March 16, 2011

Creativity Boost: Refueling and Refilling

I remember in high school, this used to be the toughest time of year. I felt draggy, like my spirit was just tired. I think everyone was feeling the same way. (Maybe that's why they started having Spring Break?)

So today's post is going to be about getting out of the slump: how to give yourself a creative boost and how to get to the good stuff your muse may be hiding in the corner.

Lilith Saintcrow wrote a blog post a while back about Changing Creative Fuel. Using your own life to get ideas is great, but it can become exhausting. Let go of fear and take a break to do something physical. They're good lessons we could all use.

Michael at Upstart Crow Literary posts about the Rule of Twenty. Basically, don't trust your first ideas. The creative gold is a little deeper, and you'll need to dig in order to find it.

Shonna Slayton always has good posts at Routines for Writers and her article on Purposeful Daydreaming is no exception. Make your down time work for you. She mentions making word clouds. Tried it. Loved it. Here's one I created for my WIP:

Holly Lisle wrote about using Timed Writing to Free Up the Subconscious in Writing. Always good stuff. She also offers a free PDF called Mugging the Muse.

And finally, the famous Rachelle Gardner has 11 Non-Writing-Related Ideas to help you become a better writer.

2 comments:

Stephanie Faris said...

I've heard two schools of thought on this...I've heard some say your first ideas are the best and if you keep digging you'll lose the originality and your "gut intuition," and then this school of thought that brainstorming is how to get to the best ideas. I've always done the former, maybe I should try the latter!

Unknown said...

Sometimes the muse is in a good mood and will work with you as you're working on something. Other times, she needs a little warming up.

I find that if I'm in the middle of writing, I can come up with some good stuff on the spot. But if I'm trying to come up with something new, I can't go from zero to sixty, so to speak. (Like if I'm trying to come up with a story idea or a good twist for an upcoming scene.) That's when digging helps. :)

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