As a writer, those moments when it seems like words are impossible come with frustrating regularity. And other times, it seems like everything you write deserves to be immediately stricken from your temporal lobe (because just deleting it from the page isn't nearly enough).
When those moments hit me, I look for a momentary diversion…something to take my mind off what I'm not doing and fill it with something that doesn't require a lot of brain power, doesn't require a lot of thinking. (Soap operas work wonderfully usually.)
Today, in my "fill my time" moments, I decided to play on the 'net for a bit. And wouldn't you know that my attempts to find something non-writing related and intelligence-requirement-free would still land me somewhere that focused on writing?
However, I thought this website was such a great idea and possibly even a great tool for writers that I thought I should share. It's called One Word. The premise of this website is what I pulled the title of my post from… Don't think. Just write.
Essentially the website provides a word (yes, that would be the one word) each day and gives you 60 seconds to write about it. You don't have time to formulate a plan, to think up a plot or even really consider grammar. You just write. You don't think.
My word today was "proud". I wrote my little sentence or two and then continued on to read what everyone else had written. Honestly, I think I found more inspiration in reading the other comments than in my own. Because it was such an amazing look at how one word contains different meanings, emotions and symbolism to different people.
We write about people. Perhaps they are characters, but ultimately, everything we create is born of our experiences and the experiences of those around us. This website gives a great look at how one word can make all the difference.
Check it out: http://oneword.com/
And if you feel so inclined, drop a comment and share some of your favorite things to do when you need a diversion… any other great websites to share out there?
1 comment
What I do for a diversion when I get writers block is read an award winning book. It won an award for a reason so hopefully I can pick up some of the great writing by osmosis.