Are you stuck in a writing rut or a life rut? Do you need to recharge your creativity? Here are some ways to jar you out of the mundane...
1. Exercise. Take a long walk, dance, run, or stretch. It gets the blood flowing and the endorphins flying.
2. Try another creative project like cooking, baking, painting, crafting, gardening, or sewing. It causes you to think differently.
3. Find some writing prompts and write for 10-15 minutes a day. There are a lot of books and free online sites with great ideas. You may be surprised at what you discover. This will also help you with your "write every day" goal.
4. Go on a photography adventure. Take lots of pictures. Make it a day trip and share it with someone. I use a lot of these photos in my blog or on social media.
5. Read a book. Pick one in another genre and read for fun.
6. Go on a writing retreat. There are low cost ways to make it happen. Combine this with a vacation or go camping. Or plan your own writer's retreat at home. Find a new, quiet place and write. Coffee shops and libraries also work for a change of scenery.
7. Mix up your writing location for a day. Go outside or change rooms. Go somewhere different.
8. Go somewhere and people-watch. Take notes on what you observe. Write down snippets of dialogue. You never know what'll be useful in a future story.
9. Take a class. Learn something new. Many colleges, libraries, and art centers offer low-cost courses. Many local school systems offer a variety of technical and fun courses. There are also many free or low-cost online courses. And You-Tube is a great resource for how-to’s and training.
10. Volunteer. There are a lot of worthwhile groups that need assistance. You have skills and talents they can use.
11. One of my readers suggested napping as a way to recharge your body and mind.
What else would you add to the list? What are your favorite ways to kick-start your creativity?
Biography:
Heather Weidner’s short stories appear in Virginia is for Mysteries and Virginia is for Mysteries Volume II. Currently, she is President of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, and a member of Guppies and Lethal Ladies Write. Secret Lives and Private Eyes is her debut novel.
Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.
You can find Heather at heatherweidner.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.