Do you remember those moments during writing classes when you stared at your notebook, unsure where to begin? Or when you had a deadline to submit a text and saw nothing but a blank screen for a long time?
These moments of creative block are very common and are mostly the result of some emotional state. Anxiety, lack of motivation, and self-criticism can be major enemies of our writing process.
We have already seen that there are Breathing exercises that help us improve our concentration.But did you know that there are also ways to practice our writing? And in very creative ways, I might add!
You've probably already seen tips like "read more," "always carry a notepad," or "always practice your writing." Together with Renata Othon, a professor at the IDP School of Communication, we've compiled some different tips that will help you exercise your creativity in fun ways.
bedside book
Grab that book you've lost count of how many times you've read: open it to a random page—but don't cheat, okay? haha. Then, read the second paragraph on that page and start a new story from there!
A challenge
After using your favorite book, let's move on to a slightly more elaborate exercise. Remember the most difficult and complex book you've ever read? Don't worry, you won't need to create a theory alongside Foucault. On the contrary, transform the author's idea into something simple and create a story from your daily life.
Use your personality to your advantage.
Creating a story with characters can be quite challenging, right? So pay attention to this tip: make a list of 50 characteristics of an imaginary character. From there, you'll see how much easier it will be to create the narrative, because you'll already know your characters very well!
Beginning, middle, and end
We know that sometimes the hardest part is writing the opening sentence of a text. But for this exercise, write a sentence that represents the beginning of your story and one that represents the end. This way you will have a starting point and a destination, making it much easier to develop a plot.
Away from technology
Perhaps this one is a little more complicated, after all we can't separate ourselves from electronic devices for very long. But don't give up before trying! Detach yourself from the computer for a while, disconnect from everything digital and try writing on a blank sheet of paper.
So you know where to start? Now it's your turn to get your hands dirty and practice these tips from Professor Renata. The good news is that you'll get a taste of what a class is like in an IDP undergraduate program.
