This short article was a reply to a question in a literary magazine on how I use my creative imagination (or subconscious mind) to help overcome writer’s block . Thought I’d share a few simple thoughts on how to use the amazing powers of your creative imagination to the fullest in overcoming “writer’s block”…
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Just letting you know that I start all my novels with a basic plot and a central theme or message (a simple plan) and don’t have much idea how it’s all going to end up (“pan out”). I don’t consciously use techniques, like “mind-mapping” and have found that by writing one chapter at a time then simply “letting go”, the story simply flows onto the next naturally (at least I think it does!). It’s simply a matter of taking one step at a time, then waiting for “inspiration“*, which may take an hour, a day, a week, or perhaps even a month (if you are a very patient writer – definitely not one of my virtues!).
* By the way, the word “inspire” translated from the ancient Greek language, literally says, “God breathed life into”.
Not that it’s Greek to me – this “not classical language scholar”!
When I get “stuck” for a while, I take a break with a long walk along the stunningly beautiful beaches here, which really relaxes me and then the thoughts simply “flow into my head.”
This takes hold and I get a clear vision of the next small step ahead (always) – through the amazing powers of the
subconscious mind, which is where our INSPIRATION* comes from… and this leads, impels (nice word!) us into ACTION. Thought seeds energy, which results in the choice of action)
Its up to us to ACT on our “creative feelings”. I study and write quite a bit about the amazing powers of the human mind… and truly believe the ‘powers’ are available to ALL writers, when they simply relax and trust their intuition.
Imagination leads to intuition (“the way God communicates with us” via the antennae of the subconscious mind, I believe). So use the amazing and unlimited powers of your creative subconscious mind…
then
‘Let Go and Let God, the Universe reveal plot (or any idea to move forward) to you through your CREATIVE IMAGINATION…
and it never fails to work for me (in all areas of life, I believe)!