Anne Fotheringham

When writers tell me they are blocked, lack inspiration and find themselves facing a blank screen, my initial response is “get out of here.”

That phrase today is commonly used to express disbelief as in “I can’t believe that you’re blocked and can’t write.” I am, however, using it in the literal sense as in “leave this place.” Get Out Of Here – whatever your “here” happens to be – your home, your office, your state of mind, your personal family situation – get out and try something new or go somewhere you haven’t been before.

As writers, our “here” can be too constricting and when it begins to control our creative life, we need to go away for a while. You don’t need to run away from home but rather to turn off your daily routine and let your mind work its wonders

This doesn’t mean you have to take a trip to Fiji, though if you have the cash, I say go for it. Most writers I know cannot afford such a luxury trip – but they can afford to break their routine in simple ways that may jolt them out of their writing funk.

Don’t attempt to write a masterpiece during your getaway but do bring along a notebook so you can jot down brief notes.

Concentrate on letting your five senses have free rein. Your senses are very good at collecting information which you can use in your writing.  Your eyes, freed from their computer screen prison, will see life and nature in a new light. Your ears, no longer filled with the tacky, tacky sounds of your aimless typing will latch on to birdsong or the strange whistling sound of wind heralding a rainstorm. Feel shivers running up your spine as your body reacts to the cooler temperatures of early evening or experience the odd sensation of morning mist swirling around you. Touch records new awareness of the things in our lives and taste can introduce us to new sensations as well as new cultures and food groups. Suddenly you feel more alive, more attuned to the world around you and your imagination will definitely make use of that data.

For me, being near water often inspires me. I live near a river so if things are not going so well on the computer screen, I get out of my “here” – my home office – and go for a walk by the river. I listen to the birdsong, the wind and let my mind free. I invariably come home with a nugget or two that spark a new piece of poetry or some insights into the stories I am working on.

Go for a walk near the churchyard on a moonlit night – I guarantee you that your imagination will kick in as your eyes see strange shadows and your ears pick up odd noises. Is that a tree or someone watching you? Better walk faster just in case. By the time you get home, you’ll be in the right mood for tackling a creepy story or injecting some suspense into your writing.

No idea what your character should do next? Pick an activity you have never thought of trying before – take a singing lesson, go swimming at the local pool, learn to ride a bike, take a walk through a historic neighborhood. Just do something that isn’t part of your daily “here” and give your imagination a chance to work with some new input.

If the weather is bad, getting out of “here” can be as simple as reading a different kind of book or watching a movie you normally would avoid. Or perhaps you can move the furniture around in your office so that your environment works differently for you.

There’s a whole list of things you can do to get out of “here” and give your imagination new material to work with. So what are you waiting for?