Monday, August 4, 2008

Unblocker #2: Life's Many Possibilities

The objective of an unblocking exercise is to remove all sense of limit and fear in you. You need to write whatever it is that comes to mind, and whatever it is that you want without worrying that someone will correct you.

This implies that unblocking can also relieve some of the pressures that our rational world can exert. For instance, you might think: what if there were dragons still alive today? In the next thought, however, you could dismiss it entirely and think that no rational person would pursue such a strange, not to mention insane line of thinking.

But guess what? A lot of writers started out with insane ideas, and they pursued the idea to the end. You don't have to write a fantasy story, or go into science fiction and start hitting the science books - but you need to let go of a lot of things that hold you back, and sometimes, reason can do that.

Here's an unblocker for you. Start your sentences with "What if...?" and then pursue the thought without thinking of rationality or sanity. What if I were a princess and I had to fight a war with goblins? What if I had gotten my promotion early and I had to choose between work and my family? What if I had eaten way too much and I turned into the vegetable I had for lunch?

Pursue a thought until it exhausts you, and then start again with a new "What if...?" You'll be surprised at how imaginative you are, and how funny your work can be.

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