How to Exercise Your Creative Writing Muscle

Everyone has heard the term writers block, but until you've experienced it yourself, you don't realize how big of a problem it can be for a writer. You had good ideas in your head the day before but now that you're ready to put pen to paper you're stumped and can't think of a thing. There are ways to keep those creative juices flowing and head off the writers block before it can set in. Read on to learn how to exercise your creative writing muscle.

Instructions

1. Read. Don't limit yourself to just reading the same authors because you like them. The idea here is to keep your style open and fresh and nothing does that better than to read different styles by many different authors.

2. Write something every day even if it's just a journal entry about what you had for breakfast. Picture it and describe in detail from as many of your senses as you can. What did it look like, how did it smell, did it sizzle when it was being cooked, how did it taste and feel in your mouth?

3. Write a one page story about one of the following scenarios: an abandoned car with a woman's purse still on the passengers seat; two old friends running into each other after not seeing one another for years; a loud noise and a child's ball rolling passed you; you go into a convenience store and encounter a very noticeably nervous clerk behind the counter; a man running down the street; a fireworks celebration in the middle of April or a bag left on the bus seat next to you.

4. Create a character. Write a full description of how the person looks, acts, talks, feels,and dresses. Write about what their goals might be and the obstacles that get in the way of those goals and how they might tackle them.

5. Besides writing you will also need to get away once in a while. Talk a walk and pay attention to what you see and hear. Sometimes it's refreshing just to be an observer.