30 January 2019

Wednesday's Writers Block Bypass Exercise


Got Writer’s Block?


Yeah, it happens to the best of us.  Life gets in the way and your brain is taken in another direction and before you know it, it’s been days or weeks since you last looked at that book you’re trying to write.  You’ve forgotten little details.  What eye color did you give your hero?  What town was your heroine born in? 

Perhaps you need to jumpstart your creative mojo, and that's what this series is designed for. Not to explain writer's block, but to help you move in a different direction.

A lot of times I talk out my character’s dialogue. I downloaded a recorder onto my phone and when I’m driving, or in the bathtub, or anytime I have a moment I talk out my story ideas. Sometimes I even give them accents they wouldn’t have. Then, all I have to do is type out what I said. It’s a great way to work out a difficult scene or hammer out interesting dialogue. 

Narrator

Imagine your story as told by an omniscient narrator. What would Morgan Freeman say?

>Tell your story out loud with your best storyteller voice. Try to use a lot of “althoughs” and “meanwhiles”.

> What if your narrator is lying, or otherwise unreliable? Consider ways you could misdirect the reader.

> List three characters who could narrate the story. How would it change with each of them?

> Imagine your story narrated by a famous actress, a famous rapper, or a cartoon character

A writer is the narrator of their character’s life. Perhaps writing out that story can’t be linear. For instance, Lisa McMann wrote a book titled “Wake” in which the main character’s story was written like a diary with date and time stamps. Just remember, you hold the master pen to shape your character’s world, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a typical layout.



Happy Writing!

 




***John August designed these cards to help writers fix plot holes, spice up stock characters and rethink your themes.  They, of course, do not guarantee you’ll get published or that you’ll become the next J.K. Rowling, and of course they are only a tool to help you think outside the box. I make no monetary gain with them nor do I expect anything in return.  I do not own the contents in these cards. If you're interested in them, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Writer-Emergency-Pack/dp/B00R6ZLIOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502046610&sr=8-2&keywords=john+august 

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