Got Writer’s Block?
Saturday, February 9th, 2008
Writing Without The Muse50 Beginning Exercises for the Creative Writer
by Beth Baruch Joselow
If you’re a writer and would like some creative thinking exercises, or if you’re just trying to add a little creativity to your life, this is a great little book. With 50 one- or two-page exercises, you can either read it front to back and do the writing exercises that appeal to you, or trust fate to guide you to just the exercise you need, flip the book open, and do the one it opens to.
The exercises are all very brief, which is great for me. When I procrastinate on my writing, reading is one of my favorite diversions! So I will pick up a book on writing, and then I’m “working on writing,” right? (Correct answer: Wrong.) Having this book in my possession means I can no longer use that excuse - I pick it up, take just a few minutes to select a writing exercise, and get going.
In fact, it helps far beyond doing the simple writing exercise in the book. Usually this exercise is enough to “prime the pump,” and after doing the selected exercise for a very short time, I can suddenly focus on the writing that I was putting off, in the first place!
An sample of one of the exercises is called “Every Day for a Week.” The instructions are simple - every day for a week, write about a very simple experience you have every day (such as waking up or eating breakfast). After you’ve done it for a week, you compare the articles and observe and reflect whether your descriptions have changed, whether you notice anything about the activity you hadn’t noticed before, or even, whether you do things differently now that your awareness and perception has shifted!
Joselow’s book is quick, inspiring, and has definitely helped bump me right over my writer’s block on occasion. A great little addition to any writer’s library.