A Writer's Tool Belt

Hello, Readers! 

I don't know about you, but this season of quarantine has both aided and harmed my writing rhythm. There have been times where I felt free to imagine and indulge in my fantastical plans as well as hours constricted by the blank white page on my computer screen. Thankfully, being a creative writing major has meant that I frequently find myself in class with professors well versed in tackling this problem. Over the past many months, I have been able to add their suggestions to the ones I have already fashioned onto my Writer's Tool Belt. Now, I would like to pass the best of them onto you so if you find yourself in similar situations, you can expertly navigate your way out of it! 

1. Whether you're writing from first, third, or even second person POV, sometimes seeing the situation from a single perspective can be restricting. When you're feeling stuck on a scene, pick a different character in the conversation and imagine their take on it. Do they approve or disapprove of the main character's actions? Are any secrets influencing their demeanor? There are often many unexplored pathways because the MC doesn't know everything all of the time and neither do we as the authors! 

2. Creatives are often labelled as being slightly eccentric, and I must say I feed into this stereotype when putting this next tip into practice. First, find a space where you can have some privacy. Second, block out the world with some appropriate music (my favorite is a fantasy or celtic music playlist). Finally, take on your characters and create a scene by acting it out. Don't be afraid to look a little silly! Talk aloud, play out that fight scene, or test out the facial expressions you haven't been able to put a finger on. Step away from being an author and become an actor!  

3. If you use Spotify or store your music in a similar app, it can be quite fun to roam through the different genres and create a playlist you feel best exemplifies your main character. Listening to the stories shared in lyrics can create inspiration for what drives your MC. It can also put you in their shoes and help you envision their experiences from their eyes and not from the keyboard. Get out of your head and into the page rather than onto it!  

4. As a form of editing and also as a chance to examine the smallest parts of your draft, rewrite your scene word for word. This allows you to feel out any parts of your writing you are itching to change and provides an opportunity to shift anything that doesn't sit right with you. As a step further than simply reading through it, it gives you a little more power in analyzing the obstacle you're encountering. 

5. Remind yourself it's okay if your ideas don't match an outline or the timeline you had planned. Take some time to explore what your characters are telling you, even if it means jumping ahead, changing some chapters, or erasing vast portions of your outline. Being constricted to decisions your past self made about a yet unfinished work doesn't allow it to be fluid and absorb new ideas. There is no writing god lurking, waiting to tell you what you can and can't do in the privacy of your own Google document! So go on and take some extra time to explore where your instincts lead you- yes, even if it takes you away from what you feel is "important" for your work. 

No matter what obstacle you are facing in your work, give yourself grace. You are quite literally creating worlds and people that have never existed before, so the process isn't always going to be smooth. Whether you use these tools or favor some of your own, develop your Writer's Tool Kit and take it with you into your Work in Progress. Good luck!