Writer’s block can be one of the, if not the most, dangerous issues for writers. Writer’s block can turn a well-written story or an intelligent thesis into contrived nonsense. Most writers have their own ways to deal with writer’s block. Some may find that listening to music or relaxing can help stimulate their mind while others find research or studying helps turn the gears of imagination. However, there are some helpful methods that writers can use for content generation. Here are some exercises that can help you with writer’s block.
- Brainstorming: Brainstorming is an exercise that involves free association of thoughts and ideas. One of the most common brainstorm exercises involves mapping ideas and thoughts in a web-like free-flow chart. Begin by highlighting a central idea. Then draw strands that come off the main idea and group those into smaller groupings. (refer to the picture)
Brainstorming Example
Grouping items like this allows you, as a writer, to see the hierarchy between thoughts. It helps you draw a logical flow between beginnings and ends and between larger and smaller grouped items. This kind of content generation can help you draw ideas for sequences in a story or help you structure a thesis.
- Structure Planning: Structure planning is an exercise that involves creating hierarchical structures for your core idea. Most basically it involves making a framework of categories for work. For example, if you wanted to write a story you would have to choose between making it a fiction or non-fiction story. After that you would have to figure out what genre you wanted to make. After that you would have to choose between perspectives (1st, 2nd or 3rd person). At the end you would have a near complete structure of what your story would involve. Something like: A non-fiction, romance novel told in the 3rd person, and so on.
- Ask Questions: The best way to generate content is to ask questions. The best questions to ask are the 5 Ws – who, what, when, where, why (and how). This exercise is helpful because it allows you to ask more specific questions about what you want to see in your work. Its also helpful because answering each of the questions helps develop one of the other ones. For example, if you don’t know when your story will take place solving where it takes place may help further the decision.
Once you have all of these exercises complete writer’s block should be no longer an obstacle. The biggest opponent of writer’s block is planning. With apt planning all of the core structures and ideas are already in place. The only thing left for you to do is to fill them in.
Corey Guirestante 