Chip Off the Old Block

Writer's block is something we all struggle with from time to time. Even bloggers can be faced with the pressure of wanting to post something--anything, but nothing comes to mind. Let's take a chip off the writer's block by examining one way to fight it!

Grab a recipe. Writing is filled with recipes all around us, waiting to be scooped up, whipped together, and mixed with a blend of our personal ingredients. But where do you find them? You don't need to purchase a book or search writer's sites to find them, you only need to look as far as your own writing.

Choose an article that you've written before, that you like for some reason. You might not even know why you like it--you just do. Got it? Now copy the first paragraph (or two if they're short) into a word document, like this:

God delights in his people—you and I. He enjoys us so much that even the very hair on our head is numbered. Can you imagine the accounting department He must have to keep track of mine? I’m changing my do every month. (I just got it trimmed again yesterday by the way). I wonder, would we take the time to number His hair if we could? Would we linger in His presence that long? Or is God merely a means of supplying our need? Let's dig and find out...

Now choose a topic--any topic that has been on your mind this past week--maybe it's pizza pops, maybe it's your children, maybe it's cooking... whatever it is, trust yourself to write on that topic and the article will fall into place.

Here's where the recipe part comes in. See my paragraph above? I snagged it from a post that I liked at Live Well Wednesdays; I'm going to use it as my fire starter. I'll dissect it, carefully following the recipe, which is this:

1. Begin with a statement. If your topic is children, then say something like, "My children have been fighting all week," or "My children were adorable this morning!" etc. 2. Use a verb to describe your topic, with an expansion of that verb. 3. Ask a question. 4. Answer the question and add a side note (a dash of humor if you like). 5. Contemplate that thought. 6. Ask the reader two questions. 7. Introduce the rest of the piece.

Once you have the first paragraph or two done according to the recipe, the creativity will usually flow on it's own from there.

Here's what I came up with:

My son Graham is home today. He isn't ill all that often, so when he started hurling at school, I knew it was time to take the little dude home. I don't always know when my kids are sick, or when they are simply "homesick," do you? Sometimes the green in their cheeks will cue me in--sometimes not (it's the dark shades of green that get me concerned most). Has your tike ever woken up sick, then miraculously recovered at around 9:15? Have you ever wondered if you should pack them up and bring them right back to school? If so maybe there's something else we should consider...

That's just off the top of my head, but as you can see I opened the article up and once I did I was on a roll. Now that I started, I want to talk about a child's need for cuddly days, and our need for them too. When it's just me and he, or me and her--home for a day. "Homesick" might be every bit as stressful as a tummy ache, for little ones who are gone all day. Ah, maybe I'm too soft!

When I use the recipe idea to get started, I sometimes find that I don't even keep the first paragraph at all, but that it was helpful in getting me off to a good start.

I have a sick kid at home today that needs juice and a cuddle, so I guess I had better run. :)

No Time Like the Present...

Have you toiled with the idea of stepping out of the box, and into a new style of writing? There's no time like the present, nor is there a style quite like it!

When I consider writing in the present tense, Ann Voskamp comes to mind. Few have grasped the skill as well as she has, time and time again:

Socks hurl across the kitchen, a hail of chaos splintering morning routine and order. Thunked in the back of head, I spin from sink and into the face of a grinning twelve-year-old. I am set to return with volley of words about maturity and setting an example and simply folding laundry instead of rocking the boat. His younger brothers are already whipping back knitted wools with mismatched sweatsocks. And then one of the statutes of the Geneva Convention of Motherhood flashes across my interior screen: Ignore negative attention-seeking behavior so as not affirm it. ---Ann Voskamp, "The Parenting Pursuit," March 2008, CWO.

You've got to love Ann Voskamp. I have no doubt that this woman is destined to be a best-selling author. She's already my favorite writer of all time!

Writing in the present tense is different, and it can be difficult. It doesn't come natural to me, but I do look at it as a creative way to break out of the writing box that I often cozy up in.

The present tense illustrates action as it happens. Look at it as a narration of sorts. Imagine yourself in the scene, while speaking the narration aloud.

I was at a loss for words one Tuesday evening with my Wednesday deadline fast approaching, and so I took the opportunity to give present tense writing a shot. I just began by describing my thoughts from the evening in present tense. I enjoyed the change, and really like the way the entire piece turned out.

"What can I write, Lord?" I ask, as we make our way back toward the little red Yaris. It's my way of saying, "Fill my cup, Lord," because I know that when I try to fill it on my strength alone we get a pretty stale cup of brew. God on the other hand, offers a pure blend of inspiration that wakes us up to the truth, and moves us to drink from His word. He slides a double-double across the counter, and I taste His words, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." - Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV. The aroma fills my thoughts while I meditate. ---Darlene Schacht, "Make This Day Count!," LWW, July 16, 2008.

Although entire novels have been written in the present tense, it is rarely done. It appears most often in short stories.

Here are three tips to keep in mind when writing in the present tense:

1. Above all else, be cautious of your verbs: ran, runs, run, etc. 2. Imagine the action happening as you are writing. 3. Use imagery to describe the scene around you. What is whizzing past your head? Can you feel it brush your ear as it flies by? You are setting the scene, so describe it well.

Next time you have writers block, give present tense a try. Or on second thought, why wait for the block, when you can write it today!