When the process of writing starts to feel dull, insignificant, and tedious, you may have hit a slump. You keep writing words and words and feel like you’re getting nowhere. Instead of falling into a potential writer’s block, here we introduce ways develop your story that don’t involve drafting.
Does your writing sound bland and uninspired? Do you feel like your story has nothing exciting to offer? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s walk through how to get those creative juices flowing and turn your story from flat and tired to stunningly inspired!
Titles
A fun way to find significant words and themes in your story is to begin brainstorming titles for your WIP. If you already have a title you like, think of alternative titles or even a pitch or tagline. Try to use the boldest, most descriptive words possible. Nobody wants to read a boring book with a single word title like “Red” (Unless of course you’re a bestselling author whose name is bigger than the title). A more descriptive name that might go with your book is “The Scarlet Mask He Designed.” The title can be literal or metaphorical. Either way it will grab the attention of those who pass by.
My favorite exercise is to write down several keywords or interesting words presented in the story and figure out how to link it together to make a fascinating title. Words that aren’t typically found in titles are always the best way to grab attention and make your book stand out. Make it unique.
This will get those juices flowing and perhaps give you a bit more focus to your story. Forget writer’s block! (You might just get more ideas than your story can handle!)
Character sketch
Do your characters feel flat and boring? Try writing up a character sketch to give them more depth and get you thinking about the deeper aspects of the story. Each person reacts to events based on their own knowledge or prior experience. If you don’t know their history, they become one dimensional and their motivation is lost.
Figure out what they like. What they dislike. How was their childhood? Any big events that would impact their decision making? What are their relationships with the other characters in the story?
Knowing your characters can help better expand not only the development and arcs in your story but also add to your worldbuilding as you unpack events and cultures.
Story Board Aesthetics
Do you get a burst of excitement from a form of visual media? Well, maybe you need to create that for your story. If you’re an artist, draw up or create character art or draw out a scene that you love. Maybe it’s from your story or maybe it’s from a favorite book or movie.
If your drawing skills equal those of a child, open up Canva and create a story or character aesthetic for one of your works. To do so, find images that channel the tone of your story. Search for objects or settings of relevance to your story. Pictures can come from anywhere, after all, this is just for you! If you plan on using an aesthetic at any point for marketing, you can find images for fair use on Unsplash or Pexels.
Music Playlists
Many people like to listen to music when they write. I can’t do this because I love to sing and I would never get anything done. But there are those who enjoy writing to inspiring or upbeat tunes.
So they put together a playlist that encompasses the overall mood of their work. They’ll choose a song that reminds them of certain scenes or that burst with the personality of a particular character.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, don’t let writer’s block be your enemy. Each person has their preferred exercise to get their creative juices flowing. Find out what works for you and get to writing! The world needs your story!
Sometimes sitting in front of the computer can also cause a slump. What better than to write down your ideas with actual pen and paper! While you’re here, check out our new Story Outline Journals in our Amazon store.
Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments below what you do when the writing part of the process is not in the cards!
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