This is still NOT Your Last Unblocker

A lot of the exercises are going for their last run, but you will always need your unblocker to keep you in the race. You need to clear out your mental cobwebs and get yourself prepped and ready for your next round of writing.

Today's unblocker is your preparation for the next few months (days, weeks, or years) as you write your novel. Take a sheet of paper or open a blank document on your computer and use this as your prompt:

"I am going to start writing my novel soon."

Don't bother about grammar, spelling, punctuation, or syntax. Forget the rules and just write without stopping to think. Clear your mind by pushing all your frustrations, fears, and insecurities out. Don't stop until you're huffing, puffing, and too tired to proceed.

Your year of novel writing is about to begin.

Now, Break Down those Bricks!

You can think of your creativity as imprisoned: a little ball of light, a child full of wonder, a molecule of darkness. You can think of it as imprisoned in a house in your head, where it treads through halls that are as comfortable as they are crippling. You need to take out the comforts that hamper your creativity. You need to break down the bricks of your house!

Unblockers can help you remove cobwebs from your head, and they can help you unleash your creativity as well. Take the creativity out to play, have it to go to town for the day, or set it free for a little vacation before it returns to the hallowed, comfortable halls once again.

In this exercise, you will pretend that you are taking your creativity out of the house. You can be brutal and talk about breaking down the bricks. You can be gentle and coax your creativity out. Whatever the technique, your aim is not to write a story, but to blabber. Talk about your creative moments, make your creativity run loose, and start writing without worrying about grammar, syntax, or punctuation.

To help you, you can start your work with: "I want to be more creative...."

Good luck and happy unblocking!

Letting Go of Your Blocks

Unblocking can be a great exercise if you're feeling distracted and unable to write. One distraction could take the form of your irritation with someone, or your anger with someone, or simply just being mad about little things that people do. Unblocking may not necessarily get rid of the madness, but it can help you talk it out with yourself.

You do not have to watch your grammar or syntax, and you do not have to make complete sentences. All you need to do is write without fear. Start your unblocking by using the following phrase as your first few words to lead you into writing:

"I get so mad whenever...."

Unblock to Relax!

The holidays can truly be stressful, and you will want to escape the crowds and noise if only to find yourself again. You can get drowned out in the hubbub, but you don't have to; try an unblocker when you find a 15-minute window of spare time.

An unblocker is not only a good way to help you get your writing started. It can also relax you and make you feel that you still own something, that you are not being drawn away by an untamed tide.

Are you ready? Pick up a pencil/pen and paper, or open a blank document on your computer. Use the following sentence as your prompt, and then write on and on and on.

"I would like to get away from all this."

You don't have to turn the entire thing into a story. All you need a few thoughts, and you can simply write until your 15 minutes run out. Don't go back and edit, don't look at your grammar, and forget all the rules of punctuation and spelling. This is no publication quality work; this is an unblocker to help you get the day out of your hair.

Happy writing!

A Halloween Unblocker

Unblockers help you clear your head and get you past writer's block. They can also make you aware of things about yourself, and they can uncover a lot about what you believe in, what you know, and what you value.

Here's an unblocker that will help you dig out a few things. Start your work with the following sentence, and keep on writing, non-stop, for the next 15 minutes.

I am most afraid of....

Your goal is to simply write without checking your grammar, without editing your work, and without caring for syntax or sense. Just write and clear your mind. When you are done, relax! You've just written something that you should be proud of - something that you don't need to keep, but something that might allow you to write something else without worrying if you can get past writer's block.

Good luck and happy writing!

Open Up Your Sense of Smell!

There’s nothing like the smell of oranges. I see orchards, stretching for miles and miles, swelling with fruit, and burnished with the gold of the sun. Light, airy, without the sting of artificial scents, or the heaviness of flowers, oranges can make me feel feminine. Perfumes are meant to enhance an outfit, not cover it up or mask it. Oranges seem to do just that: they seem to call up images of a kitchen bursting with life, clean markets bustling with noise, and a countryside sweet with the sounds and smells of summer. When I smell oranges, I begin thinking of sweet little tales that talk about stolen kisses in the fields, where the grasses run high; or about embraces beneath groves of oak and maple; or sweet nothings whispered in afternoons heady with the sunset.

What is your favorite scent? What does it make you see when you smell it? What stories come to mind when you smell it? Work on this unblocker by either catching your favorite scent, and then writing to your heart’s content; or trying to remember what you feel when you smell your favorite scent. Smells can bring back memories; see if you can write these memories down. For scent ideas, you could also visit Scent.

The key is to keep on writing to remove all the cobwebs in your head. Who knows? You could come up with a great plot for your novel!

Happy smelling, and happy writing!

A Quick Little Unblocker

It's time for another unblocker, and this time, it will be about one person – and what that one person can do to your head.

Now don't mistake this for obsession. You want to simply start off your unblocker with the following sentence:

He is...

And then, you will want to write more...and more...and more...disregarding all notions of grammar, syntax, punctuation, sense, and sensibility. Moreover, EVERY SENTENCE HAS TO START WITH "HE IS." That is the only rule that you need to follow.

You will want to either have a typewriter by your side as you do this, and a way to get your paper in quickly. Or you can have your pen and paper handy; or have your laptop/desktop computer up and running so that you can burn the word processor with enough words to clear your head. In any case, just write, and don't think. Let the words flow.

Good luck, and happy writing!

An Encouraging Unblocking Exercise

Unblocking means that you let everything out: you write as though there were no tomorrow (and no editors in sight), you disregard logic and sense, and you simply let your brain loose (and your emotions looser, if there is such a “loose” gradient).

In fact, unblocking can be a good ego massage. You can tell yourself how good you are. You can even convince yourself: My writing is good.

