10 Ways to Ignite Creative Flow

A writer's creative flow or writer's block stops producing at inconvenient times. There's no warning. Writers are left staring at a blank computer screen, playing paper basketball with the nearest wastebasket or finger tapping a tune out.

I've discovered, from years of writing, ways to ignite creative flow and stop writer's block. The following lists 10 ways to ignite your creative flow.

1. What to write? You're working on a writing project, and creative flow decided to nap. Stop fretting. Take a deep breath.

What would fit well into the writing project? Is there an aspect that you haven't considered? Or, a different angle works better? Allow creative flow to weigh in and then start the writing process.

2. Pick an event that happened during the last 24 hours. The event grabbed your attention and continued to nag at your creative flow. The moment it happens, begin jotting down notes. Figure-out how to share it. Is the better view through fiction, non-fiction or poetry?

3. A gathering of any kind is a storage of possible writing ideas to nudge creative flow, and push writer's block to the curb. A family group togetherness or holiday offers many writing ideas.

Have you listened to toddlers agreeing on a movie to watch?

"No, don't wanna watch it." Toddler number 1 cried.

"I wanna." Toddler 2 said.

"Nooo." Toddler 3 screamed.

Several non-fiction articles could be written before the family get-together starts.

4. The experience of a life time piece. It's the experience that had a profound influence on you.

One of the profound experiences in my life: I was unjustly fired from a job. It was the focus of my book, Grave Street House, and articles.

The point is to get information from life and write about it.

5. Write a piece that's different from what you normally do. A poem, for example.

6. Make-up a sentence to shape writing ideas.

The rain driven snow pounded all night.

You get any ideas from the statement? Make-up some of your own.

7. Ghost-writers address writing needs.

What form would your answer take to stir-up creative flow or stop writer's block?

8. Pick your ideal place to be. How would your essay start? A travel writing article?

9. Grab the book you thought was poorly written. Your book?

10. Write about your favorite time of the year. Why is it your favorite? Could you sell the article?

The ten ways to stimulate creative flow and stop writer's block is a writer's tool, but shape-it to fit your needs.

The Game To Ignite Writing

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

A Writing Game
Select any word from a corner of your
mind, out of the room you're in, some
word heard during the day or a word
that plucks at your attention.

Take some time to twirl it around your
creative process. Here is where you
determine how the word rolls into a
writing project.

My word from the game to ignite writing
is wine.

You'll need a total of five words. Mix-in
four more words related to the original
word.

My original word is wine. Soothing, wet,
cold and relaxing float to my mind that's
related to wine. Or, they are four words
that work well with wine.

The words can be shuffled in any direction:
fiction, non-fiction or poems.

The following demonstrates how my words can
be used in the game to ignite writing.

"Fannie stopped by last night in the cold rain,
bottle of wine in hand." Fran sat in her
L-shaped kitchen across the table from her
sister, Freda.

"You know how I feel 'bout her," Freda said.

"She and the bag were really wet, limp even."

"How could she be limp?"

"I mean Fannie couldn't relax, kept peeking
through the living room's curtain." Fran sighed.
"Nothing I said soothed her.

"I think she's..."

The above story can ride-out in a short story
or novel.

Take a look at the poem centering around my
words.

In a wet twenty below

Sunny Minnie-

Wobbles down the street

Trying to get back,

Clutching her bottle of cold wine

To sooth her memories of life,

While each pain relaxes numb.

The game to ignite writing will help you
produce fiction, non-fiction or poems.
Put your own spin on it. Let me know how
the game to ignite writing helped you. Or,
it offered no help?