Tag Archives: writing-tips

Writers Block Hacks – The Story Prompt Jar

Continuing on with our journey into how to remove the dreaded writers block without spending any (or very much) money, I’m going to show you a simple but powerful tool – the Story Jar writing prompt.

For anyone who would like a fun way to inject a a little creative boost to their writing and generate a few stories on the fly, this really works to get the brain ticking over in ways that you may not have thought possible before.

A bonus is, this can also work in a. group situation so try it with your writing group or even with your family around the dinner table or the sofas and see just where a group imagination exercise can take you. Beats mindless scrolling any day!

What is a Story Jar I hear you ask?

It’s basically just a container of some sort filled with pieces of paper – each bearing a story element such as a character, setting, object, goal, theme, genre…. it could be anything you wish.

You can be as creative as you like, grab some coloured paper and put a different element on each colour such as characters on pink paper, settings on brown paper, genres on yellow paper….you get the idea…

Then you can select a colour depending on what element you want to concentrate on – or, go rogue and stick them all on the same colour – oh the risks that could come from that!!!

All you need is a container, paper scraps, a pen and your imagination.

Steps to create your own

1 – Choose your categories

Examples could be: Characters; Settings; Objects/motifs/ Conflicts/problems or Emotions.

2 – Write one idea per piece of paper.

Examples could be: Character – A retired circus performer; Setting – A haunted coastal village; Object – A broken compass; Conflict – Keeps reliving the same day; Emotion – Longing

3 – Fold or stack your prompts and put them into the container. make sure you have plenty of each category so that you have loads of variety.

4 – Draw one from each category (or mix and match) and start writing.

So, it you were to draw the following – A young inventor, an underground library, an ancient key and a phobia of spiders…You could write about a curious inventor who discovers an abandoned library beneath a city and uncovers a key that unlocks a hidden past – but, he’s so afraid of spiders that he struggles to make his way through the labyrinth of spider webs that have accrued over the many years that the arachnids have lain here undiscovered and unchallenged…

Oooo, my fingers are itching to type already!!!

I’m wondering what the funniest or strangest story prompt you’ve ever come up with is?

Share them in the comments…

Let your imagination run wild and happy writing!!!

Anita x

When Writer’s Block Strikes…

With the demise of Nanowrimo it’s now Novel November. So what better time to get those words down and making them count?

Great idea, but, as writers, we all know that awful feeling of the dreaded ‘Writers Block’.

Imagine the scenario – for once, we have found time to write. We’ve made our favourite drink (coffee for me, white, no sugar). We are in our favourite place to write with no distractions (in the office, window to the estate in front of my desk so I can look up and see what is going on outside every so often – me? nosey? no! seeking inspiration…). We open our writing implement of choice (laptop) and navigate to the blank page… Fingers poised over the keyboard we wait… and wait… we know words are there, we’ve done it before, we had loads of ideas half an hour ago when we were boiling the kettle and preparing ourselves for the epicness that was about to be unleashed from our souls…

… and, dejected, we drink our coffee, close the laptop and walk away, telling ourselves that we will try again tomorrow.

So, what we need to do is break that block, do something that will get the flow going and those tetchy fingers typing away like there’s no tomorrow.

“How do we do that though?’ I hear you ask – You are, I know you are….

Well, there are plenty of things on the market for you to purchase that are designed to help you through this – but, as those of you who have been with me for a while know, I’m always on the lookout for saving money and doing something that is free or at minimal cost. Beating writer’s block is no different, after all, we are creative beings are we not? Surely we can come up with some creative DIY writing prompts?

So, I’m going to do a series (because nobody wants to read me waffling for hours on end in one sitting- I’ll be kind and break it down into much more enjoyable chunks) of different ways that we can prompt ourselves to get writing. Today. Right now in fact.

I’ll start with an oldie but goodie.

The Random Book Prompt.

Grab the closest book to you – don’t cheat – and open a random page. With your eyes closed, point to anywhere on the open page. Write the closest sentence down and use it to prompt a piece of writing.

  • It could be the opening line of a story.
  • A poetry prompt.
  • Dialogue from a character.
  • Scene or mood inspiration.

As an example, I have just done this exercise and here are my results from just ten minutes writing.

The book I choose was a book on Tarot – I’m already on a hiding to nothing when that was the closest book and it really does prove that I didn’t cheat!

The sentence was ‘Rest and relaxation is needed here.’

And this is what I came up with…

‘Rest and relaxation is needed here,’ she said to me, authority oozing from every syllable of her consultant doctor’s title.

‘I know, but it’s easier said than done,’ I replied.

‘If you don’t make the time now, then your body will force you to. It’s already starting the process or you wouldn’t be sitting in my office now.’

I hung my head dejectedly. She was right. Of course she was. but there was too much that I had to do and nobody could do for me.

As if she read my mind, she continued, ‘You’re no use to them if you burn out. They need to help you f or a little while. Put yourself first and do something you enjoy. Go for it a walk, or a swim. Hug a tree or read a book. Do anything that will help you de-stress. Even five minutes will help.’

I picked up my bag and nodded at her as I walked towards the door. ‘I’ll try,’ I said, knowing that I couldn’t.

He’d kill me long before he would help.

Ok, I know it will never be Oscar winning material, but for a quick exercise to get the brain going, it’s ok… I think…

I’d love to hear what you thought…

Or let me know what you came up with…

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