So why is your writing good? Has it improved over the years? Have people read your work and complimented you on it? Using that as your theme, start your unblocking and start writing. When you are done, give yourself a pat on the back by treating yourself to something nice, whether it's a walk in the woods, an ice cream sundae, a movie, or simple an afternoon nap.

Happy unblocking!

A Not-So-Encouraging Unblocking Exercise

In our last unblocking session, we told ourselves how good our writing was. We passed through the logic and made it into Let's-Ignore-the-Editors territory. We didn't care about sense. We didn't even need to post our work!

In this session, we still don't need editors or sense or a posting obligation. What we do need, however, is to turn the theme around. This time, we need to examine ourselves critically, and to critique our previous work with a discerning, unforgiving, and, as much as possible, objective eye. So pull out your piece of paper and your pen; or start up a new file on your computer. You are going to do more unblocking, and your theme is:

My writing is not that good.

Don't be afraid to pick out your faults, but at the same time, don't flagellate yourself for imaginary ones. Just write and keep on writing until you clear out the cobwebs. When you are done, give yourself another treat, this time as a reward for acknowledging your own faults. Eat at a local restaurant, get yourself some new clothes, or simply go to bed late after lounging in front of the TV for hours. The choice is yours.

Happy unblocking!

The Unblocker of Hopes and Dreams

Whenever a lot of people hear that something is therapeutic, they mistakenly assume that it is for healing and recovery from something sad or hurtful. Therapy, however, can also help you reassess your life and see where you are headed, and if you are actually doing the right things as you head in that direction. Vague? You can think of therapy as one way to keep yourself in check: have you accomplished your goals? How much more must you do to get to your end point? How successful are you?

In this unblocking exercise, you will write the biography that you want to have. You are going to talk about your hopes and dreams. All you need to do is to write as much as you can, whether you are using a pen and paper, or a computer. You only have to keep on writing and not stop until you are out of breath and happy with what you have written.

When you are done, keep a copy of your unblocking exercise. You will need it as a constant reminder of your goals. Here is the first sentence (or, if you like, the theme) that you need to use.

This is the story of the life that I want to lead.

So, what is the life you want to lead? Write it all out, keep on dreaming, and happy unblocking!

An Unblocker: What's in YOUR name?

"What does my name mean to me?"

All you need to do is search the meaning of your name online, and then write - for as long as you can - about what the meaning of your name means to you. Has your name dictated the way that you live? Does your name mean nothing to you? Would you like to have another name? What name would you want to have?

As with all other unblockers, don't hit BACKSPACE or DELETE, don't stop writing, and don't edit your name. Just write! Good luck and happy writing!

Let's Pretend that Your Computer Crashed...

...and that you have to write.

Yes, that means no keyboard, no files, no copy or paste. It's just you and your paper, you and your pen - you and your soon-to-be exhausted fingers. You are not allowed to cross anything out, or to edit your work. You only need to write on the following topic - and by write, we mean WRITE.

"What would my day be like if I didn't have a computer?"

Now - WRITE!

A Special NaNo Unblocker: Why Should You Keep Writing?

Thanks to National Novel Writing Month, a lot of writers are away from their blogs and typing away at their computers. However, not all writers are lucky enough to get words out. Thanks to the tension that a 30-day novel brings, some writers can get cobwebs, not literary freedom. Might an unblocker help?

If you're in the mood for writing but can't get anything out, then you may want to try this. Take a piece of paper and a pen, or open up a new document on your computer. Now, you have exactly 30 minutes to answer the following question.

"Why am I doing this?"

Now, you don't need to be in NaNoWriMo to answer the question. You can let it be an open question. Why are you doing what you're doing? Why are you studying? Why are you writing? Why are you looking at random roadkill?

Now keep on writing...keep on clearing out those cobwebs...it's free writing, after all, and no one is correcting you.

Enjoy the NaNo unblocker!

Yet Another Unblocking Exercise

Unblocking allows you to write whatever you want, at a pace that doesn't allow for editing, and sometimes, in an atmosphere that does not require a lot of thinking. Mind you, unblocking can be therapeutic as well – and it's time to show you how.

Write or type as much and as fast as you can. Don't worry about grammar or syntax, or whether you are logical and making enough sense to make Plato happy. Just write and let all your emotions out. Use this as your first sentence:

The one man that I don't think I could ever stand...

When you are done, walk outside, take a deep breath, and, if you can, don't read your work. Throw it out and use a new page for your next exercise. Sometimes, we have a lot of worries that entangle our thoughts and create unnecessary cobwebs in our heads. Unblocking is one way for you to get rid of your worries. Unblocking can even give you ideas for your writing!

Ready? It's time to use your emotions! Happy unblocking!

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.

Unblocker #1: Think, but Don't

An unblocker is nothing but a prompt, something to make you write freely, without worrying who will read your work or if you're breaking all the rules in grammar. It's also designed to let you free your head of mental cobwebs, and give your imagination a chance to break free of your fears. Are you ready?

All you need is a pen, some paper, and a place where you can sit comfortably. Don't think about grammar, syntax, or even penmanship. Just write.

Start off with:

"I think..."

If you have a hard time writing things down, then you may choose to write with your laptop or desktop computer. In any case, avoid hitting the BACKSPACE or DELETE key. Just write as though there were no tomorrow, and stop only when you want to. Don't be afraid. Writing doesn't bite.

A New Class of Exercises: Unblockers

Writers' block is something that everyone has. A block happens for many reasons: a person is tired, a person doesn't think that he or she can write, or a person can have so many ideas bottlenecking into each other so that they block the actual writing process.

So, then, here's a chance for you to take out that block and get yourself writing. Sometimes, it isn't the writing that's hard, but getting the writing started.

Watch this blog for unblocking exercises and free writing work where you can get the chance to just write.