by now defunct helium.com in 2007; this extensively revised version created expressly for Steemit)
Posted 20170621 23:40PDT