Unblocking Writer's Block

After reading Amy Jane’s Hub on “Writers Block and Other Myths”, I couldn’t stop laughing.  My mind was racing in between my fits of laughter.   She suggests exercising as the cure!   She almost guarantees the block to dissipate either from revitalized energy flow or the agony of strained muscles.  As the article continues, Amy asks for you to share your thoughts with her and don’t hold back.  She says she can take even the toughest comments.

Now, you and I both know everyone experiences moments of writers block, including myself.  I’ve never considered exercising as the cure, heck no.   My cure has always been to plop myself in front of the television for an hour or so.  If the crazy scheduled program doesn’t stir my brain, then the silly commercials always provide inspiration.  I’m not an avid television watcher, so for me, this always works with ease.

Television programs offer tons of inspiration.  The characters are made up to entice viewer reactions.  The actors aren’t really like those characters.  The story lines are often predictable, even a pre-schooler knows what’s about to happen next. The music leads you along to build up to the climax and lets you know whether it’s emotional or horrifying.

It’s not important what station you watch, any will provide the inspiration you need. Choosing the genre merely depends on the emotional state that you are experiencing. You can be inspired from the action, drama, comedy, horror, or non-fictional stations. 

Truth is, you might not have to watch for more than 30 minutes to find something that stirs your brain. Depending on the program, a commercial break is usually every 30 minutes.  The advertisements are even more inspiring than the programs!

Have you noticed that the sound increases for the commercials?   Marketers know that most people go to the kitchen or restrooms during commercials, so they don’t want you to miss out on what they say.  That’s why the sound increases.   There’s an inspiration; the screaming television commercials.   Some aren’t as bad as others, but the auto sales commercials are the worst.  They not only deafen your hearing, but they hope to haunt your thoughts for days.

Watching the commercials can be tricky for the older generation.  Some commercials do the flash spots so fast that you can’t see what’s really happening.   I think these are designed by the younger generation because they are accustomed to life in the fast lane.

Here’s one more suggestion to unblock writer’s block:

Spend a few quality moments with children either watching them or listening to the things they say.  You’ll be amazed at the wealth of suggestions you can write about! Children are precious, but they’re also hilarious.  They view things much differently than conditioned adults.   A child’s interpretation of life can be a comical experience or on the other spectrum, a tear jerking episode.   Take a few moments and key in to the little people in your life. You’ll walk away with a mound of inspiration. 

As for Amy’s newfound inspiration of exercise, I agree that it is a great tip.  Exercise always helps the blood flow, which in turn gets the oxygen to the brain, and that’s a key to successful writing.

Unlike Amy though, do not leave me your nasty, grumpy comments.   Leave those on Amy’s page!