Some days it seems impossible to make something out of nothing.
When we get stuck in those foggy moments, there's a few ways we can attack the emptiness.
- Write anyway. Most of the time the hardest part is getting yourself to sit down and do it. Anything, free-writing (riff-writing), brainstorm from a single idea or word (clustering) or do some character building.
- Research. Pick your narrative's date, location or any significant element and start searching. You may be surprised at what inspirational background story or new plot ideas you can come up with (researching for inspiration).
- Read. Read what you write and analyse the way the author has used opening hooks, descriptive passages, twists, etc. You can read books on the craft of writing (I've just finished Hooked by Les Edgerton - LOVED IT), or read from a completely different genre from the one you write, you may find some style that will fit within your narrative (post on reading for writing).
- Put the pen down and refill your imagination with beauty, art, history. Anything. But keep a notebook handy incase your muse suddenly wakes up!
In this clip, Kseniya Simonova creates a rich narrative out of nothing more than sand. This is so much more than just creating pretty pictures, this artist had a story filled with emotion and history to relay and she knew how to reach her audience. Take some inspiration here (this clip is over 8 minutes, but well worth it):
You can also get crafty with something else, art, sewing, baking, macrame? My family made Mother's Day a day for me to potter about sewing - and they kept the cups of tea coming :-). I made a bag to protect my beloved Kindle:
