by Olivia Westwood

Created on: October 29, 2009

Anyone who creatively writes often will have come across some form of "writer's block".
But most people who earn or aspire to earn a living from their creative writing cannot afford the luxury of waiting around for "inspiration"to come to them.
Her are six of the most useful pieces of advice I have come across to kick start the imagination:

Make a commitment and set a date

Don't give up on your ides easily just because you have hit a stumbling block - think of each piece of work as a relationship that will have its ups and downs.
Resolve to finish your projects and see your ideas through rather than give up on them. Set yourself deadlines. It's amazing how a clear deadline can focus the mind.

Do something mundane and pay attention
Wash the dishes, go to the shop for some milk or carry out any similar everyday task. But resolve to pay close attention to exactly what you are doing and how you are doing it.
You may find you notice something new in the everyday that sparks an idea. And by really looking closely at the details in life you will give yourself better scope to describe events and characters. Suddenly you may find you want to write about a character in a completely new way.

Get emotional
If your mind is blank then stir it up with some emotion. It may not seem very pleasant but thinking about the things that make you angry or upset can put a fire into you that drives you to communicate. Think about the last time you suffered an injustice then imagine that what your are writing will help you get your own back on the person or thing that hurt you. Refuse to be silenced.

Ask questions and find things out
Think of five questions you would like to know the answer to then go and find the answers! It could be something mundane or something intellectual but either way you will have armed yourself with five new facts or ideas that may change or stimulate your perspective. It is also important to remember that one of a writer's functions can be to make sense of the world and the more knowledge you have the better.

Eavesdrop
Listen in on a stranger's conversation. It could be in a cafe or bar, train or even a shop. This is one of the best ways to hone your dialogue writing skills and get an insight into other people's lives. What you hear may surprise or bore you but either way it will give you plenty to think about and concentrate on.

Ban yourself from writing
Set aside some time when you absolutely must not write. It could be an hour, a day or even a week. I've found that when I tell myself I can't write all kinds of ideas begin to surface and I am suddenly itching to get them down. Try and hold onto them in your mind for as long as possible and when you are allowed to articulate them again you may find the words just spill onto the page.

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