This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Sarah Pekkanen is an American author and journalist. Her new book, The Best of Us, is out now, and you can read our interview with her here.
1. If you’re stuck, jog around the block, do jumping jacks, or stand on your head. Anything to shake you up and get those creative juices flowing!
2. Take a book you love and deconstruct it scene by scene to see how the author put it together. You’ll learn tricks that will help your own plotting immeasurably.
3. Give your work in progress a little breathing space now and then. Step away from a first draft for a week, work on something else, then come back to it with fresh eyes.
4. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Don’t let your fingers stop moving on the keyboard for that entire time. You’ll be surprised by what you come up with once your brain starts to free-flow.
5. When you come across a passage you love in another book, study it. Absorb the grace and wisdom, and use the lesson to take your writing to the next level.