Have trouble coming up with new things to write about? These four practices might just help.
I’ve used these four writing practices a lot over the years and have come to make them an important part of my writing life. They’ve come in handy more times than I could count and genuinely help get my creative juices flowing. Along with the exercises below, I truly hope they serve you well and allow you to generate ideas for whatever you write. Let’s dive in!
1. Freewriting
With this first practice, all you really need is a piece of paper and something to write with. Then just sit down and write. Just like it sounds, you are writing freely. No editing. No re-reading.
Think of it like running water just constantly flowing. Have a random thought that just popped into your head? Write it down.
Been mulling over a great new scene to your latest historical dark sci-fi/fantasy romance novel? Write it down. Simply writing whatever comes to your mind whenever it comes out can be as free as it gets. And it should feel freeing.
Everything and anything is welcome. No timer needed. Sometimes simply ranting or rambling on the page for hours can feel… liberating (lol).
Nothing you write has to make sense. No expectations. No pressure. Take this practice and make it your own.
True freedom.
Exercise:
Grab a blank piece of paper or open a new word document on your computer. Get comfy and jot down whatever is on your mind. Jot it down and don’t hold back. Imagine your thoughts as a literal stream or river. Write whatever comes out. Let your imagination run wild.
2. Brain Dump
Similar to free writing, except you pick a specific topic to write about. It could be anything. A pencil. The bird you saw yesterday afternoon. A car. A random color. A feather. The wall in front of you. A friend. Your greatest love.
Literally anything.
You take that thought and write everything you know about that one specific topic or object. Don’t overthink it. Like with free writing, just let it all out onto the page. Like the stream I mentioned above, except you are writing everything you know about that one specific topic.
(And I mean everything.)
Exercise:
Still got that piece of paper handy? Good. Let’s do a quick brain dump.
Grab a timer and set it for 10 – 15 minutes. Spend a few minutes thinking about the topic or object you’ve chosen. What exactly do you know about it? Again, it could be anything. Spend the rest of the time writing as much as you actually know about it. Increase, decrease, or remove the timer altogether if you think it will suit you better. Don’t hold back. Jot down the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful.
3. Journaling
This one can be tricky, because it can encompass just about any type of writing. Freewriting, brain dumping, etc.
I use my journal for just about everything, whether it’s doing a bit of brainstorming, written exercises from a video course, or just how I feel or what I did that day. Sometimes I use my journal to write a letter to myself about whatever life is throwing my way.
The dictionary definition of journaling typically refers to keeping a journal or writing in a diary and can vary.
This practice also helps with self-reflection and going deep inside yourself for material. I know from personal experience that journaling can feel like meditation and can be incredibly soothing.
Regardless, journaling is probably the most personal of the writing practices. So just make it your own and write whatever truly comes from your heart and mind. Make it as personal as you can and, like with the other practices, don’t hold back.
Exercise:
Let’s start simply. Grab a new piece of paper or open a new document on your computer for this one, since I know you’ve written all over the last piece (lol). And just write what you did today, whether you have any plans, or how you’re feeling.
It might help to get a dedicated yet simple notebook, journal or diary from your local bookstore or order one online. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just find something that you can regularly come back to for your journaling practice.
4. Writing Prompts
Writing prompts are for writers that prefer a little something extra to get them going. A gentle nudge in the right direction, if you will. (Any direction really.) You can find them for free online through a simple google search or even buy a book full of them.
Some come filled with questions designed to make you look deep within yourself. While others are fragments of a story simply waiting to be told. If you don’t like to start with a blank page, writing prompts might just be what can help ignite your creativity.
(Fun fact: I first started building up my confidence as a writer through the use of writing prompts. And truly believe they can help new writers build up a solid writing practice of their own. So much so that I created my own handy guide full of writing prompts, advice, and even an action plan for those looking to ignite their creative spark. If interested, you can find it for free here.)
Exercise:
For this exercise, grab a new sheet of paper or open a new word doc and choose one or more of the prompts below. Set a timer for 10 – 15 minutes if you’d like. Simply read and either answer questions or continue writing from where the prompt leaves off. Write the first thing that comes to your mind. No editing. Keep writing until you feel satisfied, or the timer goes off.
Prompt 1:
What does your ideal day look like? Are you inside or outside? Is it dark out or sunny? What do you do? When do you do it and how? Are you alone or are there others there with you? Why? What’s the weather like? Is there music? If so, what kind? Why that music? What else do you do that day, if anything?
Prompt 2:
It’s your first day in a foreign country. The sun is shining, but dark clouds seem to gather in the distance. You are not sure why, but you feel something is off. Who knows? Maybe you just had a rough morning and the day will be filled with lots of fun new things to do and try. You are hopeful, but you can’t seem to shake the feeling. Just as you step outside…
Prompt 3:
What’s your favorite childhood memory? What is your least? Why? What would it look like if you combined the two memories together? Would the two cancel each other out, or would one overpower the other? Describe how you felt in each of those memories in as much detail as possible.
Whether freewriting, journaling, brain dumping, or doing a writing prompt, these are four powerful writing practices I’ve used over the years, and each holds a special place in my heart. I hope they will serve you well no matter what your writing path may look like.
Thank you for reading. If you found this helpful and would like to learn more about igniting your creative spark, nerd out about writing, or simply want to connect, the best place to find me is at jeffaybar.com. Reach out anytime. You can also find me on Twitter @jeffaybar.
Jeff Aybar is a writer, writing & creativity coach, Sci-Fi/Fantasy nerd, INFJ, veteran, and lover of all things creative. You can get a free copy of his guide for writers and artists on starting the creative journey by signing up to his newsletter HERE.