What to do, what to do?

That’s how I’ve felt for several days. Like Sisyphus pushing my writing up a hill only to have it roll back down again. It’s exhausting not to mention frustrating.

I don’t know about you but when I take time away from writing, for whatever the reason, the stories stop. It’s as if my characters go on vacation too. And when they show back up it is at a most inconvenient time, like in the middle of the night.

Writing my blog, my book, short stories, my journal… Whew! Sometimes it’s all too much but I love it! Crazy right?

However, if I stop the well runs dry. So how do I prime the pump?

I’ve had to get inventive to get my imagination going again. Believe me, it’s not always easy.

Here’s what I do to get my ideas popping.

• Read!
  • Any and everything, Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Emails (you get the idea)
  • Favorite books, new genres, something different-uncomfortable
• Watch a good movie
  • Yes, good movies come from good writers
• Make notes
  • My memory isn’t what it used to be, sigh…
• Send emails to myself when I find a good article
  • See above note about memory
• Write
  • Anything, even if it’s gibberish, edit later
  • write somewhere different, maybe outside

Still can’t write?

Well, here is one of my favorite exercises.

Open a book, any book. Copy the first paragraph. Now rewrite the paragraph making it your own. Change the character, the setting, the action, everything until it is completely different. This never fails to get my imagination going.

What do you do to keep the writing flowing?

To jumpstart your writing process after a break?

Please do share. I’d like to know. Tell me in the comments section.

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Want to know more about getting your writing groove back on? Keep reading!