Derp moments in writing

To me, the true bliss of writing happens when the words flow, and sentences just pour out of the creative nether. This, however, has not been happening for me. I will try to articulate a scene, only to find myself stuck on a word, phrase, or simply unable to describe something.

So here are a few things I do to help through those moments;

Write anyway, even if the sentences are choppy and reminiscent of a third grader. You can fix it later. The important tip here is to get the scene out. Sometimes writing through blocks such as this type, you can write through to the other side and find the creative muse.

Listen to music. Music offers to stimulate parts of the brain the mundane life doesn’t. I find certain types of music help provoke emotion or scenes in my head much like a movie.

Keep a thesaurus on hand. I have a button on my browser toolbar to use Thesaurus online; that way I can look up words quickly. It includes a dictionary as well.

Change up your storytelling. You can do this by using dialog to tell a story, descriptive scenes, action scenes, or other elements of storytelling. If one method doesn’t work, try another. For instance, a character having internal conflict reveals this through dialog, or through acting out to another character.

What are your own little secrets and tips to working through those derp moments? Post in comments.

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