1) Freewriting: Set an arbitrary time. Start the timer and begin writing as quickly as you can. Don’t rephrase, don’t re-read, don’t proofread, don’t edit – just write about whatever comes to your mind. Stop when the time is over. The purpose is to generate thoughts – that’s been in your head over a long period of time. A good writing exercise for web content writers who have to think, write, re-write, and think (not in any particular order though) the entire day.
2)Always carry a pocket-sized notebook with you: You never know when ideas hit you. In fact some of the greatest ideas have happened at the most unusual places. But the point is – when it strikes, scribble it down.
3) Change in scenery – When you can’t think anymore; when thoughts don’t pour out; when you don’t do anything but stare at the blank word doc – it’s that time when the mouse itself starts wandering to Facebook and then email and then back to Facebook. And the brainstorming bit gets forgotten and the copy lies incomplete for the rest of the day. When you’re stuck – a change in scenery for a few minutes helps a lot. Move to another room, go for a short walk, take a tea-break, and 9 out of 10 times it helps!
4)Surround yourself with creativity and inspiration – Sometimes it can be daunting to think creative 9-10 hrs a day and at the same time meet the deadline. Elizabeth Gilbert a few months back posted this picture on her blog. She wrote “one of the best ways to get through writer’s block is to remember all the stories that are yet to be written, and to know that the only way you will ever get to them is to get through THIS ONE. We always have to finish our work so we can discover the stories that are waiting for us on the other side.”
5) Ask colleague, friends and foes – It helps talking to people. Show the incomplete copy to different colleagues and ask them what they think about it; how you should proceed; what points need to covered etc etc. You would get an overflow of ideas – because people love giving advices.
6) Clean your desk – And clean your mind. They say clutter at your desk or in your home symbolizes the clutter in your mind. For a writer nothing is worse than being afflicted by a muddled brain. Jeffrey Archer once in an interview said “I am a stickler for neatness. I like my desk neat and organised. I really would not want any surprise on my desk, that’s for sure.” On his desk, Pilot pens and pencils are always positioned on the right side of his writing pad, with his spectacles on the left. Elizabeth Gilbert goes one step higher- she cleans her house or moves to a new house that’s already clean before she starts her new book.
7) Get a good chair – Writing needs a lot of connecting – you know connecting to brain and heart. You don’t want to mess up that connection, but a severe lower back pain or a cramped neck can do that.