Most of us have experienced freezing up when it comes time to write, so what’s the best way to get the words flowing? Here are three great ideas.

by Jayna Locke

If you write fiction, such as short stories or flash fiction, this scenario might feel familiar:

You sit down at the computer, ready to write. And there’s that blank page. What was that idea you had the other day? Something about … no, it’s gone. Perhaps another cup of coffee will help.

Sound familiar?

In this article I’m going to share three strategies to get into your creative brain space and get the words flowing.

1. Plant a seed

Next time you feel stuck, sit down without a plan for what you’re going to write. Open a fresh new page or document and scribble down some words about something. It could be a little vignette of some kind, a character sketch, or even just an opening line.

For example, you could write a line or two of a story, such as:

• “Damn,” she thought as she moved the carcass to the side of the road. “This day started out so well.”
• There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. And for Brody, that was always a clear sign that trouble was on the way.
• “Ginger? Have you seen my pants?”

Or you could write a vignette of something happening that is frightening, startling, or dramatic. For example:

• She ran through the woods, her heart thundering in her ears, darting among trees and low hanging vines. There was nowhere to hide. And it was coming.
• As he stared at the refrigeration case, trying to decide between the cold brew coffee and the energy drink, he heard shouting at the front of the store, and then gunfire. Quickly, he crouched behind the end of the aisle and peered around the corner.

Doing this is like planting a seed in a garden. Where it goes from here is the next step, and we’ll come back to it a bit later.

2. Write from a prompt

We all know what it means to write from a prompt. It’s a way to jump start the writing process based on a word, a phrase, or an idea. There are many prompts available online, but you can also create them yourself.

One fun method is to start with three random words, preferably nouns. For example:

• Guitar, chocolate, funeral
• Duckling, supper, surfboard
• Skin, pickle, highway

If you don’t yet feel that spark of inspiration, that’s okay. In that event, set your writing aside and let your story idea gestate.

There are even three-word prompt generators, like this one. I tried it a few times and got these prompts:

• Luck, cottage, village
• Deceit, sun, cow
• Sympathy, moth, violin

Now, begin writing. Don’t think too much. Just start putting down a scene and incorporate each of the words as you write. Don’t stop until you have at least a page of writing and have included all three words.

Again, we’ll come back to the next steps after we talk about method three.

3. Write to a timer

The idea with this method is to get your editorial brain to step out of the way and let your creative brain take over.

You’ll need a timer and a space clear of distractions for a timed period.

How long? If you’re new to this, just try five minutes. During the timed period, start writing whatever comes to mind and keep writing. Don’t stop until the timer goes off. It doesn’t matter if you write utter nonsense.

Once the timed period is over, you can look at your work, or—better yet—take a short break and then do it again. The second session can help to develop the nugget of an idea that came up in the first session and to start building a narrative. Try to increase the length of time in subsequent sessions. This helps to build your focus and your “writing muscles.” (The Pomodoro Method is a similar principle.)

Keep it going

What happens next? If your creativity has kicked into gear, then just keep writing. However, if you don’t yet feel that spark of inspiration, that’s okay. In that event, set your writing aside and let the beginnings of your story idea gestate. Do something unrelated, like taking a walk or doing household chores.

This allows your subconscious mind to go to work based on the raw writing you created with one of the above methods. It can work like magic. You may be standing in a grocery aisle and have an aha! moment about the storyline, the conflict, or the motivations of the main character. Then the next time you sit down to write, you may find the words flowing faster than you can capture them.

I hope these techniques give your creativity a boost, and help you get into your creative brain space! Feel free to reach out and let me know, via my contact page.

Jayna Locke is a Minnesota writer who has had a lifelong love of fiction. Her short stories have appeared in a range of literary journals, including Great Lakes Review, Portage Magazine>, and Bright Flash Literary Review, as well as several anthologies. Her collection of short stories, Somewhere in Minnesota, is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kirk House Publishers.

You can connect with Jayna on X and reach her through her contact form.