Overcome the blank page syndrome with these creative writing exercises
Those who want to build a career in creative writing have to face many challenges. There is nothing scarier than a blank page. A short story may begin with the idea that seems clear in our heads. Yet, bringing that idea to life is not easy.
There is no need to feel disappointed, and there are many creative writing exercises to get around the blank page syndrome.
The art of writing and writer’s block
This syndrome is also called ‘the writer’s block’ and is something that every author has to face at some point. Even great writers like Stephen King and Charles Bukowski have experienced this at least once in their careers.
There are many ways to overcome this, but the simplest of all is: keep writing. To do this, there are many online and offline courses to unlock one’s skills. Even the most renowned universities, like Yale, offer creative writing courses.
Writing exercises will be helpful even if you don’t suffer from this syndrome.
Advantages of taking creative writing courses
- Develop your imagination
- Perfect your technique
- Find your style
- Be more productive
- Improve your writing skills
- Get feedback from classmates and teachers
- Access new resources
- Make contacts in the editorial world
- Meet like-minded people
Creative writing exercises to boost your imagination
1. Write about crazy news
Find a piece of crazy news and write a story. The piece will probably describe a specific situation, and you have to choose what story you want to tell.
Example: The report is about a hotel. The clients were displeased with the service and angry because they didn’t get what they were promised. So, they take the hotel’s personnel as hostages. In this case, there are many possibilities. You can choose to tell the story from different points of view; e.g.; the reporter, the hotel owner who was on vacation in the Bahamas, the head of the riot, or one of the hostages.
2. Describe a fantastic town
From a list of town names, choose one and describe the place. Tell your readers about the inhabitants, their habits, traditions, etc. Describe the town’s infrastructure and landform. Don’t limit yourself to a realistic description but play with your imagination.
Example: You can take Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities as a model.
3. Use the first paragraph of another story to kickstart yours
Take a paragraph or phrase and use it as the beginning of your story. This helps overcome the blank page syndrome as you will have something to start from. This sentence will probably include a character or setting that you’ll need to develop.
4. Write a story in the second person
Writing in the second person brings benefits and pitfalls. On one hand, the reader relates better with the character. He feels inside the story because the narrator is talking to him. On the other hand, keeping the second person throughout a novel can cause the reader to lose interest.
The technical aspect also presents challenges. It’s difficult to find synonyms and alternative structures when writing in the second person. This can cause a text to be repetitive. By taking these challenges, writers can boost their imagination and develop self-confidence.
Examples: Read books in the second person like Bright Lights, Big City, by Jay McInerney, and If one winter’s night a traveler, by Italo Calvino.
5. Choose a picture and describe your memories
This exercise doesn’t present as many technical challenges. It’s about letting go and letting the words flow. Writers have to pick one photograph and describe their memories of the scene. Writing from someone’s own experience can be a fruitful practice.
Example: Choose a picture of you and your grandpa riding a horse. Describe your memories. What did your grandfather look like? What was the weather like? What did you feel? What did you say to each other? You may be surprised at the outcome.
6. Write a letter from your past self to your current self
This is a good exercise for special moments of the year like New Year’s Eve or your birthday. Imagine that your self from a year ago is writing a letter to your current self. What would you say? What advice would you give? This practice is particularly good to overcome writer’s block and get to work.
7. Choose a character with a distinctive feature and describe him/her
The challenge is to describe without describing. The character must be described by its own actions and attitudes and not by the narrator.
Example:
Wrong:
John came into the room, he was tall, distrustful, and sober-minded. He looked around and sat down.
Right:
John walked in, he had to duck the doorframe in order not to hit his head. His black suit seemed to be darker with the moonlight. He looked around uneasily and then sat down.
Final thoughts on overcoming the blank page syndrome with creative writing exercises
To be successful in creative writing there is only one solution: hard work. Whether you want to take a course or are self-taught, whether you write short stories or novels, good training is the answer. These writing guidelines help overcome the blank page syndrome and develop one’s writing skills.
