Sometimes writers block happens because you've gotten in a rut and the air has gotten stale. A good way to get your brain and the creative muse moving again is to get moving yourself. But you don't want to just put on your jacket and walk out the door. Follow a simple writers plan to make the exercise productive.
While this doesn't require a lot of preparation, you want to make sure you have a few things with you. Remember, this time is for regenerating your writing juices and getting the words flowing.
Location: public bus, subway or similar mass transit vehicle
Essential equipment: notebook of some kind, pen or pencil, map of the routes and schedule, and (most importantly) the writer's eye.
Plan on spending at least 2-3 hours riding the bus (or subway or whatever). Check out the routes a little in advance so you don't get stuck out in west podunk for two hours between runs. You'll also want to sit near the back of the bus so you can see everyone who gets on or off.
Once you get on the bus you have two options.
Option One
You can simply make notes on your fellow passengers as character sketches. This includes descriptions of them, their clothing, and their cell phone conversations. It's also fun if you try to figure out what they do for a living and what their personal story is. Imagine what is going on in their mind right now and where they just came from and where they're going when they get off the bus. Do this for as many people on the bus as you can.
Option Two
Pretend you are one of the characters in your current story. So while you're writing about the other people riding the bus, you can write about why your character is on the bus and what she notices about some of her fellow passengers. Her attitude, likes, dislikes, feeling about who sits next to her and how she takes the experiences are useful to note. This is especially effective if you're not sure what to do next in the story. At that point, make your character ride mass transit and write about the experience. Something is bound to turn up.
When you get back, consider subjecting each of your characters to the same bus ride and see it from each point of view. How would they describe the same passengers your initial character saw? How would they feel about riding the bus and rubbing shoulders with some of the same people?
After a few hours you will have something in writing and more than a few character sketches, descriptions and other goodies that you can weave into a story. Not a bad way to get taken for a ride, now is it?
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