Sunday, May 6, 2012


Step out of your comfort zone and have fun with your writing.

Learn to change your habits. Write something new and different from your normal genre.
Start with little changes in your regular stories. If you write in third person, try the same story in first person. Play different music when you write to change the atmosphere.

Step outside of the box.
You don’t have to do anything dramatic like writing erotica if you’re used to writing children’s books, but try fantasy. If you write fiction, try non-fiction, maybe a newspaper article or even a letter to the editor. If you write mysteries, try a love story. Take a stab at writing humor or conger up a story about werewolves. This can help you step out of your comfort zone with new ideas and concepts.

Imagination is a wonderful thing.
When you’re stuck in a rut, you are not tapping into your imagination. Imagination is a great source of energy and knowledge.  Dream. Dare to be a kid again and let your mind wander. Your imagination can lead you to write an adventurous story.

Change your character’s names and situations
Be open to creating new and maybe peculiar characters. Give them names that your reader with remember. The more you experiment with change in your writing, the more interesting your stories will become. Change can sometimes add depth to your writing and it keeps you from becoming stale and dull.

Help is always available
Join a critique group or a writer’s group. I have never met a writer who wasn’t open to helping me brainstorm when I’m temporarily brain dead. A different perspective can help alleviate stress in new situations that you may choose to write.

You can write.
Think positive when you sit down at your computer to punch out that first page. Everything begins with your thoughts and your feelings. That becomes apparent when you put it down on paper. Writers have heard this many times. Write first, edit later. Get your thoughts down on paper.

Lastly, love what you do. I know that sounds trite, but if writing is not enjoyable, it will show up in your finished manuscript. A good attitude is important to you and your reader.

Keep writing. Joyce  

29 comments:

  1. I always try to think outside of the box. Great advice. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  2. I wish I had the time - sounds like fun ... :)

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  3. Excellent info indeed! As a writer, I know how important these rules are, and they really are rules. 'One' must step out of their comfort zone as to keep the creative juices flowing. You said, "Write first and edit later." - some very good advice! Btw, nice blog - very imformative...!

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  4. Great advice. I have to remind myself to do that sometimes.

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    1. Roseanne, We all do. Sometimes it's easier said than done. Joyce

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  5. Great post.

    I have had a book I really believed in rejected so many times that I set to work and reworked it...using the same premise but changing some of characters names and hey...suddenly there was a murder, and alongside the murder was a really sinister motive. The love story took a complete about turn...now I have to just figure out how to tie up the loose ends.

    But I've never had a murder before and boy did it spice things up.

    so great advice.

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    1. Shirley, sounds like you discovered Romantic Suspense. Keep writing. Joyce

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  6. I think you have to step both outside your comfort zone and outside the box in every book you write. That's what gets them out of the slush pile. Of course, saying and doing that are two different things!

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  7. My current WIP is definitely outside my usual box. I keep losing confidence then going for a walk around the green. It's surprising how much more chatty my characters get while I walk. So I'll write what they've told me and edit it later. Thanks for the advice.

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    1. Sheila, a change of scenery does wonders. Keep writing, Joyce

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  8. I definitely found stepping outside my comfort zone and trying different narrative POVs and tenses helped me grow as a writer. Not saying I didn't kick and scream along the way... but I'm glad I did!

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    1. That's why I close the office door when I write. It keeps my husband from running in to see what the noise is about. Joyce

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  9. Nice post, Joyce. It's always good to be reminded of these timeless tips, since we so often forget to follow them.

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  10. Thoroughly enjoyed the post and thinking about what I should be writing to step outside my box. It certainly stimulates creative thinking. Thanks, Joyce.

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  11. These are very good exercises and I have done most of them. Another thing I do is consult my grown children (four of them) to get different perspectives and ideas. For example, I make a random statement such as, "This girl has a friend who betrayed her by..." or "A guy bought 8 lottery tickets and..." and they each have a completely different take on where the thought should go. I write their thoughts down in a notebook, add my own thoughts, mesh them together, and the outcome is an adventure.

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  12. I do that often with things called Witfit Prompts (http://www.fictionistaworkshop.com/witfit/prompts-2012-06/) (http://www.fictionistaworkshop.com/witfit/prompts-2012-05/)

    It's amazing what you can pull from your brain when you get a new word or song in it.

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    1. Thanks, Tami. I often write with the radio on. Joyce

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  13. When you're writing for fun, it's much more relaxing when trying to prove to someone is not laying in the back your mind. Writing in a totally different genre you haven't touched upon is a great way to recover from writer's burnout.

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  14. Good tips, well worth keeping in mind! I'm in a critique group and find it invaluable to my writing.
    Good idea to write something different!

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    1. Marla, Anything different makes our minds work. Thanks for the comment. Joyce

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  15. Allways healthy to step outside the box, or even take a mat knife and rip it apart!

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    1. Suz, I like the mat knife idea. Make it powerful, direct and exciting. Joyce

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  16. Very nice blog, Joyce.

    NEW FOLLOWER...thanks for the LinkedIn Invite.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    http://silversolara.blogspot.com

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    1. I hope you had a chance to read, "Final Interview," the short story I posted in the next blog. Joyce

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