ATTACK QUARANTINE WRITER'S BLOCK

A+ 4 SIMPLE STEPS TO

ATTACK QUARANTINE WRITER'S BLOCK

Written by SHERIKA V. WASHINGTON

Don't Miss the Moment Can you believe the world is at a collective stand still right now? Depending on which Quarantine Day you're on you may be trying to process this idea or you may be settling into your Quarantine lifestyles. No matter which stage you're in or where you are in the world, if you're a writer you have scrambled to make the most of this vapor of time.

The most sickening experience is to put pen to paper with all the time in the world at your disposal, and not have a fraggle naggle thing to write. Allow me to assist.

Writer to writer, we cannot miss this moment.

1.

Place pens and paper in every room in your home. Regardless of your writing preference, whether laptop, cellphone, it doesn't matter. You're certainly not carrying it around from your bed to the bathroom to the kitchen to the couch to porch to the kitchen to the couch to bathroom to the bed and back again. If you are, STOP IT! THAT'S YOUR DISTRACTION! Place the pen and paper, relax, and live. Love on your family, read a book, thumb through a magazine, and as ideas and inspiration visit jot them down.

2.

Determine your inspired hours. Are you an early riser who hears your muse in the voice of birds chirping? Are you a night owl who's ideas are sparked in the rush of the second wind? Whatever your productive time is disconnect from social media and television as much as possible for at least an hour before you start creating.

This is beneficial for two reasons.

The first is to get your brain out of the 40 character/meme length mindset.

The second is to ensure your ideas are fresh, original, and not overly influenced by what you saw online.

3.

Find your muse. Who or what inspires you to write every time? A certain movie? A particular musical artist? Personally, movies about writers motivate me to write.

The dialogue about deadlines, publishers, settings, and characters spark fire in my soul. When you know the thing that works, use it until it doesn't work anymore. You will be surprised how many times true inspiration will show up for you.

*I encourage al writers to view "The Elusive Creative Writer" TedTalk on YouTube.

4.

Free Write. Nicola Waldron teaches a technique called Free Write. Free writing is writing that clears your mind of the clutter of the day so that there is room for artistry.

This is a a way to transition your brain from wherever you are to your creative mind. You may begin with "another day in this house and today there is nothing on television." By the time you release all of the day's frustrations your brain is free to receive divine inspiration and there is creative space for you to imagine and build out those ideas.

For fiction writers, you can hear your characters' voices clearly. Give it a try.

You only free write as long as it takes to free your mind.

Here are a few random suggestions to get your ideas flowing. How will your or your characters respond in the conditions below? Get creative.

PANDEMIC Victims Symptoms Politics Cure Survivors Heros

AFTER THE PANDEMIC Schools Colleges Shopping Travel Entertainment Worship Healthcare Workforce

RANDON Your first job (who, what, where) Your first kiss (who, what, where) List all of your home addresses Finding a letter that reveals a family secret A soldier comes home and nothing is the same

These are all suggestions to kickstart your imagination. I hope you write something today.

If it's a masterpiece it will go down in history as greatnessin the midst of the 2020 Pandemic. If it flops it will be remembered as a valiant effort despite the dark cloud of the 2020 Pandemic. Either way it's a win so go for it! Don't miss the moment. Attack this Quarantine and write something great!

Sherika V. Washington is the owner of Worthy Words Writing Services in Columbia, SC. Follow her on Instagram: WorthyWordsWriting Like her Facebook page: Worthy Words Writing Services Text 'worthy workshops' to 31996 for virtual writing workshop dates.