Tips for getting past the writer's block: Think outside the box!

Now that I've been doing this freewrite thing quite often for over a year, I thought I'd make a few points of things I've learned/realized over the last year.

That big 'brain freeze' or writer's block... It happens to me, too! Especially if I've went for a while without writing, but even so, I've had complete blanks so bad that I didn't even write anything at all. Usually SOMETHING comes up, but it's often a really odd... perspective.

If I hit a block, I'll just take the prompt and think about it in an entirely different way.

The big freeze could relate to

• being 'frozen' out of a group of friends
• a storm
• a big deep freeze that I fill with grapes (my favorite snack!)
• it could be someone's nickname who is known for their 'icy' persona
• It could be writing about a hot summer's day when you eat your ice cream too fast and get 'the big (brain) freeze.
• It could be a fantastical story about super heroes or aliens with a freeze ray that tries to take over the world.

Take the prompt: "Normal"

• you could write about your typical 'normal' day
• you could go in the complete opposite direction and start out writing, "Well, today was anything BUT normal!"
• You could write about a girl who's dad wanted a son named after him, but she was born instead, so her mother named her "Normal" instead.
• You could write about what people 'expect' to be normal, and the reality of what that really is.
• You could create a world in which "normal" was completely different from anything we've come to expect.

There is so much fun to be had, and that's the most important thing. Don't overthink it, just let the words or stories flow! There is FREEDOM in just giving five minutes to it. You might be inspired to write more, or maybe not. You might hate what you wrote or love it. The point is that you stretched yourself a little and actually wrote something, but then (hopefully) you also shared it with us at @freewritehouse

And now, without further ado, here are our Freewrite Favorites for the week... starting with the freewrite that inspired me to write the above notes!

Thanks for reading!
@byn

Click on the photos to read the blog posts

Remember if a post is older than 6 days, try to find something more recent to upvote so they can get the rewards. Thank you so much for your support!

@ireenchew

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While delivering today's prompt with my wonderful partner @deirdyweirdy, I read a cute story by @dranuvar that made me smile. It was told from the perspective of an elf with eyes of purple and I can't seem to get that image out of my mind. I would have never thought to use purple for the color of eyes and I thought it was creative. This child elf bought something from a "Gnome merchant" and was surprised by its effect. Check out this story to find out what the elf bought. It is a fun read and I am sure it will make you smile too. ~ @whatisnew

@juliamulcahy

Nine #freewrites in and this weeks adoptee @juliamulcahy pens another fine 5 minute story. Julia writes about a woman traveling home, unsure how her return will be received or even if there will be any body at the airport to greet her. An incident happened, Mike stormed out, and not a peep from him since. Go visit our new #freewrite and tell her Uncle Bruni sent you. 💕 ~ @wonderwop

@preparedwombat

This story is more of a real-life report. I felt like I had met the characters described. @prepared wombat takes us right into a homeless shelter and describes the reality of it from a standpoint of an outsider - a volunteer at the shelter - but without judgment. ~ @sustainablelivin

@blueeyes8960

As I read @blueeyes8960 her weekend freewrite I knew I would recommend this one for this week.
Callie is a courier, usually working on Tuesdays.
Someone did change the scedule and she has to go to a place she normally would not go near... a neatly dressed gentleman walks by with his mini schnauzer, a guy with a gun says you can't be too careful in this neighbourhood and in her mind she hears a guitar playing the funeral march.
Is Callie overreacting or are her senses right? ~ @wakeupkitty

@improv

A Weekend Free Write hits you with 3 prompts, one after the other. You don't know what's coming until you are done with one prompt. And trust someone who calls him @improv to tie it all in. Words tripping over each other, dashing back and forth between Sunday and Tuesday, it will give you a good laugh. Read it yourself right ~ @kaerpediem

@wonderwop

I looked in the cougar prompt and I am not the only one to talk about it as a woman instead of an animal. So many angry and disturbed posts for this one!
Count on @wonderwop to make his post funny, and about his male cat (with three teeth). Plus telling us his wife was not wanting to be photographed as a cougar lol. We only get a bit of the slice of life, but I think @wonderwop-land must be a fun place ~ @fitinfun

@byn

My favorite freewrite this time came from @byn. Hats off to @byn for penning down this emotional tragic tale.
The story was knitted in such a way that that tale takes place in front of us. The climax is really soul ripping. Tears ran through my eyes when i read those final lines. Tragedy is unfortunate, but can't be avoided sometimes is the theme of this tragic tale. May all their souls RIP. ~ @marvyinnovation

Check out what else is going on over at @freewritehouse!

Every week, we will choose one or two Freewriters that applied to be adopted by the Freewrite House. We will hand out two 50% upvotes per day and resteem one post per day for 7 days! CLICK HERE to learn more!

And don't forget to watch for the chance to win SBI for nominating your favorite freewrites each week! The post goes up on Tuesdays!